It’s that time of year again where designers are looking to launch their new collections and buyers are seeking new talent and exciting products. I visited the Pulse trade show at Earls Court in London this week, the theme for the show this year is ‘First Peek,’ therefore it is all about discovering new products and future trends before anyone else.
I met many talented designers and attended a number of interesting seminars throughout the day. The ‘Entrepreneurship and the Future of Retail’ seminar (Top tips for succeeding in business) presented by Doug Richard, Enrepreneur: Dragons Den/School for Creative Start-ups, was very inspiring. I also enjoyed the ‘How to Get Noticed by Journalists’ seminar (Learn how to market your story to grab a journalist’s attention) presented by Katie Law, Design News Writer: The London Evening Standard, and found it to be very engaging.
Here is a little sneak peek of some of the fabulous designers that I met showcasing their creativity.
I love the quirky illustrations with added humour on the Blank Inside greeting cards and stationery. It was great to see new products and prints in the range, including tea towels and mugs.
Ohh Deer work with a large number of designers and illustrators and showcased an impressive range of fun and quirky prints over a variety of products that looked great collectively. I especially love the humour that is illustrated with everyday objects and animals.
The detailed illustrations by Helena Carrington really stood out, as I love how she takes her inspiration from travelling and architecture and combines the linear outlines with vibrant colour blocking to make it fun.
Timbergram exhibited a variety of new designs on their wooden postcards, which showed there was something for everyone. I especially loved the mix between the quirky illustrations and the creative typography.
The ceramic products by MercerMercer really grabbed by attention. I thought that the combination of the geo prints, architectural shapes, and the gorgeous colour palettes were absolutely fabulous.
The vibrant prints demonstrating layered mark-making techniques by Jonna Saarinen were spectacular. Her prints can be applied to a variety of products to add colour and texture to brighten up any home.
The large abstract prints and vibrant colour palettes by Kapitza were eye-catching. These prints are versatile and would look fabulous on apparel as well as on homeware products.
I loved the mix of products and prints by Rolfe & Wills. The screen-printed range varied from fun and colourful geo designs and animal prints, to intricate illustrations of Bristol, which complimented the range beautifully.
Laura Spring has cleverly used shapes and design to create fun abstract prints, and has combined them with great colour palettes for everyday accessories.