YOUNG BLOOD MARKETS

More than just an opportunity to stuff your yuletide stockings early, the annual Young Blood Markets is a snapshot of Sydney’s brightest up-and-coming designers. This year promises to be no different with stalls from jeweller Kristy-Lee Agresta, cushions and accessories from The Print Society, silk scarves from L’Avion, quirky handmade papergoods from Library Monitor plus many more. Lily Katakouzinos, manager of contemporary programs at the Powerhouse Museum and producer of the markets, preps us for the big weekend.

What do you think has been the enduring appeal of the Young Blood Markets? It’s a chance for our visitors to see what local designers are doing, talk to emerging designers and buy something original – all within a vibrant museum environment. For emerging designers they can talk to potential customers, get valuable product feedback and retail experience firmly within the context and profile of a leading design museum.

What guides the curation? We are always looking for originality and innovation but we are also acutely aware of the struggles and limitations of some aspects of design in Australia. So much as we would like to see more industrial design or furniture for example, we know that manufacturing in Australia is not easy for emerging designers. So where we see designers flourish is in the small designer-maker studio context and that tends to be reflected in the final selection. Ultimately for me the combination of thoughtfulness, aesthetic appeal and intelligence in the work is what draws us to a particular product or designer.

For young designers in Sydney today, how hard is it to get their products across? As I mentioned it’s not easy in terms of manufacturing and you do see a majority of designers working from smaller studios and with smaller production runs. That’s why Young Blood is so important. It offers a safe testing ground with the credibility of a museum and the context of a design collection for designers to begin their journey as professionals in a complex industry. Many designers have been spotted here and go on to bigger and better things.

What are you most looking forward to this session?  I always look forward to chatting with individual designers, finding out what motivates and inspires them and how they envisage their careers taking off. And of course I enjoy picking up something clever, original and beautiful.

Nov 9-11, Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo, 9217 0111, powerhousemuseum.com