On May 16, the IV Moscow Interior and Design Week commenced at the Manege exhibition space. The exhibition's first day showcased a private show dedicated to industry professionals, with presentations by global design experts and pitches for promising projects. The Manege entrance saw large crowds eagerly waiting to enter.
This year, the exhibition introduced a new event format, starting with an exclusive show tailored for design industry professionals. During this event, company representatives and individual entrepreneurs had the opportunity to explore new offerings from manufacturers, network with others, and establish collaboration agreements in a relaxed atmosphere.
Once the private show concluded, other visitors queued outside the Manege, eagerly anticipating the public opening of the exhibition. From 3:00 pm onwards, the Moscow Interior and Design Week exhibition space bustled with attendees and lively discussions about innovative products.
This year's business programme was enriched by the presence of renowned global experts. Kavita Choudary, ranked among the world's top 25 designers by Do-school (Germany), shared insights into the business aspects of the creative sector. Choudary also emphasized development directions, resources, and explained how to expand a brand through significant social projects.
Choudary expressed her admiration for Moscow, praising its unique architecture and long-standing desire to visit Russia. The exhibition featured unique solutions from Russian designers, providing captivating insights into the evolution of design thinking. Choudary mentioned their years of experience in the Russian market, which now ranks among their top 10 in terms of customer base. Their representative office has been established in Samara for the past five years, and they eagerly look forward to collaborations with local galleries and designers.
The exhibition also welcomed architects involved in ambitious projects. Tariq Khayyat, former head of Zaha Hadid Architects' Middle East division and founder of Tariq Khayyat Design Partners (TKDP), shared insights into their most ambitious endeavors. The latest trends in urban design were presented by Hussein Bakri, the chief architect of Akon City, who envisions creating a futuristic city in Senegal inspired by Wakanda.
For Russian manufacturers, the presence of international buyers and a B2B session with importers from India were the highlights of the exhibition's first day. Sunil Dhami, counsellor for International Relations at the Trade Development Council of India, emphasized the significance of the event for Indian manufacturers and expressed his willingness to collaborate with Russian colleagues. Dhami invited Russian furniture manufacturers to participate in Indian clusters, citing the high demand and numerous business growth opportunities in India due to its dense population.
The business program also featured prominent Russian experts and promising young designers. One of the sessions focused on presenting object, industrial, and interior design projects, highlighting ambitious initiatives by emerging designers. The session was moderated by Vera Zhazhina, a graduate of Politecnico di Milano, a designer, and the program director of Moscow Interior and Design Week. Another session titled 'Cultural Code' was overseen by Alexandra Sankova, the director of Moscow Design Museum. In this session, experts explored topics such as preserving traditional Russian elements in modern design and blending historical heritage with innovative ideas to advance traditional Russian design.
Over the course of the four-day exhibition, visitors had the opportunity to engage in a diverse business program, explore product booths from hundreds of manufacturers, make purchases, witness an immersive show, experience a crash test zone, encounter unique art objects, and much more.
