Here’s a quick rundown of the highlights this week. Go forth, enjoy, and happy design festivaling! Remember, if you need a “lyft” home, your friend with a car will give you $25 off your first ride. Also, if you want your info on the go, you can always download our new mobile app. Continue reading
Need an excuse for a little design-forward retail therapy? LADF features several special markets and shopping events. Continue reading
Get out and discover what makes Los Angeles a global design capital. This month, curious visitors can have their pick of interesting design walkabouts. Continue reading
No festival would be complete without a few fêtes – and with so much design to celebrate, we hope you’ll join in the festivities and stop by one of these parties in June! Be sure to update your social calendar with this round-up of soirees, receptions, gallery openings, and other events you won’t want to miss. Continue reading
Design season is officially here and with it comes the return of Dwell on Design, now the largest design event in the nation. From June 21-23, the Los Angeles Convention Center West Hall is transformed into a living embodiment of the modern lifestyle. More than 400+ national and international exhibitors across all design categories will be participating over the course of these three design-filled days, along with over 200+ design leaders and distinguished keynote speaker, Michael Graves. Continue reading
Deborah Sussman is a design force to be reckoned with. Chicago Bauhaus student, Eames office alumna, co-creator of the look that defined the 1984 Olympics, the first woman to exhibit in the New York’s School of Visual Arts ‘Master Series,’; there is little she hasn’t done. She pioneered the field called “Environmental Graphic Design” and her contributions to “urban branding” have been internationally applauded, influencing generations of designers to come. In recognition of the role that she has played in making Los Angeles the global design capital that it is today, Ms. Sussman will receive the first-ever Julia Morgan Icon Award given by Wiles Magazine and the Los Angeles Design Festival. She will be honored at the LADF Opening Party on June 14th. Continue reading
Join artists young and old to “trade what you made” at the Heart of Los Angeles SWAP/MEET. Leave your wallets and your worries behind because this is a trade-only meet, in an effort to create an “experimental economy of trade.” From 2pm to 5pm the Levitt Pavilion in MacArthur Park will be transformed into an impromptu art mart offering the community a dizzying mix of paper mâché, linographic prints, photographs and more. Continue reading
![Invention_barstudyTV[2]](http://www.ladesignfestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Invention_barstudyTV2.png)
The Historic Los Angeles Athletic Club has been at the corner 7th and Olive since 1912, but chances are, unless you’re a card-carrying member, you’ve never ventured inside. Don’t miss this opportunity to take a very special tour of the newly remodeled social floor with designer Tracy Beckmann on June 19 at 7pm.
Guests will tour the newly-opened third floor featuring the one of LA’s hottest new downtown bar’s, Invention. Beckmann ignited the traditional swank by accessorizing the historic space with her signature style, adding modern elements and detail. Think Danish Modern meets Don Draper’s office. A timeless new look for a 100 year old space that will last long into the next century.
While the LA Athletic Club is still members-only, the Club now offers a social membership for socialites who want to make Invention and Famous Players their new preferred home away from home.
The tour starts promptly at 7pm. Following the tour, guests are invited to stay and enjoy a libation. RSVP HERE.
About Tracy Beckmann:
Beckmann is the principal and founder of Tracy Beckmann Design. Beckmann’s approach to interior design is modern but deeply rooted in design tradition. Beckmann’s skills as a designer were honed during her four-year collaboration with Kelly Wearstler of KWID and the renowned KOR Group. Their first project together resulted in the award-winning Avalon Hotel located in Beverly Hills. A native of Los Angeles, Beckmann is devoted to the rehabilitation of Downtown Los Angeles’s historical landmarks and the construction of the “New Downtown.” Beckmann has designed several Los Angeles properties including The Hotel at The Los Angeles Athletic Club, The Ballroom and Invention at The Los Angeles Athletic Club (where she has served as lead designer for the past six years), Mas Malo Restaurant in Downtown LA, and the bespoke upscale supper club, Tar Pit in Los Angeles.
In addition to an impressive collection of LA-based design projects, Beckmann has also recently garnered global media attention from the impressive restoration of the famed Hotel Lautner, that she and business partner Ryan Trowbridge own in Desert Hot Springs.
Get ready, Los Angeles, for an epic battle of design chatter and ping pong! Pecha Kucha returns to our fair city for LADF, but we’re kicking it up a notch this year and adding a bit of sport to the mix. Don’t miss the first-ever Pecha Kucha x Ping Pong Night, curated by Santino Medina and co-hosted by de LaB at SPiN at the Standard on June 26 from 8pm to 10pm. Continue reading
At first glance, LA might look like a disorganized jigsaw puzzle or a city that has evolved by accident, but a deeper look reveals a city with innovative infrastructure and urban planning, commercial and civic buildings, housing experiments, and other architectural forms. The Getty’s Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in LA is collaborative celebration of Southern California’s lasting impact on modern architecture that looks at these lesser known aspects of our city’s design history. LADF features seven of these programs and exhibitions as part of the festival. Continue reading
Author, civic booster, and LA magazine columnist Chris Nichols will lead guests on a special tour of LA’s hidden design gems; historical, current, and obscure. Don’t miss the first-ever LADF Design Caravan on June 15th from 9am to 1pm. Continue reading
The Furniture Society is hosting a special tour of the Gamble House and Maloof Foundation in Pasadena and Alta Loma as part of the FS 13: L.A. Symposium. Tour 1 – June 21 from 9:30am to 5:30 pm – takes visitors inside two of the most historically significant landmarks of California craft.
Design in Los Angeles is an ever-expanding multi-disciplinary art form that has both a rich history and an exciting future. Tour some of the creative, cultural, and commercial enclaves that exemplify our city’s evolution as a global design capital as part of the FS:13 L.A. Symposium on June 21 from 9:30am to 5:30pm. Tour 2 takes visitors to the Eames House, Getty Villa, and Modernica Factory.
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There’s a fine and delicate balance between craft and design, but when it’s struck the result is flawless. Craft + Design, a special exhibition for the Furniture Society Symposium hosted by Fifth Floor Gallery, features works by notable designers who have mastered precisely this precarious but perfect balance between efficiency, character, and quality. Don’t miss the opening reception on June 21st from 6pm to 9pm.
It’s been a long but fruitful year for Sam Lubell and Greg Goldin, co-curators of the upcoming Never Built Los Angeles exhibition. Continue reading
Big City Forum hosts an interdisciplinary conversation for creative and progressive thinkers during LADF this year. “Independent Publishing and Print Culture in the Public Sphere,” will explore the impact of self initiated and independent publishing in the Los Angeles community. Continue reading
Australian design collective Quench returns to LA for the second year in a row to show off the latest to emerge from down under. Their mission? To enhance the conversation surrounding Australian design. Their curated selection is sure to satisfy LA’s thirst for modern design. In addition to an installation at Dwell on Design, Quench is co-hosting AUS/USA/LAX, a design exhibition and party with Flagship at the Kim Sing Theater on June 22. Continue reading
The state of California rocks a style unique unto itself. 100% California – one of three special exhibitions hosted by the Furniture Society and Dwell on Design, showcases the diversity and richness of modern craft in the Golden State. The exhibition is on view at Dwell on Design, June 21-23. Continue reading
Experience Cold Void, a unique, multimedia exhibit at the on June 15th. Hosted by KK Los Angeles, join multimedia wizard Rafaël Rozendaal and Dutch electronic music master Luuk Bouwman as they debut their collaborative project in a truly unconventional, “non-performative” way.
For the third year in a row, LADF and Chung King Road celebrate the vibrant creative community that continues to grow under the crimson glow of Chinatown’s lanterns by hosting Chinatown Design Night, June 29th from 7pm to 10pm. Shops, studios, and galleries will stay open late into the summer night for this all-out art and design street party, which also serves as the closing party for the Los Angeles Design Festival.
On the hunt for a Brendan Ravenhill bottle opener, an Ashkahn print, or a set of Alexander Girard memory cards for your tot? Whether your tastes skew quirky and irreverent or heady and sophisticated, you won’t want to miss the first-ever LADF Design Shopping Night.
LADF starts one day early this year with an amazing design story that blends fashion with architecture, technology, and a beautiful Hollywood siren. Join LACMA’s Costume Council for very special event with Michael Schmidt and Rose Apodaca. Continue reading
Planning an event? Need some fresh ideas? Discover the latest trends and technologies in the social industry at BizBash IdeaFest, the leading trade show for event and meeting professionals. With hands-on workshops, exciting vendors on the trade show floor, and the first-ever Event Innovation Forum–Los Angeles, come and be inspired by today’s event industry all-stars. Continue reading
What do Wilshire Boulevard and a barley field have in common? It may surprise some, but they were once one and the same. 118 years ago, this iconic boulevard was carved from rolling barley fields into one of the first roads to bisect Los Angeles.
In an effort to showcase the expansive history of Wilshire Boulevard and all the architectural beauty surrounding it, Pacific Standard Time Presents: Modern Architecture in L.A, an initiative of The Getty, presents CicLAvia: Iconic Wilshire Boulevard - a rare opportunity for Angelenos to experience this well-known drive on a different set of wheels. Continue reading
How is design driving meaningful innovation and change in today’s economy?
This summer, explore the role of design in an important global conversation on how design is transforming business, transportation, education and the public sector, as the Design Management Institute - an international nonprofit organization that seeks to heighten awareness of design as an essential part of business strategy - brings the 2013 Design Thinking Conference to Los Angeles for the first time. Continue reading
Whether you’re a designer or design-lover, you won’t want to miss Celebration, a special evening commemorating the best of design. This year’s gala marks an exciting and distinct milestone for ASID, as it will be hosted for the first time ever on the West Coast! Continue reading
Inner-City Arts, widely regarded as one of the nation’s most effective arts education providers, is an oasis of learning, achievement and creativity in the heart of Skid Row, and a vital partner in the work of creating a safer, healthierLos Angeles.
Chinatown Design Night went off with such a bang last year that it’s back again in 2013. The annual design street party will be rounding out two weeks of citywide celebrations and serve as the official closing party for LADF 2013. Continue reading
Photo Credit: Hannah Quinn
SuperCaliProductionisticDesignaliciousExhibitalidocious: It’s not easy to say, but it may become the new mantra for the next generation of California furniture makers. Find out more about the state of modern furniture craft this summer when The Furniture Society hosts their annual symposium in Los Angeles. In a departure from the Society’s typical conference format, FS13: LA symposium will harness the energy and talent of LA’s design community to explore issues critical to designer-makers today. Continue reading
We all know about the great Westside-Eastside divide in LA. Yes, it’s a cultural, socio-economic, and geographic thing. But mainly, it’s a driving thing, right? It’s tough to commit to an event when you know you have to fight traffic for at least an hour to get there, scavenge for parking, and then return home with maybe a few crudites and a glass of wine in your belly. Well, LADF gets it. So this year, to encourage citywide participation and a sense of community, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve partnered with Lyft to give our guests a ride to and from any LADF events. Of course, we’d prefer it if you walked, rode your bike, or took public transportation. But if you were going to drive, grabbing a Lyft is a great alternative.
Submissions have just closed for the 2013 AIA|LA Restaurant Design Awards which recognize the best-designed restaurants, cafes, and bars and lounges in Los Angeles and beyond. Now in its ninth year, the Restaurant Design Awards continue to be one of the AIA|LA’s most popular awards programs.
The 3rd Annual LA Design Festival returns June 13 to June 30, 2013 for two full weeks of citywide design celebrations of varying size, scope, and splendor. With a creative economy that generates over $230.7 billion per year and $3.3 billion in state and local taxes, Los Angeles is without doubt a global design capital. Continue reading