Pushing creative boundaries in furniture, homeware and architectural design, the works of five up-and-coming New Zealand companies will be showcased for the first time at later this month.
There to wow Australia’s design elite with some New Zealand-styled innovation, the group has collaborated to showcase the latest designs under a single Kiwi banner, supported by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).
Exhibiting at the New Zealand stand will be Legacy Timber with its furniture and solid wood vertical grain panels from sustainable New Zealand clearwood; Metalogy, with its Bauhaus and retro-inspired metal products; Space Solutions, with its innovative shelving and display solutions on show; Weave, displaying lighting, cabinet hardware, partitioning, furniture, homeware and 3D wallpaper; and Woodform Design with its aptly named ‘The Woodbenders’ product – solid timber, laminate and MDF bending to suit furniture and architectural designs and products.
Penelope Lawry, NZTE’s Trade Commissioner in Sydney, says by collaborating, the New Zealand companies will get the most value out of their attendance at the event which is attended by the top end of Australia’s design professionals.
“The high profile New Zealand stand reflects the growing recognition of New Zealand design by international markets such as Australia, Italy and the UK,” she says.
“The New Zealand creative industry is growing at more than double the rate of the local economy, which has resulted in more fantastic works being seen in Australia that really push the boundaries of modern design.”
Lawry says New Zealand design offers a unique style that adds another dimension to the designEX show.
“The work on display is reflective of a New Zealand tradition to create conceptually driven work that’s designed not just for practical use, but to provoke thought and conversation. With access to superb renewable resources and sophisticated technology, their designs are among those that are placing New Zealand on the map as a source of new thinking.”
This coming designEX will be Australia’s 17th commercial and residential design exhibition, held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on 21-23 April.