A selection of international and regional design brands renowned for their quality products and focus on manufacturing craftsmanship will be brought together at a new design trade fair in Dubai.

The inaugural edition of Downtown Design will be held from October 29 to November 1 at the custom-built location The Venue, Downtown Dubai, at the base of Burj Khalifa - the world’s tallest building.

The event is being organised by the visionary team behind Art Dubai and Design Days Dubai, two of the Middle East’s most successful art, furniture and objects fairs.

The event is geared specifically towards industry professionals including architects, real estate developers, interior designers and professional specifiers from across Mena.

Featuring the very best in furniture, lighting, accessories, flooring, textiles and new technologies, Downtown Design is set to become one of the region’s premier design events, the organisers said.

Emphasising quality, innovation and research, the show will seek to highlight contemporary - yet timeless - values in a creative atmosphere to an audience keen to understand design. Only a limited number of brands have been admitted as exhibitors and will showcase their collections. New emerging brands with a strong brand philosophy and a focus on quality manufacturing processes will be mixed with the most internationally renowned companies.

The announcement of Downtown Design follows weeks after Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, issued a decree to establish the Dubai Council for Design and Fashion.

Cristina Romelli Gervasoni, fair director, said: “With the significant developments and initiatives being made to support Dubai’s burgeoning art and design scene together with the Emirate’s ever-growing real estate and construction industry, Downtown Design is set to become a leading platform for international brands to showcase their products in a rapidly growing market.

“The industry professional event will also play a key role in establishing the Emirate’s reputation as a global destination for design; complementing the international calendar of design events in other global cities including London, New York, Milan, Paris, Basel, Cologne and Miami.”

Confirmed exhibitors include some of Italy’s leading furniture makers Poltrona Frau, Cassina and Cappellini as well as the timeless US chair manufacturers Emeco and contemporary Turkish design brand Gaia & Gino. The Temporary Museum of Milan, one of the cornerstones of Milan’s famous furniture fair Salone del Mobile, will present a special exhibition curated by the creative director and CEO of the Superstudio Group, Gisella Borioli, and Giulio Capellini.

In addition to the wide range of international designers, some of the region’s most exclusive design companies will also use the show as an opportunity to showcase their products alongside their international peers.

The environmentally-friendly Abu Dhabi firm Al Khaznah Tannery will be presenting its new specially commissioned camel leather furniture, which has been attracting interest from a host of international designers keen to explore new materials.

In addition to the trade fair, Downtown Design will also feature an extensive programme of inspirational seminars, face-to-face meetings and special events, to bring together the design brands participating and key regional decision-makers to offer greater insight into market trends in the Mena region and ways to drive business. Guest speakers will include Italian designers Palomba and Serafini. – TradeArabia News Service