Design Shanghai 2024: Chinese Designers and Brands to Watch

JUNE 2024 Today, Asia’s largest international design event enters its eleventh year and expects to welcome over 100,000 visitors over four days, 19th-22nd June 2024, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre. Over the past decade, Design Shanghai has become one of the biggest design shows in the world, showcasing exceptional designs from global and Chinese brands and visionary designers, enlightening forums and summits, and captivating features and installations. Design Shanghai explores how Eastern and Western design philosophies can work together synergistically across 4 vibrant design halls. It continues to highlight the advancement of Chinese design, since its inception the event has witnessed and contributed to the unprecedented growth of numerous emerging designers and brands, many of whom have even become pillars of contemporary design in China. 

“We envision Design Shanghai as an endless source of inspiration, where the latest design ideas and trends across various fields are showcased. Through our themed features, exhibitors and forum talks we aim to advance the design industry and foster a better design ecosystem in Asia. Our mission includes supporting emerging designers, preserving artisanal skills, promoting sustainability, and leading the future of design. We undertake these initiatives with a strong sense of social responsibility.” Zhuo Tan, Event Director of Design Shanghai

 

Above: U+, Hall 1 

 

Above: (L) Frank Chou Collection, represented by HC28 and (R)SEEDDESIGN, Hall 1

 

Hall 1 (Furniture and Lighting) assembles the very best furniture and lighting design brands, a hub of creative contemporary design talents ready to captivate and inspire. Chinese exhibitor highlights include Frank Chou Collection, from the namesake acclaimed designer who also curates the TALENTS Feature, which will be presented by HC28 and showcasing ‘BOLD’, a brand-new seating collection with a heightened sense of tactility. U+, one of China’s most popular furnishings brands, has always been committed to the design, development and manufacture of contemporary Chinese furniture, never restricting itself to the inheritance and innovation of Chinese traditions, but actively exploring both the Eastern and Western philosophies for guidance. Independent lighting and furniture design brand bias creatively introduces time as a new medium into lamp design via programming and optoelectronic technology. Home furnishings brand GID will be presenting ‘Precious Home’, consisting of personalised and artistic pieces. hm-Li Studio embodies a vision of timeless elegance and luxury in furniture design, blending art, architecture, and nature through innovative designs. The brand will be unveiling the China debut of the Bentwood Sideboard Series and the Weaving Chair by Haoming Li, the former series marries the art of weaving with the sophistication of elegant design to offer a variety of storage solutions and the chair is an elegant exploration of form, where the subtle curvature introduces a sense of richness and organic warmth to the precision of industrial manufacturing.

 

Above: (L) Ziinlife, (R)WHYGARDEN, Hall 1

 

Further highlights from Hall 1 include lighting brand SEEDDESIGN, outdoor furniture and accessories brand KUNDESIGN, which explores the natural tendency in urban life and uses its flexible design to expand the relevance of environmental experience between outdoor and indoor spaces. KUNDESIGN will be showcasing the China debut of their Clogs lounge chair series and the Clogs coffee table, both of which demonstrate the combination and application of diverse materials and functional forms in outdoor furniture. Lighting brand LEEDARSON integrates Eastern humanistic spirit into contemporary design. KYFZ Studio uses sustainable bamboo composite materials, blending Nordic humanistic design, ergonomics, and techniques of Nordic modernist furniture with Chinese traditional woodworking culture to present a unique post-modern design aesthetic. Home furnishing brand WHYGARDEN, led by acclaimed designer MengYe, will be showcasing at Design Shanghai for the first time and it will be the China debut of their product Clover. Likewise, sustainably-driven outdoor furniture brand mindo, will showcase for the first time at this event and will present the China debut of the mindo 107, 118 and 120 by Odos Design. Shanghai (and London) based design practice Stellar Works unites East and West, crafting timeless furniture that blends tradition with innovation, enriching spaces and inspiring lives. Stellar Works will showcase the China debut of four collections: Taiko Collection by Studio Stefan Scholten, side tables inspired by Taiko drums, the Inter console and coat hanger Collection, Lyrical side tables Collection and the Qi sofa collection all by Neri&Hu. High-end residential lighting brand XRZLux will be spotlighting three new products at Design Shanghai: Alderm, Nimo and Skyline. Minimalist aesthetic-focused design brand SHERMAN will be revealing the China debut of 9 pieces within their Hard Edge Series, which focuses on clean lines and geometric shapes, eliminating unnecessary decorations to emphasise the texture and colour of materials. Furniture brand Ziinlife, which aims to share new perspectives on furniture design with creative solutions, will be showing the China debut of the Reading Sofa by Zhu Hui. Lighting brand NEKOSpACE will be spotlighting the China debut of 3 new products.

Hall 2 (Kitchen and Bathroom) presents the highest-end innovative design solutions, demonstrating quality innovation across components, materials, equipment and effective space optimization. Chinese exhibitors include; Huawei, the leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, mosaic brand ABC-STONE, green building materials-focused DP Eco Material, which provides new urban green construction solutions and uses uses recycling zero waste technology, tile product designers Yinji, Slender which services quality imported porcelain and sintered slab products from upscale Italian brands, high-end kitchen smart home appliances brand FotileStyle, elegant mosaic brand The Boutique and marble mosaic producer Elin Lando, leading door and window manufacture and designing brand Epolys.

 

FotileStyle, Hall 2 

 

Hall 3 (Living & Lifestyle) will bring together leading domestic brands, craftspeople and artists to present products from soft furnishings, fragrances, accessories, textiles, tableware. Due to its popularity last year, the 2024 exhibition hall has been expanded. Local exhibitors include; handcrafted carpet makers Fuli embrace the legacy of traditional culture with modern technique, crystal craft brand Jingzhan, banquet porcelain brand AURATIC, home accessories brand TINGHOME, crystal glassware brand MU16, rug design brand misplacedstudio uses handmade rug craftsmanship to create trendy art pieces in which nothing and everything is misplaced, home lifestyle brand Zicco Home inspired by diverse arts on natural ecological creativity will be presenting the global debut of two new accessories in the Pandora Series. Household product designer Resong will present the global debut of the 1883 series, that pays tribute to the world's first building built entirely of iron frames and glass in 1833, the greenhouse of the Paris Botanical Garden. Groundbreaking furniture brand EndlessForm is known for avant-garde, diversity and personalisation pieces. Design brand LIANGMU is dedicated to bringing back the spirit and sense of ritual of objects into daily life and will present the China debut of 5 products: Nest fabric series, Leaves quilted blanket by Yingchuan Liu, Harvest Tea Set by Fei Wu, Carved Landscape Tea Set and Xiao Xiang Gongfu Tea Set both by Shuang Luoby.  

 

Above: (L) X+Q, (R) Endless Form, Hall 3

 

This year Design Shanghai is introducing a dedicated area in Hall 3 for Jingdezhen brands, China's porcelain capital famed for producing the finest quality Chinese porcelain for both the domestic and export markets. Chinese brands being spotlighted include Yifan Renxu Studio, SMOGE, Yaji, MOQI, Huaqianwu Ceramics Studio, wangshan and Yanjiceramic.

  

Above: MOQI, Hall 3 

 

A new hall addition to Design Shanghai, Hall 4 (​​New Materials and Application) will be capturing new trends and materials, enabling visitors to take in the latest materials, technology, and applications trends in one dynamic space. This hall is a testament to Design Shanghai’s continued vision of promoting the exploration and exchange of ideas that are shaping the future. Chinese exhibitors include high-tech ceramic additive manufacturing company Cerawei, which will be displayed at Design Shanghai for the first time, design and production of architectural acoustic materials Burgeree, material products CHA ZENCE which uses 100% Biodegradable New Green Material, leading manufacturer of premium quality architectural wooden doors ForestBright, electric box designers Matech, and ceramic design brand focused around science, art and sustainability WOOPS DESIGN.

 

Above: MODAMURI, Hall 4 

 

Design Shanghai celebrates design accomplishments and new ideas, providing a global platform for the world’s rising stars and industry tastemakers to showcase their work. It has established itself as an event that champions Chinese designers and brands, celebrating the culture, craftsmanship and both the traditions and innovations of the country. The event identifies and nurtures emerging designers and brands, providing them with a spotlight and chance to network with the global design community. This celebration of homegrown talent is accompanied by an appreciation for global designers and the desire to bring the two design identities, of the East and West, together. 

 

Notes to Editors

For further information, hi-res imagery and coverage opportunities, please contact design@bacchus.agency 

 

• Exhibition Opening Times: 
  • 19th June: 10:00-20:00
  • 20th June: 10:00-18:00
  • 21th June: 10:00-18:00
  • 22th June: 10:00-17:00
• Exhibition location: Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center
• Ticketing information: https://ticket.designshanghai.cn/?lang=en&f=PC2 
• Pre-Registration: https://www.designshanghai.com/design-shanghai/design-shanghai-2024-pre-registration 
• Official website: https://www.designshanghai.com/ 
• Headline partner - Audi: As the exclusive top-tier partner of Design Shanghai since 2020, Audi participates in the prestigious event again this year with its forward-looking design driven by cutting-edge technologies. Through an immersive booth installation themed “the Language of Light”, the Four Rings articulates its progressive vision for future premium mobility, and demonstrates how it is setting new standards in intelligent and electric mobility with advanced lighting technology. Already a pioneer in intelligent lighting design, the Four Rings is taking its expertise to the next level with the world’s first active digital light signatures in its latest masterpiece created specifically for China – the Audi Q6L e-tron. As the technological spearhead of the Audi portfolio with a new progressive BEV design language, the Audi Q6L e-tron is bound to surprise and delight Chinese customers with market-specific features that convey the essence of Audi’s “Vorsprung durch Technik” DNA.