HOME — IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN?

If you’re interested in partnering with London Design Festival, please reach out directly to Bree, Lucy and I: ldf.partners@londondesignfestival.com - Last month, inside the @vitra showroom, we brought the design community together to kick off ideas for LDF24. We sipped @drinknewtheory wine and @loah.beer whilst sparking collaborations to see us through to 14-22 September. @gailsbakery treats kept us fed throughout the evening and opened our creative minds for the year ahead 💫 #LDF24 - 📸: @kirangidda

How was London Design Festival one month ago!? - I am proud to have been part of the incredible team at LDF for the 21st edition! - The festival took place from the 16th-24th of September and spanned across 13 districts from Shoreditch to Park Royal, Brompton to Mayfair, across east, west, north and south, with 300+ partners taking part. It was an honour to speak to every single one of the partners about their passions and innovative ideas for the festival and make their partnership become a reality. - “London and Design go hand in hand. It is part of our story. London Design Festival is a platform for hundreds of design stories to be told. Each of them talks to an expanding audience hungry for design ideas and enjoying the quality and diversity of what’s on offer. It all confirms London’s status as the global centre of design." - Ben Evans CBE - Photo Credits: @taranwilkhu | @editphoto Ed Reeve

London Design Festival 2023 is almost upon us! 🎉✨ - Over nine days, 13 Design Districts, 2 Design Fairs and 300+ Partners will host events across the city of London. - From exhibitions to installations, workshops to creative talks and much more; the city becomes a melting pot for design discovery and exploration. - I am proud to have worked alongside hundreds of creatives on the lead up to the Festival and can’t wait to celebrate with you all 16-24 Sept! @l_d_f_official #ldf23

Final Touches 🚐✨ - Thanks so much to @sarlouwat for putting so much care into my very bespoke blinds! (Van windows are not square and the walls are not straight!!) - A few bits left to do and it’ll be mission complete after only 18 months in the making 😅

I am proud to have been part of the initial stages of the Eureka! section of London Design Biennale 2023. Over the past year it has been incredible watching on as the team developed concepts and worked alongside global creatives. It is therefore a great pleasure to celebrate a monumental achievement for everyone involved. Congratulations to my close team of fantastic colleagues and the extended international team - I am truly in awe of everything you’ve pulled together! - 1-25 June at Somerset House, London - “Established in 2016 by Sir John Sorrell CBE and Ben Evans CBE, London Design Biennale promotes international collaboration and the global role of design with exhibitions and installations that demonstrate the ambition to create universal solutions to problems which concern us all.” - “The fourth edition was curated by the Nieuwe Instituut and its artistic director, Aric Chen. The theme for 2023 is The Global Game: Remapping Collaborations. Over 40 exhibitors from around the world will showcase world-leading design.” - “New for this edition EUREKA will showcase design-led innovation from the UK’s leading research centres, featuring cross- disciplinary invention and creativity from academics, leaders and problem solvers.” - Images and Quote Source: London Design Biennale - Get tickets via the website: LondonDesignBiennale.com

‘My Grandma’s Camera’ R for Repair Exhibition V&A London London Design Festival 2022 In collaboration with Singapore Design Week Curated by @hanstan_studio & @janewithers.london Camera Repaired by @syafiqjubri Video content produced in Capita Spring, Singapore -———  “If you recall, I was invited to repair Rachael’s gorgeous half-frame camera made in 1961 that formerly belonged to her grandma and used extensively during their travels in a campervan. Rachael is currently renovating a campervan to travel and experience the world as her grandparents did.   After restoring and mending the mechanical fault, I thought that the camera could do more to help Rachael see beyond the photographs. Were there other things outside the original field of view? Can we ‘Re-Pair’ the view with other thoughts and memories? By attaching a rotating mirror that captures blind spots and a green feather that tickles the light, the photograph captured are more playful and spontaneous in character and blending many scenes into one view”. -——— Thanks again to @syafiqjubri for giving me the tools to utilise the camera that captured so many of my grandparents travels.

A compilation of some of the most extravagant campervans from a long weekend away with likeminded souls 🚐✨ I will be releasing a YouTube video to document the full van build process but I wanted to express how much of a journey it’s been. 18 months ago, I bought an ex-police surveillance van (on a total whim), now it’s almost a little home on wheels. We still aren’t finished but I’ve become so aware that the process has been as exciting as the travels will be! Vincent Van Go: Photos 2 and 3

I’m honoured to announce that I’m featuring on the latest US-based Tangents podcast series! - In 2021, the ‘If Not Now Then When?’ podcast went transatlantic and I had the chance to speak with the incredible Future Designs team at Adidas in Portland, United States. Since then, I kept in contact with Jake (also Co-founder of OOA and the Tangents Podcast). We have a shared belief that we don’t have to stick within our career fields and that a journey out of architecture and into a completely different career is such an exciting thing! - This episode is testament that people = power. I am yet to meet the team at ‘Out Of Architecture’ and Adidas in person, but, aim to head to the US as soon as I can to continue this highly valued and flourishing friendship! - Networking can be such an underrated, sometimes obscure skill. This Tangents episode is going to demystify it for you! - Thanks again to Silvia, Jake and Erin Episode link in bio 🎧 @outofarchitecture

‘If Not Now Then When?’ embodies the idea that you should have faith in your own abilities and take chances rather than waiting for the ‘perfect’ moment. - A little quote for the years ahead: The brave may not live forever, but the cautious don’t live at all. Make your aspirations count! - Cheers to 2023 🥂

Today marks the last day of the ‘R For Repair’ exhibition in the V&A Museum. - The intention was to broaden the discussion around repair and the meaning of the objects that we possess. - This exhibition meant a huge amount to me as the team involved were able to breathe new life into my Grandma’s camera. To me, although the camera no longer worked, it embodied memories and that meant a lot. - You can see from the images that Syafiq Jubri was able to repair the camera and allowed me to ‘see differently’ with the attachments he added. I love the concept that the camera captured so many of my Grandparent’s memories and that now the visual narrative can become distorted and I can capture memories in a new way. - Congratulations to everyone involved in such a wonderful project.

Wow, well, where do I start?! - I would like to thank everyone involved in the incredible ‘R for Repair’ exhibition that is currently taking place at the @vamuseum - It was an honour to have my grandma’s camera exhibited amongst a small number of cherished objects. Thank you to @syafiqjubri who carefully repaired it in Singapore. - More posts coming soon but a huge thank you to: > The incredible team at Jane Withers Studio > Hans Tan Studio > DesignSingapore > National Design Centre > Victoria & Albert Museum > London Design Festival > The wonderful group of designers involved - Open until 02.11.22

The spaceship is transforming 🚀 - For this stage of the van build I decided to bring an expert on board in order to achieve exactly what I wanted from the layout…and @lonelyponystudio is doing an epic job so far 🚐✨ - Birch ply is the predominant material as it gives a calming, natural look and I love the exposed edge detailing! I decided to opt for a minimalistic design and wanted to fuse this by exposing and 'celebrating' existing industrial features within the van!

Proudly presenting the inspiration behind the van conversion project - my Grandma’s camera. - ‘R for Repair’ kicked off during Singapore Design Week and lands at the V&A Museum for the 20th anniversary year of London Design Festival in September. - The ‘R for Repair’ exhibition explores how creative repair can both preserve meaning and breathe new life into our possessions. - For me photography is a tool for capturing memories for all to share. For over two decades my grandparents travelled the world in their campervan and I’m able to still feel connected to their experiences. - ‘R for Repair’ is presented by DesignSingapore Council, National Design Centre and the Victoria and Albert Museum and this second edition is curated by Jane Withers Studio and Hans Tan. - Camera Image Credit: Zuketa Film Production

Insulation time! 🚐✨ - I did a fair amount of research on this as I’m trying to make choices that aren’t harmful to my health or the environment. Some insulation methods contain highly toxic fumes and as it’s such a small space I was keen to steer clear! - Pretty simple process: 1. Clean all the internal surfaces so there’s no dirt, rust, mould etc… 2. Stick the sound absorbing panels to the van walls to reduce that ‘tinny’ sound of the little metal house. 3. Shove as much wool insulation into the cavities as possible and use the metal pins to hold it in place where required. Tip: don’t stick the pins to the sound absorbing panels as they will fall off in hot weather. 4. Cover it all over using the silver insulation ‘thermal wrap’. This will act as the final barrier before applying the wall finish to the van. Also ensure you cut holes for your wiring! - #vincentvango

A well overdue van update…let there be light! ☀️ - For security I decided to have fixed privacy windows and instead two opening skylights. This one is huge and I’m so pleased with it! - Process Below: 1. We wanted to remove the panel that had been added by the police after the original surveillance camera had been removed. We found the centre of the van and made an exact template of the 700x500mm skylight. The aim was to keep away from the structural van roof beams - these are tough to cut and we didn’t want to damage the van too much. 2. We created a frame using reclaimed timber (from an old door frame) and took the plunge to cut a VERY LARGE hole in my van roof! A little tip: add a bag underneath to catch all the metal filings as these create rust. 3. We glued the frame in place and left it to set. 4. We hoped and prayed that the skylight would fit in the hole and did some metal filing to ensure it was perfect. 5. We celebrated with a few bevies 🥂 - The skylight has been tested over the past month with lots of rain so we are pleased to say that so far so good…no leaks at the moment 🤞 - #vincentvango 🚐✨

After a slight hiatus from Instagram, I’m excited to announce that I’m now a member of the London Design Festival and London Design Biennale teams! Cheers to 2022…exciting days lay ahead 🥂 - I thought I would celebrate by showcasing a few of my favourite projects from years gone by and I can’t wait to be involved in the upcoming events and exhibitions. Feel free to reach out directly if you’re keen to get involved or hear more! - Over the many years that I’ve been based in London I have been inspired by all the incredible projects that promote the city’s creativity. London Design Festival and London Design Biennale have collaborated with some of the most amazing designers who I’ve admired for my entire career; Es Devlin, Zaha Hadid, Bjarke Ingels, Thomas Heatherwick, Kram/Weisshaar to name just a few. - Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “London Design Festival is a fantastic event which brings together designers from across the globe and demonstrates the capital’s position as a powerhouse for the creative industries.”

Happy International Women’s Day
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I wanted to celebrate by looking back at the incredible women who have kindly taken part in the INNTW podcast so far. Their grit, determination and stori

Happy International Women’s Day 💁🏻‍♀️💁🏼‍♀️💁🏽‍♀️💁🏾‍♀️💁🏿‍♀️ - I wanted to celebrate by looking back at the incredible women who have kindly taken part in the INNTW podcast so far. Their grit, determination and stories have given me the confidence to pursue and believe in my career goals. - I wanted to leave you with a poignant quote from episode 16 by Bisila Noha, Founder of the eponymous ceramics brand: - “For me, the moment that I started getting to know myself, both the dark and the light, is when I learned how to navigate life better, be less competitive, be more confident and more present.” - Podcasts available via Spotify, Google and Apple

For me, the van concept is about encompassing memories rather than creating something totally new. - I don’t know about you, but the current global issues leave a real sense of appreciation for my own life and the experiences I’ve had. - I decided to fuse Scandinavian and Moroccan design themes within my van. This is not just because of the materials and their beauty, but my new found respect for the fact that those moments are not something everyone has the luck to experience. - The first photo contains 17 nationalities 🌍❤️ - If Not Now Then When? For more inspiring stories: www.INNTW.co.uk/podcast

Hi you lovely lot 👋 I thought I’d introduce myself again, the ethos of ‘If Not Now Then When?’ and the theme of the latest podcast episode… - As INNTW has developed, I have become increasingly passionate about supporting young creatives in recognising their values. It’s not only hugely rewarding, but so important for the future of our industry. - I want to teach people that it isn’t a negative thing to take detours and find yourself on a different career path from the original plan. The mantra of ‘If Not Now Then When?’ is to appreciate opportunities that come your way as not everyone has that luxury. - Tune into all podcast episodes via the bio link to Spotify, Apple and Google

PODCAST EPISODE 17 🚀 Available via bio link, Spotify, Apple and Google Podcasts - For this episode I spoke with globally renowned industrial designer Oscar Peña, and we focused the chat on the power of mentoring and giving back to a younger generation. - Originally from Columbia, Oscar was Head of the ‘Man and Activity’ programme at Design Academy Eindhoven for 23 years, Global Creative Director of Philips Lighting and is now Co-Principle at Studioilse alongside his award-winning wife, Ilse Crawford. - The conversation celebrates the idea of a non-linear career path, taking calculated risks and the concept of ‘playing seriously’. Remember that your journey will be influenced by experiences gained and should be as individual as you are! - @designacademyeindhoven @abstractdesign @studioilse_ - Your aspirations are attainable. www.inntw.co.uk/podcast #INNTWstories