Sebastian Conran to present awards at Young Furniture Makers exhibition

We are delighted to announce that internationally acclaimed product and furniture designer Sebastian Conran is to present the awards at our Young Furniture Makers exhibition next month.

Sebastian Conran is the founder of Sebastian Conran Associates Ltd and Consequential Robotics Ltd. During his 40 year career his design teams have received many awards for design and innovation as well as being granted dozens of patents in various fields.

Sponsored by Axminster Tools & Machinery, Blue Crush Communications and The Furniture Ombudsman, the Young Furniture Makers exhibition was set up 11 years ago for schoolchildren, students and university graduates to showcase their work and meet potential employers and members of the Company.

This year around 120 of the UK’s finest young furniture designers and makers will be showcasing work at the October exhibition, which is taking place across two venues, the Dutch Church and Furniture Makers’ Hall in Austin Friars, London.

Doors to the exhibition will open at 3.00pm on Tuesday 10 October. Dr Tony Smart MBE, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, will officially welcome guests at 7.00pm before the prize giving.

Alex Crofts, Young Furniture Makers chairman, said: “The Young Furniture Makers exhibition is a fantastic opportunity for our guests and members to meet talented young British designers and furniture makers, the future of our industry. We are thrilled that Sebastian will be joining us on this auspicious occasion to present the awards and undoubtedly impart some wisdom to the young designers and makers in attendance.”

Sebastian Conran, CEO of Sebastian Conran Associates, said: “I firmly believe that ‘form follows fabrication’ and that furniture design is a fantastic disciple to study as it incorporates so many manufacturing methods and materials from living wood to high-tech composites together with the need to interact comfortably with the human form. Unlike most technical goods furniture is designed to outlive the user and rarely finds itself in landfill, however sustainability is a vital consideration that is taken extremely seriously by all in the industry, often leading world thinking. The young furniture makers of today will become the Thomas Heatherwick’s and Terence Conran’s of the future, so it’s worth keeping an eye on them.”

To register to attend the exhibition, please go to bit.ly/yfm17