Duncan Riches Launches Shoreditch Design Week to Reclaim East London's Design Trade Hub

Shoreditch Design Week debuts from 15 to 20 September as part of London Design Festival 2026, led by creative director Duncan Riches. The event aims to restore Shoreditch's status as a design trade centre, featuring four curated trade exhibitions: House of Icon at Shoreditch Town Hall, New Designers, and Material Matters. Riches, who calls London's architecture and interior design community the best in Europe, wants to attract brands and buyers from across the UK and abroad. Local brands Ally Capellino and Lee Broom will open showrooms for product launches. Riches notes challenges: Shoreditch's nighttime economy doesn't connect with daytime trade, unlike Copenhagen's 3 Days of Design. Media 10 recently acquired the event from SCP, enabling multi-year deals and larger venues. Riches sees his role as a matchmaker between emerging designers and brands, citing Slancha's takeover of The Hoxton hotel shop. He believes LDF has stopped serving the core design community—furniture, product, lighting, textiles, ceramics, glass—and hopes Shoreditch Design Week will stand on its own while benefiting LDF overall. He observes today's emerging designers are more capable of gaining visibility than 15 years ago and finds the London design scene more vibrant than in years.