London: Materials Mecca

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London is the epicenter of design that is exploring materiality. I wanted to learn more about emerging trends and approaches to research so I flew to London to check out the scene. I met up with Instagrammer Karin Skogund, a materials librarian at Materialities and we had a little chat. Check out her Instagram feed – @Materialites. She unearths some great finds two of which are here.

MATERIAL LAB

Grace Jeffers | NKBA Insiders | London | England | Europe | Materialities | Trends | Research | Travel | Materials Library  Grace Jeffers | NKBA Insiders | London | England | Europe | Materialities | Trends | Research | Travel | Materials Library | Colored Glass

Material Lab is one part showroom, one part free co-working space and one part materials library. Located in a storefront just off Oxford Circus this place is an oasis for us material fanatics. They also host continuing education classes and manufacturer events. Maybe they can adopt me! Check out their Instagram feed @materiallab

FAMEED KHALIQUE

Grace Jeffers | NKBA Insiders | London | England | Europe | Materialities | Trends | Research | Travel | Materials Library | Fameed Khalique Showroom

In my 25 year career of studying materials, I have never met a living designer who was so poetically fluent in so many materials. Fameed Khalique is a materials polyglot, transforming matter into something the materials themselves did not even dare to dream. To describe his work does not do it justice because we do not have language broad and varied enough to adequately describe the material manipulation this man is capable of. Beaded and embroidered rabbit, semiprecious stone in-filed with silver, obsidian, and knotted leather: kings throughout the ages and across the globe would have delighted in his work and yet, despite the sumptuousness, the showroom is incredibly friendly and accommodating. Treat yourself to a visit!