On January 16th, Formex opens - the Nordic region's most important meeting place for interior design. Visitors, exhibitors, and industry professionals come here to conduct business, discover innovations, meet on site, and to be inspired and gain knowledge through exhibitions and lectures. This year, there is also a clear focus on craftsmanship, vintage, and reuse, something that visitors have requested.
'Today, sustainability has become a natural element in most businesses because it can benefit both the environment, the economy, and people. It's work that must not come to a standstill. We know that these are deeply engaging issues for our visitors and exhibitors, and we often receive questions about the activities or areas where sustainability issues are addressed. It feels great, therefore, to be able to offer an extra wide range of sustainability in January,' says Sonja Björk Ebert, project manager for Formex.
Here is a selection of activities, exhibitions, and talks that visitors will be able to participate in at Formex in January:
See the world through your hands – an exhibition by Tina Hellberg
The work of the hand is almost like a resistance movement, the hand cannot be replaced. It can feel, nurture, sew, repair, pinch, caress, hold - it is an unbeatable multi-tool. Active hands expand the brain and engage our brain cells, so you could say that handwork makes us smarter and more teachable. Come and see what Formex presents in an exhibition on handicrafts, organised by interior designer and curator Tina Hellberg. In the exhibition, workshops in textile dyeing with bundle dyeing by Annika Sandstedt, who works with creative plant dyes through her company JAXTORP, will also be arranged.
Train creativity and create with things we already have – a workshop with Helena Lyth
Helena Lyth is a creator and author who inspires her many followers and TV viewers to create and craft that enhances everyday life. Everything from recipes to table settings, reuse, home decor, and smart hacks. Helena's wish is to inspire people to start daring to create, to train their creativity, and to do so, she chooses to suggest using what is already at home. Reusing what is within reach lowers the threshold to get started, there are no extra costs, and it is also sustainable. At Formex, Helena invites visitors to workshops where they will create with old book pages and take inspiration on how a material can become something completely different.
Panel discussion with Maria Lagerman – future design with a focus on circularity
Maria Lagerman is a consultant with a focus on circular and sustainable concept and business development – from production to consumption with a closing-the-loop perspective. Her background is in the textile and fashion industry, and she advocates for circular trade and sees the potential for a sustainable home and lifestyle with added value. At Formex, she will lead panel discussions where design for generations and future design for circularity is the focus. The panel will highlight various perspectives on history and craftsmanship, material choices, function, and care. Design for multiple homes, with multiple functions, where the potential of past and future meets.
Marie Olsson Nylander and Susanne Westerdahl – about the love for vintage
In the TV series "Det rosa huset på Sicilien" (The Pink House in Sicily) and "Husdrömmar Sicilien" (House Dreams Sicily), Marie Olsson Nylander invited us TV viewers to the charming house in Sicily, an 18th-century palace brought to life by Marie and her family. Marie's book "Det Rosa Huset" contains, in addition to interior design, magic, and practical tips, the image of the sisters who grew up without their mother, with ups and downs, with a desire to paint the world beautiful. On the Formex stage, they talk, among other things, about the love for each other and sisterhood, vintage and design objects, flea markets vs. expensive, and encourage us to create homes with history and personality.
Formex Sustainability Award
For the second year in a row, the Formex Sustainability Award will be presented to reward a product that stands out in terms of sustainability. Exhibiting companies have applied with products during the fall, and this year the jury has nominated seven of the entries. All contributions will be exhibited at Formex in January, where the winner will also be presented. The award is a way for Formex to promote sustainable development in the interior design industry and highlight good examples. This year's jury consists of Marie-Louise Hellgren, designer, Emma Olbers, designer, Maria Soxbo, journalist and co-founder of the Climate Club, and Björn Florman, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair Material Library. View the nominated entries here.
Formex
www.formex.se