5 design things to look out for in February 2019

Exhibition: Christian Dior — Designer of Dreams

What: This month, you can peruse the haute couture – high fashion – created by late French fashion designer, Christian Dior, at a major exhibition hosted by London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. The V&A is putting on the UK’s largest ever show of Dior’s work, showcasing everything from original garments to miniature models created in French ateliers (workshops), as well as jewellery, accessories and magazines featuring the designer. While Dior died in 1957, his legacy lives on in the form of the House of Dior, which still sells clothing, jewellery, perfumes, make-up and more. The exhibition’s curator, Oriole Cullen, says she wants visitors to leave the exhibition with a “deeper understanding” of the renowned fashion figure and his work. Read our preview of the show here.

When: 2 February – 14 July 2019.

Where: V&A Museum, Cromwell Road, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL.

Info: Tickets cost £20-24, and concessions cost £15. For more information, head here.

Book: Bauhaus: An Updated Edition

What: This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, the influential German art school that ran from 1919 to 1933, thought to have had a huge impact on art, design and architecture education across the world. But what exactly made the Bauhaus so significant, and what ethos did the school instil in its tutors and students? To commemorate the birthday, Taschen is publishing an updated version of its book on the Bauhaus School of Art and Design and its core principles, featuring 250 new illustrations and photographs, a rewritten foreword and biographies of key people such as the school’s founder, Walter Gropius and German artist and sculptor, Marianne Brandt.

When: Published February 2019.

Where: Available to buy through Taschen.

Info: The book costs £40. For more information, head here.

Festival: Design Indaba

What: South Africa’s festival of creativity is one of the best-known and celebrated design conferences in the world, with talks from 32 global speakers spread over three days. What sets it apart from other conferences is the fact that those giving talks are often tasked with incorporating creativity into their presentations; previous festivals have seen everything from an on-stage play performed by NB Studio, through to product designer Benjamin Hubert making money boxes rain from the sky. Whether inventive in their presentation skills or not, this year’s line-up is stellar again, and includes the likes of Ann Crabtree, who worked on design for TV show The Handmaid’s Tale, and David Droga, founder at advertising agency Droga5. See our preview of the festival here. For our coverage on last year’s festival, head here.

When: 27 February – 1 March 2019.

Where: Artscape Theatre Centre, D.F. Malan Street, Foreshore, Cape Town, 8001 South Africa.

Info: Tickets range in price from £194 – £499. For more information, head here.

Fair: Creative Craft Show

What: If you are a hand-craft enthusiast – or have taken up a new, wholesome hobby as a New Year’s resolution – then you should take a trip to Manchester’s Creative Craft Show this month. The three-day event sells supplies and provides inspiration for those wishing to make things, from skills including knitting, cross-stitch and paper-craft to jewellery-making, dress-making and stitching. Alongside raw materials, you will also find kits and patterns to help create your own clothing, knitwear and artworks, and the fair will also feature talks from those working in the industry.

When: 31 January – 2 February 2019.

Where: EventCity, Manchester M41 7TB.

Info: Day tickets cost £10. For more information, head here.

Event: Young Creatives Takeover

What: The Design Museum is encouraging the public to get involved in a host of free, hands-on activities, alongside a group of up-and-coming and young artists and designers, all aged 14-19. The four-hour session will include workshops, including making jewellery, riosograph prints and jesomite objects, which run alongside a more political agenda of talks about how design can create social change. The theme is Design and Community, and the talks and workshops will coincide with an exhibition of the museum’s “young creatives’” work.

When: 17 February 2019, 12pm – 4pm.

Where: Design Museum, 224-238 Kensington High Street, Kensington, London W8 6AG.

Info: This event is free. For more information, head here.

Other stuff to catch:

Exhibition: London Stories, 8 February – 14 July. A celebration of the “best in professional illustration”. Read more about the show here.

Exhibition: Corita Kent – Power Up, 8 February – 12 May. A look at the work of radical pop art nun, Corita Kent. Read more about her work here.

Festival: Madrid Design Festival, 1-28 February. A celebration of creativity in Spain’s capital.

Conference: Digital Design Days, 11-13 February. A three-day event in Geneva, Switzerland, delving into digital and user experience (UX) design.

Conference: London Anime and Gaming Convention, 16-18 February. An exploration of all-things animated, from TV shows to video games and comics.