Designblok from October 4 will offer design, fashion, and art

Prague - The beginning of October will once again belong to applied arts and fashion in Prague this year. The five-day exhibition Designblok '11 will present current design trends in furniture, lighting, and clothing at more than 50 locations throughout the metropolis. Leading Czech and international designers, including the authors of the latest Olympic torch, have accepted the invitation. The 13th edition of Designblok will run from October 4th to 9th.
    The upcoming "design festival" will also showcase news from Czech design and interior stores, discussions, exhibitions, and projects from various schools and institutions. "The thirteenth edition brings a total of 220 events at more than 59 locations across Prague. Among the participants are 94 shops, 18 fashion designers, and 89 design studios," said project curator Jana Zielinski at today's press conference.
    The main epicenters of the event will be the so-called Superstudios. One of them will be located in the Karlin office building Futurama and will focus primarily on interior design, while the other will occupy the Špork Palace on Hybernska Street. There, fashion and jewelry lovers will head. Visitors and exhibitors will thus have access to spaces totaling nearly 14,000 square meters. "This year's theme of Designblok is The City. Thus, within the project, we will conceptually divide Prague into three main zones: Holešovice, Karlín, and Old and New Town," added Zielinski.
    Given that last year, Designblok attracted over 38,000 visitors, this year the organizers recorded unprecedented interest from exhibitors not only from local creators but also from abroad. "Stars of this year's edition include, for example, the French group 5.5 designers, jewelry manufacturer Roberto Coin, or designer Jeremy Scott, who collaborates with the Adidas brand," revealed curator Jiří Macek, sharing some of the famous names. The leading contemporary designers, London-based duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, will also head to the Czech metropolis. Both designers will present their latest work, including the design of the Olympic torch for the upcoming Olympics in London, at the New Stage of the National Theatre (ND).
    For art lovers, there will be exhibitions at the Museum of Applied Arts (artist Sheila Hicks), at the DOX Center for Contemporary Art (Luxury Dwelling by Jiří Pelcl), or in a small gallery in Rudolín, where there will be an installation of works by designer Eva Eisler and students from the K.O.V. studio at the AAAD in Prague. Those interested in ecology can view the exhibition Great Atlas of the World as part of the accompanying program, which will offer sixteen information panels with stories of modern "green" solutions. The exhibition will present, for example, wind turbines in the form of stylized blooming trees or a collection of modern designed tools for urban gardening.
    This year's edition also features the Designblok Dreft Fashion Week project, which will showcase current fashion trends. It will be presented to the public through fashion shows, discussions, and other events. Czech designer Liběna Rochová and Klára Nademlýnská will present their models, but leading international brands will also be present, including fashion house Escada, Max Mara, and luxury shoe manufacturer Christian Louboutin. Top model Petra Němcová has also confirmed her attendance at the Prague "fashion week."
    More information about this year's Designblok program can be found on the website www.designblok.cz.