Championing Originality: Pushing the Boundaries of Design
The Bridge of Weir Design team celebrates collaborations with emerging and unique designers, which foster fresh perspectives and new approaches. These partnerships not only enhance our product offerings but also support a broader movement towards more sustainable and imaginative design within the industry.
A global destination for art, design, and performance, the V&A South Kensington uses its platform to explore how design can influence cultures and address critical global issues.
Their Contemporary Programme Curator, Carrie Chan, creates live programmes and installations and chatted to us recently about her role at the V&A South Kensington and what it means to her to champion design.
Carrie Chan
“Design shapes our everyday life through objects, spaces and interactions. By championing good design, it means improving our well-being and communities.
Alongside other curators, we devise programmes which explore how design shapes spaces and unpacks meanings of origins, rituals and materials for initiatives and programmes, including London Design Festival (LDF).
Our installations inspire a deeper understanding of global cultures and emerging designer practices, inviting discussion on critical issues through design."
For the 2024 LDF at the V&A South Kensington, one of the eight installations was the interactive installation ‘Un-hide: Reframing Luxury’, created by Design Studio, Modular by Mensah which celebrated the natural characteristics and textures of Bridge of Weir leather.
“The natural features of the leather symbolised moments of encounter and interaction,” Carrie explained. “Mensah’s use of leather introduced a fresh design language, spotlighting its original beauty in the purest form.
By collaborating with innovative designers like Mensah, we showcase how craftsmanship and sustainability can merge to tell new stories.”
As Carrie points out, "Colours, forms, and textures are essential elements for storytelling. By embracing the features of natural materials, we develop a new visual language where luxury is no longer equivalent to highly polished looks. The natural characteristics represent unique stories and journeys.”
By partnering with visionary designers and innovating in sustainable material production, new benchmarks across design and environmental responsibility can be set.
Bridge of Weir Leather remains committed to promoting originality and collaboration and believes in taking a step towards a future where design, sustainability, and human connection are intertwined.
This ongoing dedication to pushing boundaries ensures that ‘Together, We Go Further’.