At London Design Fair 2018, Associative Design will present an eye-catching showcase of refined, contemporary Portuguese design. Created by the Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries (AIMMP), Associative Design seeks to promote Portuguese design globally, exhibiting the best of Portugal at many of the design world's most discerning and distinguished shows.

In today's design sphere, the 'Made in Portugal' label is attracting increasing amounts of attention and recognition; it is a sign of quality, craftsmanship, innovation, integrity and sustainability. A great number of contemporary Portuguese design brands continue to build on the country's prolific design heritage, combining tradition with a modern-day outlook. Despite Portugal's relatively small population (around 10.3 million citizens), the nation's design scene is burgeoning. With an artistically and culturally diverse design offer, Portuguese design is finding favour with design audiences across the world.

At London Design Fair, visitors can expect to find an aesthetically pleasing mix of contemporary and luxury Portuguese design and innovation, including furniture, lighting and objets d'art. With its prominent stand on the ground floor of the renowned Old Truman Brewery (Hall 1, Stand 1.11), Associative Design's 'Best of Portugal' showcase will focus on the discerning consumer. Brands will display their designs across a range of inspirational living spaces: lounge, dining, kitchen and office. And with Portugal's wealth of natural resources, such as cork, wood and marble, an eco-friendly theme will exhibit a selection of Portuguese materials.

Brands and Products at Associative Design's London Design Fair Showcase

Corque Design combines sustainability and originality to produce well-designed objects using cork, one of Portugal's greatest natural resources. Corque Design's ball-like Lagarta seat is a playful and interactive cork modular seat—seats are easily added together by fitting the concavity on one seat to the curved part of the next. Daao Concepts, a trademark of DAAO Architecture and Design, developed a furniture collection that prioritises utility and function over purely decorative forms. The brand believes that first and foremost, an object must be comfortable and useful—only then does it become beautiful. The 21 by Daao Concepts is a chaise longue or rocking chair, and is made up of two modules that rotate 360º.

At design collective Designer's Mint, a group of architects, designers and marketers work collaboratively to create products and brands. One brand from Designer's Mint is Duquesa & Malvada, a luxury Portuguese furniture company whose designs reflect a refined urban sensibility. The brand will present several items from its collection: the Filipe VI chair, a traditional and timeless seat inspired by King Philip VI of France; Roselyn, an elegant rug decorated with the outline of a rose; and the Caprice Banquette, a sumptuously upholstered bench. Another brand from Designer's Mint is Mister Doe, a fictional character whose adventures seek to uncover and rediscover classical concepts and moments from history. A preview of the 2019 relaunch of Mister Doe will be presented at London Design Fair. The brand will show its D. Afonso I table, a majestic piece inspired by the hull of a boat and taking its name from the first king of Portugal.

Creative studio Emotional Brands champions a select group of six young, high-end Portuguese design brands, each combining personality, vision, innovation and artisanship. Three of these brands—Creative Mary, Malabar and Ottiu—will present contemporary pieces from their respective collections. Blending the words 'furniture' and 'nature', new Portuguese brand Furnature creates simple and functional designs from wood. As a core part of its philosophy, the brand emphasises the need for balance and sustainability in nature, planting one tree for every product it makes. Furnature will show three pieces from its collection: One. stool and lamp are modest designs made without frills, from a residual piece of solid natural oak wood board; the Roll sofa combines solid oak, aluminium tubing and fabric to create an engagingly asymmetrical seat; the Burnt console is inspired by the annual cycle of wildfires that destroy thousands of hectares of Portuguese forest—the console is made using a combination of burnt solid oak and unburnt natural oak veneer (a symbol of forest rejuvenation).

André Teoman, a young, experimental Portuguese designer, creates highly evocative concept pieces that meet at the intersection of art and design. Imbued with emotion and a curious sense of humour, Teoman's designs are both captivating and clever. His inventive Galinha Sideboard for Portuguese furniture manufacturer Johema, plays with Portugal's particular fondness for the rooster: the Galinha Sideboard rests on wooden eggs, is embellished with brass chicken feet handles and Kvadrat 'feathers', and it offers a quirky surprise inside. Portuguese brand Magna Natura creates products—furniture, decorative objects and wall coverings—that make use of cork in its purest, noble state. As such, designs are uniquely expressed and last for generations.

Founded in 1980, furniture manufacturer MBN Tailor applies traditional knowledge, a creative mindset and a fastidious sprinkling of extravagance and exquisite detailing, to its eclectic range of products. The minimal lines and artistic profile of the Cannes sideboard pay tribute to the French movie capital. The colourful Guanajuato Rug is inspired by the vibrant Mexican city of the same name. The exquisitely crafted Nabeul stool is named after the Tunisian port town of Nabeul, a place with a unique history of craftsmanship and traditional manufacturing. Mokki Design is a line of furniture and lighting design by Portuguese designer Mónica Pinto. The geometric forms of Pinto's Treillis lamp are reminiscent of a trellis's framework of wood or metal bars.

Nauu Design was created in the Portuguese port town of Setúbal. Producing luxury and bespoke furniture, Nauu Design's distinctive collection is imbued with personality, elegance and passion. Its Armona sideboard is a truly bold and sculptural piece, inspired by the sand dunes found on Armona Island in Portugal's Algarve. Hailing from Oiã in Portugal, OIA was born in 2017. A modern-day brand, its products combine traditional stone craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. OIA creates designs that are functional and that emphasise the need for emotion and identity. The OIA Kandinsky series of geometric side tables are inspired by Wassily Kandinsky, a Russian pioneer of abstract modern art. The Kandinsky side tables comprise four different marble tops and two bases.

Salma Furniture creates bespoke, handmade furniture pieces for high-end, luxury interiors. The Ribeira bench and side table are inspired by the old Porto neighbourhood of Ribeira, a one-time social hub whose spirit is again finding new life. Ribeira is made using a range of natural wood veneers, fabric or leather upholstery, and metals. Founded in 2010, Wewood is passionate about Portuguese joinery, and produces fine pieces of solid wood furniture that promote Portugal's culture and design. The Bridge desk by Christophe de Sousa, is a brilliantly crafted modern desk, inspired by the city of Porto (the only city in Europe with six bridges). In creating the Bridge desk, de Sousa wanted a piece of furniture that would directly connect the user with their work/hobby—hence the name 'Bridge'.

Notes to Editors

Stand 1.11

Hall H1

Dates 20th - 23rd September 2018

Address London Design Fair, Old Truman Brewery, 26 Hanbury Street, London. E1 6QR

For further information on Associative Design email  info@associativedesign.com

For hi-res press images contact David at Seen PR on info@seenpr.com  | @seen_pr

About Associative Design

Associative Design is a brand by the Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries (AIMMP). It aims to develop and promote the production of Portuguese products and launch challenges that will contribute to innovation in the use of both technology and design. A brand of excellence, Associative Design will support, represent and promote companies that share this vision, taking their products further into exciting new markets.

Associative Design's partners are brands approved by its Technical Committee (made up of three members of the design and crafts community), for their performance in product design, market alignment, trend standing or design-led re-industrialisation. www.associativedesign.com @associativedesign

About AIMMP: Portuguese Association of Wood and Furniture Industries

AIMMP's mission is to represent, promote and protect the interests of Portuguese companies from the five sectorial divisions that make up the wood and and furniture sector: cutting,felling, sawing and wood packing; panels and panelled wood, carpentry and alike; furniture and alike; export, import and distribution of wood and derivatives. These industries exports € 2.5 billion per year. www.aimmp.pt

About London Design Fair

Located in Shoreditch, the creative heart of London, the London Design Fair is a four-day industry event that brings together 550 exhibitors from 36 countries, including: independent designers, established brands, international country pavilions, features and exhibitions.

Launched in 2007, the London Design Fair has earned itself the reputation as the go-to trade show during the annual London Design Festival, hosting the single largest collection of international exhibitions, designers, brands, country pavilions, features and galleries throughout the festival. Each year, over 28,000 influential retail buyers, producers, architects, designers, interior designers, press and design-savvy public, will attend to see the very latest in furniture, lighting, textiles, materials and conceptual installations, from all around the world.

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