Located in the creative heart of East London, the London Design Fair is a four-day industry event that brings together 550 exhibitors from 36 countries, including; independent designers, established brands, international country pavilions, features and exhibitions.
Looking ahead to one of the most exciting events in the Selvedge calendar, we have had a sneak peak at some of the exhibitors who will be displaying their designs at LDF. Among those who have caught our eye is young Dutch designer Roland Pieter Smit. Having only graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 2010, in the years since Smit has launched his "Studio Ro Smit", demonstrating a sharp talent for clean design and rigorous principles.
Smit is a designer with a conscience. He describes himself as having a "clear mission to put needs, desires and human well-being at the centre" of everything that he does. He is keenly aware of how good design should interact comfortably with human behaviour and ethos. This means having a strong idea of how significant the role of material objects is in our daily lives. Smit is also passionate about respecting and maintaining traditional making processes and is involved in regulating all of the various stages of production of his pieces.
When designing a new collection, Smit's starting point is always the question of how and why his work can improve the reality of life. This is an important idea to hold in mind as it shows respect for the user and their needs and wants. Smit also cares about the people who work as makers; he often works with people who have physical and mental impairments and designs equipment that fits around those people's capabilities. Wolwaeren TX is a collection of blankets made by physically and mentally disabled makers. The different thicknesses of yarns used in each of the blankets resulted from individuals finding different yarns easier to use and Smit accommodating these preferences.
See Studio Ro Smit at the London Design Fair from 20 - 23 October at the Truman Brewery, London, UK.
Blog post by Jessica Edney