Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 November  Design Show

In the sumptuous neo-classical surroundings of the grade 1 listed St Georges Hall visitors to the Design Show will meet around 100 designers and makers of furniture, fashion, ceramics, accessories, lighting, jewellery and decorative art. Just 5 weeks before Christmas there will be hundreds of opportunities to discover unique and exclusive gifts.

There will also be the premiere of the A/W 2010 collection from Claudette Joseph on the catwalk. Claudette can count Helen Mirren and Julie Christie as customers, and her latest collection combines influences and inspirations from the 1940's and 50's.  The Design Show will give visitors an exclusive opportunity to meet Claudette, see her work and order or buy directly from her as her clothes are not yet available in shops or boutiques in the North West. www.claudettejoseph.co.uk

The other Key Exhibitors are; Tom Sutton & Ruth Ball - contemporary furniture with bespoke enamel decoration, Rebecca Gouldson – beautifully etched metal wall art, Sarah Thirlwell – sculptural vases, lamps, tables and bowls ingeniously turned from wood, recycled plastics and leather and Philippe Starck favourite Ilsa Parry with her innovative lamps, chairs and glasses.

There will be strong representation of designers based in Liverpool and the North West (Tom Sutton, Rebecca Gouldson, Ilsa Parry, Nawal Gebreel, Susan Comer, Tania Oakshott, Christine Toh to name just a few) giving them an excellent opportunity to meet the public, make important business contacts and develop their profiles. Browse all exhibitors at www.liverpooldesignfestival/com/design-show/exhibitors

Design Festival Director, Tara Badami, explains;

“We want to introduce people to the very best of design and designers and the Design Show brings everyone under one roof.  If you appreciate quality, innovation and beauty the Design Show is the place to come – treat yourself or buy the ideal gift just five weeks before Christmas!”

Tickets for the Design Show are £5 on the door but advance purchases can be made for £4 via www.liverpooldesignfestival.com

During the ten day festival there will be Design Events across the city with opportunities to view exhibitions and installations of high quality design work, watch films about design, hear talks about the use of design in landmark buildings and meet independent designers, makers and craftspeople in their studios. For professional fashion designers starting out on their own there will be a Finishing School to learn about marketing, merchandising and more. There will also be the launch of Design Stars 2010 a competition for school pupils to explore their own creativity and by participating in workshops with professionals learn about careers across different design disciplines.

The Design Festival and show are run by Design Initiative which is an industry body and charity based in Liverpool and Manchester. It works to support independent designers, helping them to promote their work and provide professional development through talks, seminars and conferences. The Design Festival and Show are made possible with the financial support of the City of Liverpool.