designjunction is now in its sixth year – what did you originally set out to achieve with the exhibition? Has that changed?

At the time (back in 2011) when we launched designjunction, we felt London was missing a commercial show with more creative energy and a greater relevance to the A&D community.  A place where you could business but in a more relaxed environment.

Our mission was simple, we wanted to break the mould of the traditional trade show by taking over ambitious locations on the brink of transformation in central London.

We wanted to present the best cutting-edge design within a carefully curated space, striking the perfect balance between creative and commercial.

Over the course of six years, we have built up a reputation for occupying some of the most ambitious and challenging spaces in London from a 40,000 sq ft disused sorting office to a derelict design school last year.

The move to King’s Cross is an important step in our nomadic evolution, as we continue to raise the bar again at a brand new destination. King’s Cross is undergoing one of the largest urban redevelopments programs in the UK – with new development, new occupiers and regeneration. It’s a really exciting time to move there.

This year, the show is going to be bigger and better than ever at our new location in King’s Cross. We are taking over an entire site, with public outdoor spaces presenting more than 200 leading contemporary design brands.

We have remained pretty focused with what we set out to achieve from the start but have looked to evolve over the years. To keep it fresh and exciting. In some respects, moving venues allows us to do that by starting again and re organising the layout.

designjunction today still remains at the cutting-edge of design. King’s Cross is at the cutting-edge of the future with a fantastic location for us to expand in as the site get redeveloped.

Congratulations on your new venue at King’s Cross!  How did you respond to the architecture of your new space?

The interesting thing about King’s Cross campus is it’s made up of multiple sites giving us the opportunity to utilise what already exists.

The Canopy area directly outside Waitrose will be converted into a premium shopping destination. The heritage wrought iron structure lends itself to a market style setting ideal for pop-up shops.

The Crossing, on the other hand inside Central Saint Martins is a huge five-story high space perfect for large-scale installations. Allowing visitors plenty of space to walk around the exhibitors. 

On Lewis Cubitt Square, we are building a double decker outdoor structure to house more than 70 leading international brands. This temporary structure we will be masked with a super façade structure made from 4,000 GRID cubes measuring 70m long x 7m high.

On Granary Square, we will be building eight giant monopoly houses – a playful response to property development going on in the area.

What inspired the theme ‘Immersed in Design’ for this year’s show?

The inspiration came from visiting other international design shows, looking at how brands engaged with audiences outside of the design industry. We noticed people don’t necessarily want to be told direct messages from companies anymore, they want to be shown a story or a process. #Immesedindesign  is about making memorable connections between our exhibitors and visitors. 

The theme has allowed us to build interesting and unexpected content - from an immersive super structure façade to interactive lighting installations, food tastings and augmented reality experiences. The idea is that when you visit designjunction, you are fully engaged with design through all the senses.

What fresh talent should we look out for?

Tala, a young British lighting brand is definitely one to watch. They create elegant filament light bulbs using the latest LED technology. At the show, they will be building an eight-meter high installation will allow visitors to fully interact with the bulbs with areas to touch, feel and explore beneath a glistening forest canopy.

Independent designer, Christopher Jenner will present a two-year collaboration with Sheffield-based heritage silverware brand Elkington & Co.

North Limited is a new design collection formed by three Icelandic designers. Their style mixes contemporary and classic design with Icelandic influences. Production uses quality material and the best craftsmanship possible.

What are your three must-see collections this year?

Of course this is very personal taste, but I would pick out Design House Stockholm who are showcasing a few new collections.  Particularly the Wick chair by Karl Malmvall & Jesper Stahl as well as a  super cool Greenhouse which is  small enough for indoor use but large enough to house a miniature garden.

British design brand, Very Good & Proper have just launched a family of cabinet pieces suitable for domestic or commercial use, with a carefully chosen palette of materials and colours. The carcase is plywood, with lino tops and sliding doors in either veneered plywood or folded and perforated sheet metal.

I’d also pick out Deadgood’s new collection called Naked by Magnus Long and Gala Wright, which visitors will see in the secret champagne garden in Cubitt House.

What trends did you feature in this year's show and did you notice any new emerging ones?

designjunction has always been a place for visitors to discover the latest trends.

 Whereas in the past we’ve highlighted trends in materials use or a particular manufacturing process, this year it’s all about traditional craftsmanship and heritage. We have some of the world’s most iconic brands exhibiting this year such as Isokon Plus, to smaller labels like Melin Tregwynt, who weave stunning textiles in Wales. The link between the vast spectrum of brands is how they use traditional craftsmanship to make cutting-edge, contemporary products.

Another example is Christopher Jenner, who will present a range of silver ware with Elkington & Co, a company founded in 1824 with a reputation as Europe’s leading innovators in Silverware manufacturing. BROKIS is another one, known for their unusual, eye-catching lighting,  they produce all their glass lighting with the skill of outstanding artisans, continuing the age-old Bohemian glassblowing tradition.

What are you most looking forward to at this year’s show?

Moving to King’s Cross. I am so excited about the new venue.

I think one of the things the whole team is excited about is seeing the giant red monopoly houses on Granary Square. It will be an incredible feature next to the fountains as you enter the site. All eight of the  houses will be filled with immersive design concepts from colour concepts by Japanese tech brand Eizo to water inspired installations from luxury bathroom brand Dornbracht.     

I think the super façade at Cubitt House will be a feature  simply not to be missed. Then of course we have all the brands showcasing within the structure. This includes Icons of Denmark, String, Another Country  Modus, Bethan Gray and Channels - all presenting exciting new product launches. There will also be a secret champagne garden out the back of Cubitt House to relax and network Also within Cubitt House will be lightjunction – which presents the best in contemporary decorative lighting, from Northern Lighting to Haberdashery

I’m also looking forward to seeing a very special project called Dyslexic design - celebrating the positive effects of dyslexia in design. Ten of the UK’s leading designers including Jim Rokos, Sebastian Bergne, Terence Woodgate, and Kristjana S Williams will showcase their work exploring the extraordinary connection between dyslexia and the creative industries.

Under the Canopy area, visitors can experience some of the best shopping from fashion and jewellery to glassware, ceramics and books. One We Made Earlier will be presenting their latest jewellery collection with custom-made options available. Tom Pigeon will be selling some of his graphic prints alongside stylish tech accessories from Native Union? Do they have a pop up shop? and leather bags from Holdall & Co.

designjunction also forms part of the King’s Cross Creative Quarter which brings together all the cultural institutions within the area alongside some of the finest eateries in London so there is plenty to do. 

designjunction runs from the 22 – 25 September at King’s Cross Creative Quarter (KXCQ), in partnership with the London Design Festival, Knowledge Quarter and King’s Cross Development.