The fourth year of the “Brno Design Days” festival will take place in one of the preserved buildings of the Vlněna complex from 3-6 October. However, the first signs of the event have been visible since Friday 6 September in shop windows around Brno, the result of several months of collaboration between young designers and Brno retailers, a project entitled “Shop Windows of Brno!” [“Výlohy jak Brno!”]. Image: Brno Design Days.
Brno, Sep 17 (BD) – The theme of this year’s festival is Retail Therapy. As the event press release says, “retail has a fundamental impact on the city’s face, and design shapes the everyday consumer experience of its residents.” In keeping with this theme, eight young designers have transformed eight shop windows in the city, ranging from start-ups to luxury brands, which are open to a public vote at the festival website, with the prize to be awarded during the main festival.
Veronika Rút Nováková, one of the organisers, explained the idea behind the project: “Shop Windows of Brno!” is an effort to show that shop window design can be distinctive, entertaining and not necessarily aggressive or damaging architecture. Brno Design Days deals mainly with design from a practical point of view, so it is a great opportunity to showcase the work of the designer and the benefits of collaboration for business right on the street and in the street.”
The main festival will continue the Brno Design Days tradition of utilising disused buildings, by bringing to life Bochner Palace, built by Josef Arnold in 1864-67, one of the last remaining buildings of the Vlněna factory complex. After the festival, the rejuvenated building will be incorporated into the rest of the site for further use. As well as exhibitions, workshops, and the rest of the main festival program, visitors can see previously hidden architectural features revealed by the current reconstruction.
Jiří Kostečka, business development manager for CTP, the new Vlněna Business Park, expressed his enthusiasm about hosting the festival: “We immediately loved the idea of organizing the Brno Design Days festival at the Bochner Palace. Brno is a creative and innovative place, which also includes the newly reconstructed palace and Vlněna area. We are all the more pleased that the space will be revived in this creative way, which is also very close to us.”
On the Retail Therapy theme, the festival will investigate how design can help local businesses and retailers, looking into the ideas of the pioneers who shaped the development of retail and with it the character of the whole city. Czech and foreign presenters will touch on topics including the buzz around the gastronomic scene in Brno, the renovation of old shopping centers, and the production of recycled furniture using 3D printing. Visitors can also expect practical workshops, fashion shows and countless opportunities for networking and inspiration.
The fashion shows will present the work of eight different fashion designers, including Světlana Kulíšková Ruggierová, in collaboration with Andrea Lojkásková, and a student collection from the Ekotextil Design Sustainable Fashion Department of SSUD Brno.
For more information, check out the festival’s Facebook page.
You can read more about the third edition of Brno Design Days in our previous article “In Photos: Hotel Avion on Česká Opens for Brno Design Days“.
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