WantedDesign was proud of being partner of the Toronto Design Offsite Festival and participating at the “Outside the Box” initiative, and thanks the TO DO team for being an exceptional host, as well as the Design Within Reach Toronto studio.  WantedDesign brought to Toronto five U.S. boxes that represented the body of design works in the cities of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, and Seattle. More.

For a week the five boxes were displayed and visible at the Design Within Reach studio, and on Friday night the U.S. boxes were celebrated with a PechaKucha night where Darin Montgomery, Matthew Clayson, Charlie Miner, and Huy Bui talked about their practices.

The Chicago Outside the Box, curated by designer Steven Haulenbeek, presented the work of designers: Christopher Gentner, Felicia Ferrone, Leah Ball, Michael Dreeben, Ayush Kasliwal, Sung Jang, Yuna Baek, Chilab, Michael Savona, and Steven Haulenbeek.

Matthew Clayson, curator of Detroit Outside the Box and Director of the Detroit Creative Corridor Center,  explored the theme ‘breaking the ice’ with a focus on metallics and metalwork, featuring the works of C.A.N. Art Handworks, Detroit Bikes, Detroit Design Center, Detroit Wallpaper Co., Floyd Leg, Pewabic, Richard Bennett and Associates, Smith Shop.

Jaime Derringer, founder and editor of modern design blog Design Milk, and designer Eric Trine selected the works by Tanya Aguiniga, Eric Trine, Scout Regalia, Chris Earl, Bari Ziperstein, 100xbtr (Brendan Sowersby), Wolfum, and Brendan Ravenhill for the Los Angeles Outside the Box.

Through a series of stack-able and intersecting volumes designed by Brooklyn based architect and Plant in City co-founder Huy Bui, the New York installation presented a selection of objects, sharply designed and meticulously made in New York. The New York Outside the Box curated by Claire Pijoulat and Odile Hainaut, co-founders of WantedDesign, in collaboration with Charlie Miner and John Neamonitis, co-founders of WorkOf, featured a few of the “hottest” up and coming designers based in the city that never sleeps including Calico, Bower, Fort Standard, Avandi, Chen and Kai and Fort Makers.

The products selected by Darin Montgomery, founder and lead designer of urbancase, for Seattle Outside the Box, represented a range of the aesthetic styles and variety of materials utilized by design studios in Seattle. A machined solid brass bottle opener from Iacoli & McAllister is a nod to Seattle’s industrial and manufacturing history while Grain‘s terra cotta bowl draws influence from the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. Other studios participating include, Ladies & Gentlemen, fruitsuper, urbancase, Graypants, Sarah Loertscher, Brian Beck Studios, and John Hogan.

On view at different locations also the three Canadian boxes.

Flat Pack from It’s them again! A collaborative duo made of Anne Thomas and Pierre Laramée, her a designer, both curators. The Montreal Outside the Box featured the works by Bellemine, Flat-Broke, Les charcutiers Pork Chop, La Firme, Cadavre exquis, Mere Phantoms, Merida Anderson, Quelle histoire! / Paprika, Studio SSSVL for Coop Établi, Toma Objects.

Calgary Outside the Box, curated by aftermodernlab.com, features Katrina Chaytor, Mackenzie Kelly-Frère, Natalie Gerber, and Natali Rodrigues.

The group of designers and artists to show in Vancouver Outside the Box, by Dear Human, is made up of nine individuals and teams. All are designing and making their work in the greater Vancouver area. The selection  featured the works by Carlyn Yandle, Cathy Terepocki, Dahlhaus, Dear Human, Dina Gonzalez Mascaro, Hinterland Designs, Laura McKibbon, Rachael Ashe, Studio Bup.