• Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and member of Dubai Council, Downtown Design’s 2022 edition will see its most elevated showcase to date, with over 200 international and regional brands and designers.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Curated in strategic partnership with Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, and supported by Dubai Culture, Downtown Design, the Middle East’s leading fair for high-quality and contemporary design, returns from 9 - 12 November. It will once again take place in its purpose-built venue on the waterfront terrace at Dubai Design District (d3), a regional hub for art, design, fashion and architecture.

Downtown Design 2022 will be the fair’s most elevated experience to date, reflecting Dubai’s ever-growing economy and its incredibly strong influence on the success of the region’s burgeoning design industry. This year is set to be a showcase of excellence, with internationally renowned brands and country-specific presentations from discerning manufacturers, studios and individual designers, all with a mission to further their awareness during the region’s leading design event. Downtown Design 2022 will attract a wide segment of high-calibre B2B and B2C audiences across the region’s design communities and industries, including architects and interior designers, developers and hospitality operators, HNWIs and collectors, and design enthusiasts.

The fair will welcome a range of internationally renowned brands, such as Poliform, which will be showcasing its stand-out, contemporary designs with its inimitable Italian style; iGuzzini, an international leader in the field of structural lighting; Minotti, presented by Aati, showcasing its timeless collections; Cosentino, which will produce a creative concept by RSP Architects; award-winning carpet makers Jaipur Rugs; pioneers in the field of architectural lighting, Lutron;  Huda Lighting, which will stage an immersive, multi-brand exhibit featuring globally renowned brands; and Purity, which is launching a new contemporary brand by Jwana Hamdan; and Studio Nada Debs, showcasing a celebration of 20 years devoted to craftsmanship.

Visitors to this year’s fair can discover a range of collaborations by some of the world’s most esteemed and sought-after designers, including; cc-tapis presented by Iwan Maktabi, premiering Duccio Maria Gambi’s latest collection globally; VitrA in collaboration with iconic designer Tom Dixon showcasing its innovative one-of-a-kind bathroom experiences; RAK Ceramics in collaboration with Elie Saab returning to Downtown Design with its latest collection; and Lasvit with bespoke lighting sculptures created by collaborators, such as Yabu Pushelberg, among many others.

Downtown Editions, the fair’s boutique section dedicated to limited-edition and bespoke design, offering a platform for individual designers and studios, galleries and collectives from the region and beyond, will this year include Parisian design gallery Anne Jacquemin Sablon, which will bring pieces by interior designer Tristan Auer, among others, known for his emotional interiors that mix inspiration from the baroque and contemporary periods and Dubai-based Syrian brand ARE.

Downtown Editions has served as an instrumental platform for designers to gain visibility and engage with international and regional buyers and collectors. This year, the platform will feature works from around the globe —an aspect that reflects Dubai’s increasingly cosmopolitan and international character.

The Forum at Downtown Design will host a series of compelling live talks and discussions between leading regional and international architects and interior and product designers, featuring a range of topics from changing industry dynamics, behaviours and opportunities. Keynotes will be given by high-profile international speakers, including multi-award-winning British designer Kelly Hoppen CBE; Florence-based Duccio Maria Gambi, who creates sought-after and highly collectable furniture; and Kuwaiti architect Jassim AlSaddah, all of whom will be sharing their insights on pressing topics from across the industry.

Khadija Al Bastaki, Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), said: “With its status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design, Dubai’s profile and role in the global design sector continues to go from strength to strength.  Much-anticipated events like Downtown Design certainly play a fundamental role in elevating this profile and showcasing the wealth of creative talent in our district and the wider region. We at Dubai Design District (d3) are proud to be a strategic partner for this prestigious event; we look forward to welcoming the international design community to our d3 creative ecosystem and seeing Dubai’s design narrative flourish further and rethink the regular.” 

Mette Degn-Christensen, Director of Downtown Design, said: “This year, we set a precedent for Dubai’s ever-growing design and architecture community. Drawing on contemporary designs with international and regional industry leaders, we look forward to yet again providing a platform for exceptional talent. With a full programme of installations, exhibitions, talks and activations, Downtown Design 2022 will fulfil its mission to create a premium and didactic experience for this year’s visitors”.

Dr Saeed Mubarak bin Kharbash, CEO of the Arts and Literature Sector at Dubai Culture, affirmed the importance of this prominent event within Dubai Design Week and Dubai Culture’s keenness to be one of its lead supporters; this comes as part of the Authority’s responsibility to support talents and help elevate their creativity to the highest positions. He said: “At Dubai Culture, we are working toward building a vibrant, sustainable and competitive creative sector in global forums, in line with our strategic roadmap, and we are also seeking to cement the emirate's position as a global capital for design and creative industries in general. Through this pioneering exhibition, we are providing an ideal platform to embrace the creativity of our designers and highlight their work and creatively present it to global audiences, especially as the exhibition includes a special platform to showcase the creative designs of Emirati and UAE-based talents, which we are proud of and always committed to supporting.”

Highlight features of the 2022 fair’s programme include a pop-up concept by Veuve Clicquot, celebrating its 250-year anniversary by engaging visitors with events, creative experiences and large-scale installations, from an immersive new-media installation to a modular installation created of rammed earth, using sand from the UAE and staged by Lebanese multidisciplinary design duo Karim Tamerji and Elias El Hage, with the support of House of Today.

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To accredit as press or for any press enquiries, please contact:
International PR: Andrea Covington  andrea@bacchus.agency
Regional PR: Fiona Wishart fiona@bacchus.agency 

The event is free to attend, registration is now open at www.downtowndesign.com

Follow Downtown Design’s social media channels; Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @downtowndesignd

About Dubai Design District (d3)

Dubai Design District (d3), a member of TECOM Group PJSC, is a global creative ecosystem dedicated to design, fashion, architecture and art. In line with Dubai’s position as the leading business destination for the region and beyond, d3 is an industry-pioneering concept that enables people and businesses to grow and co-create, whilst simultaneously providing a strong platform for creativity. Strategically located in the heart of Dubai, d3 is one of the city’s lifestyle and business district that challenges thousands of people to rethink the regular.

With state-of-the-art infrastructure designed to meet the needs of the industry and a business-friendly framework, the community offers creative talent the tools for collaboration and growth, further reinforcing Dubai’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Design.

d3 is a cutting-edge retail district offering a variety of multi-brand boutiques, fashion brands, art galleries and showrooms. In addition, d3 is home to leading companies and talent including architects, interior designers, photography studios, product and fashion designers.
Some of the region’s most popular events take place in d3 and attract international artists and audiences to cultural and fashion exhibitions and gatherings such as Dubai Design Week, Arab Fashion Week and Sole DXB. The district also regularly hosts a roster of industry talks, workshops and educational programming, accessible to people of all ages.

d3 is home to TECOM Group PJSC’s business incubator – in5 – that aims to support the fashion and design industries by offering students and entrepreneurs the opportunity to transform their ideas into successful commercial ventures. This ecosystem is further supported by the Dubai Institute of Design and Innovation (DIDI), the region’s only university exclusively dedicated to design and innovation, which offers a curriculum crafted with the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and The New School’s Parsons School of Design.
The district also features the city’s first canal side recreational development, The Block. The open-air destination offers a range of different outdoor and leisure areas including a basketball and volleyball court, a skate park, outdoor gym and climbing wall.

For more information, please visit: www.dubaidesigndistrict.com/

About Dubai Culture & Arts Authority

On 8th March 2008, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched Dubai Culture & Arts Authority to be the custodian of Dubai’s cultural and creative sector and help define it at the local and global levels, enabling and developing these sectors to consolidate the emirate’s position as an active global centre for creativity.

Under the leadership of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, the Authority is committed to enriching Dubai’s cultural scene based on the UAE’s heritage, and is building bridges of constructive dialogue between various cultures to enhance Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent.

The Authority is committed to preserving and celebrating Dubai’s history and highlighting its contemporary cultural and creative fabric through practicing its role as a cultural and creative sector Regulator, Planner, Enabler and Operator through a series of mega cultural initiatives, events and projects, and the various cultural and heritage assets under its remit, including the management of 6 historical destinations, 6 museums, Al Jalila Cultural Centre for Children and 8 Dubai Public Libraries.

Dubai Culture is developing regulatory frameworks for Dubai’s cultural and creative sectors based on the priorities of its strategic roadmap 2020 – 2025 and the enablers that seek to support talents and stimulate active participation from society members. The aim is to create an ecosystem that stimulates creative industries and reinforces Dubai’s position as a global cultural destination, and its cultural responsibility of safeguarding Dubai’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

For more information, please visit: www.dubaiculture.gov.ae