Toronto’s Interior Design Show Announces Powerhouse Speaker Lineup and 2016 Guest of Honour

We are soon approaching the 18th annual Interior Design Show in Toronto this coming January. The show celebrates the most innovative of international and Canadian design, and this year it has announced an exciting selection of internationally acclaimed designers as the first three speakers. This year’s show welcomes Tom Dixon, Ora-ïto and Lee Broom. Take a look below for more information from IDS16.

From Interior Design Show (IDS16):

Mark your calendars! The 18th annual Interior Design Show (IDS16) is returning to Toronto from January 21 to 24 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) to celebrate the most innovative of international and Canadian design. IDS16 is proud to welcome Tom Dixon, Ora-ïto and Lee Broom as the first three speakers in its star-studded lineup for this year’s show, hand-picked from across the globe.

Internationally renowned and self-taught British product designer, Tom Dixon, will grace the Caesarstone Stage as this year’s International Guest of Honour. The London-based designer’s works are included in permanent collections of the world’s most prestigious museums including the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). His portfolio boasts a number of high-profile interior projects including The Restaurant at The Royal Academy in London, Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Barbecoa, Shoreditch House, McCann World Group’s New York City Headquarters and the 360 room Mondrian London at Sea Containers House.

Image © IDS16

As a further sign of established presence in the North American market, Tom Dixon has recently opened his first New York City store. Located in SoHo, the 1,000-square-foot space carries the brand’s full line of furniture, lighting and accessories, including the newest Melt pendant lamp, Wingback chair and Brew coffee-set series. The Shop is adjacent to Tom Sachs’ Studio space and is the continuation of a decade’s long friendship between the two creatives. The storefront features a hand-drawn sign by Sachs, while the interior was designed to be sympathetic to its surroundings. The tin ceiling and the steel pillars were left untreated in order to expose the raw architecture of the space.

Image © IDS16

Tom Dixon will have a huge presence on this year’s IDS show floor featuring a central experiential kitchen installation with Caesarstone, as well as a pop-up shop with Klaus by Nienkamper benefiting Habitat for Humanity. For Caesarstone, IDS will host the first part of a year-long collaboration with Tom Dixon, The Toronto Ice Kitchen, inspired by Canada’s frozen lakes and the icebreakers that clear the way for freighters. Powering their way through the ice, they leave behind a frozen mix of jagged pieces in a spectacular array of whites and greys. Klaus, the first Canadian retailer to carry Tom Dixon’s work since its inception in 2002, will present a collection of his work in continuation of their 14 year long relationship.

Award-winning London-based lighting, furniture and interior designer, Lee Broom, will make his Canadian debut at IDS16’s AZURE Trade Talks. Beginning his career in theater school and abruptly switching directions after winning a fashion design competition at the age of 17, he went on to work for fashion maven, Viviene Westwood, and studied fashion at the illustrious Central St Martins. He soon ventured into interior and product design, launching his eponymous brand in 2007 and has since won more than 20 awards including British Designer of the Year in 2012 and the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2015 – the UK’s highest accolade for business success.

Image © IDS16

Lee Broom’s background allows him to infuse his collections with a sense of drama and narrative. A true supporter of British manufacturing techniques, Lee Broom designs, manufactures and retails his own collections and has been acknowledged as one of the most respected British talents by the Financial Times. He has collaborated with leading brands including Christian Louboutin, Mulberry and Matthew Williamson and retails his products in over 160 stores worldwide, in over 45 countries. This past April, Lee Broom unveiled his largest interiors product collection to date called The Department Store, with more than 25 pieces of furniture, lighting and accessories in occasion of Salone Internazionale del Mobile.

Image © IDS16

Image © IDS16

Hailing from Marseille, France, Ora-ïto, will also grace the Caesarstone Stage for IDS16’s AZURE Trade Talks, presented by Scavolini. A legend in the design industry, Ora-ïto rose to prominence in the late 90s after designing products for emblematic international brands like Louis Vuitton, Apple, Nike and Bic. But there was one fundamental problem: these products were completely fictitious – works of Ora-ïto‘s imagination that had never, and would never, exist.

Image © IDS16

However, this didn’t hinder their popularity. These works became only the second digital work ever to be acquired by the National Funds of Contemporary Art in London.

Ora-ïto has continued his journey in design with a philosophy he proudly refers to as simplexity. In 2002, he received the award of best design for his aluminum Heineken bottle with original capsule packaging. His first lamp, One Line, which he drew for Artemide with a single continuous line, was celebrated during the 2014 Milan Furniture Fair and was crowned with a Red Dot Design Award. In 2013, he launched his own eponymous brand, a collection of headphones, speakers and folio cases for smartphones and tables. 2014 has shown his greatest success yet, with six Red Dot Design awards and three IF Design awards – six for his own brand of connected objects, a best of the best award for his Roche Bobois table, as well as awards for the Aubecq kitchen collection and the entrance hall design of the emblematic Le Madeleine building in Paris.

Image © IDS16

Image © IDS16

Stay tuned for additional speaker announcements for this year’s AZURE Trade Talks taking place on Professional Trade Day sponsored by Miele, Globe Style Saturday and House and Home Sunday.

About Interior Design Show From January 21-24, 2016, the Interior Design Show will return to Toronto for its 18th year, showcasing hot-topic design trends and the most innovative of international and Canadian design. An incubator of ideas, the show hosts the most influential design minds of today, curates feature exhibitions and collaborations, and is a platform to launch never-before-seen products. IDS is not just a fair – it’s a total design experience. Don’t miss the three day event at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this winter.

*All images and information courtesy of Interior Design Show.