Design Miami announces global rebrand and shares preview highlights for inaugural Los Angeles fair in May

Curatorial Director Ashlee Harrison shares programming inspired by LA’s rich design heritage, centered on themes of eclecticism, imagination, and nostalgia

New global rebrand designed by Henrik Purienne explores ‘Living with Design’

April 11, 2024, Los Angeles–Design Miami today announces preview highlights for its newest edition in Los Angeles, taking place May 16th through 20th 2024. Taking inspiration from the fair’s location at a private Holmby Hills estate designed by the late architect Paul R. Williams,Curatorial DirectorAshlee Harrisonoffers a dynamic program of collectible design that expands on themes of eclecticism, imagination, and nostalgia. Today also sees the announcement of Design Miami’s new global rebrand. Designed byHenrik Purienne, Design Miami’s Global Creative Director for 2024, the rebrand offers a new creative expression across the fair’s international programming in Los Angeles, Basel, Paris and Miami Beach.

Design Miami CEO, Jen Roberts says:“2024 is a year of evolution for Design Miami, as we continue to reach wider audiences through our expanding programming and ever-growing creative network. It feels perfectly fitting to start the year with our inaugural LA exhibition –which promises a dynamic and thoughtful gallery program that is deeply rooted in the city’s cultural and creative ecosystem. We look forward to presenting this fair through the lens of our new visual identity -designed to reflect the past, present and future of Design Miami as the global forum for collectible design”.

GLOBAL REBRAND
Designed byHenrik Purienne, Global Creative Director for 2024, Design Miami’s global rebrand is based on the concept of ‘Living with Design’. This is visually expressed through photography of celebrated creatives within their lived environments, capturing moments that touch upon the daily interactions between people and design. This is paired with a clean new graphic identity, designed to serve as visual unifier across Design Miami’s flagship fairs, honoring the dynamic spectrum of Design Miami’s offering as the global forum for collectible design.

For the inaugural LA fair, Purienne chose celebrated LA-based artist Peter Shire as the subject of the campaign and the photographic campaigns for future fairs will go on to spotlight different creatives, drawing on and reflecting Design Miami’s expansive global network. By capturing creatives from diverse fields living with design, the fair’s new visual language will create a space not just for showcasing but for experiencing and connecting withexceptional design -reflecting the seamless integration of aesthetics, emotion and functionality.

The decision to feature Shire in the LA fair campaign stems from his deep relevance to the Los Angeles creative scene, as well as his fluid practice and multidisciplinary approach to design -reflective of Design Miami’s diverse creative community.Design Miami’s Global Creative Director, Henrik Purienne, says:“Peter Shire remains a vital figure in Los Angeles's creative landscape, bridging the gaps between different artistic disciplines and challenging our perceptions of art, design, and their place in everyday life. His work not only reflects the dynamic and eclectic spirit of Los Angeles but also continues to inspire and provoke dialogue in the wider creative community.”

The rebrand launches during a key year for Design Miami, as 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the first flagship fair in Miami Beach. Describing how the new identity reflects the brand’s past, present and future present,Henrik Purienne, says:“The rebrand navigates Design Miami's legacy and vision, blending its rich 20-year history with a forward-thinking ethos. It's a nuanced reflection, preserving the past while charting a bold, innovative future, embodying a dynamic evolution within the design world.”

LOS ANGELES GALLERY HIGHLIGHTS
The inaugural edition of DESIGN MIAMI.LA will serve as a testament to California’s rich design heritage, set within a historic 1938 Holmby Hills estate designed by the legendary Paul R. Williams. From the post-war mid-century design boom and car culture, to the entertainment industry and space age engineering, Southern California has established itself as an international arbiter of taste. DESIGN MIAMI.LA will pay homage to the dynamic cultural exchange that has been firmly established in the fabric of Los Angeles. This year’s edition will welcome a series of engaging exhibitions that will center around themes of eclecticism, imagination, and nostalgia -all of which have been integral to informing the city’s design landscape. Under the curatorial direction of Ashlee Harrison, this fair’s program will bridge the past with the present, using Los Angeles’s design legacy as a touchpoint to explore how the city continues to inspire and shape global design conversations.