Clerkenwell Design Week Product Highlights
Junior Journalist, Ellie Walton, brings her annual product round-up from CDW25.
There was a time when Clerkenwell Design Week was just a quick stop on the calendar for the [d]arc media team – a flying visit, at most one day. Fast forward to today, and our presence has grown into a full-blown fixture, with our team immersed across three packed days. What began as a mission to scout the latest in decorative lighting has evolved into something much bigger: a full three-day talks programme at the House of Detention, multiple event partnerships, and a growing role in the wider festival narrative. Even with our name on the agenda, CDW remains a place of discovery. So once again, we’ve rounded up five products that made an impression.
Familiar faces and exciting newcomers filled House of Detention this year, kicking off with our long-time friends at Nordlux. A staple in that first vaulted chamber to the left, the Danish brand drew plenty of attention with its latest launch: the alabaster Glossy table lamp. Effortlessly stylish, it embodies Danish minimalism at its most refined. It was a treat to experience the lamp in person, especially after spotlighting it in our recent darc interview (issue #60) with founder Lone Penderson. Not only did Nordlux take home the Clerkenwell Design Award for lighting, but if there had been a prize for best tote bag, they’d have surely walked away with that too.
Another standout in the dungeons was Abalon Studio, led by the acclaimed designer and sculptor Ana Bridgewater. Her installation showcased a groundbreaking lighting piece crafted from bio Corallo – a newly developed 3D-printed material created in collaboration with studio Lowpoly. This pioneering porcelain-printable composite allows for intricate, sustainable design, aligning perfectly with Bridgewater’s ethos. Blending advanced material innovation with a biophilic design approach, the installation drew inspiration from the ocean’s fluidity. Organic forms unfolded into luminous sculptural arms, evoking the motion and elegance of underwater life. The result was both visually captivating and deeply intentional – a clear reflection of Bridgewater’s dedication to sustainability through low-impact materials and thoughtful production processes.
New to the show and coming all the way from the western hemisphere is Ro Sham Beaux, an American lighting brand that blends sustainability and craftsmanship into its lighting products. Founded in Charleston, the brand was turning heads with its array of hand-strung beads crafted from crystal, quartz, and post-consumer glass. darc’s personal favourite from the collection had to be the beautifully adorned Collette two-tier piece wall sconce, crafted with delicate chip quartz with a gold or nickel accent band as the finishing touch, which radiated sophistication and echoed the maritime energy of the brand’s coastal origins.
A fresh face at Light was North South Art and Design, a London-based furniture and lighting company focused on offering environmentally responsible and striking pieces. The brand’s work draws on the 400-year-old toy-making craft in India using sustainably harvested wood and dyed with non-toxic vegetable pigments to create bold and characterful designs. A standout piece was the Toli floor lamp, a striking sculptural statement that puts the interplay of light and shadow at eye level. Positioned along the route to the [d]arc thoughts space, it was nearly impossible to pass by without catching its dynamic presence out of the corner of your eye.
Meanwhile, on St John’s Street, there was quite the buzz in the J.Adams and Co showroom, which had plenty of new products that debuted during Milan Design Week. The British lighting brand showcased three new collections – Apex, Talbot and Strata. It was the Strata Circular, however, that truly stole the show. A bold new edition to the beloved Strata collection, pushing boundaries of fluted glass by transforming its linear form into a seamless halo. Available in a range of sizes, including an eye-catching two-tiered edition, it’s a dramatic statement piece, designed to elevate interiors with sculptural elegance and that essential wow factor.
