From 17 to 20 September 2025, Design Shanghai was invited to present a special exhibition at Material Matters during the London Design Festival. The showcase featured 12 representative works by Chinese designers and material brands, presenting cutting-edge material design from China through an international lens and fostering stronger connections between design communities at home and abroad. As a strategic partner of Design Shanghai, Material Matters will also contribute a curated section to Design Shanghai 2026, further deepening this two-way dialogue and advancing global collaboration in design and materials innovation.
Curated by Chris Lefteri Design, the curator of Design Shanghai 2025’s special feature Material First, the exhibition presented a thoughtful selection of works from participating brands. Each piece was chosen to celebrate the creativity and diversity of Chinese approaches to material innovation, underscoring Design Shanghai’s distinctive role and influence within the global design landscape. Participating brands and designers include: CYNICS, DECO·DECO, Atelier Lu+Architects, MOVED, PEELSPHERE®, realize, Studio RE+N, Wang Chunmao, ZHUFU, Zié Object(s), Reartier, and artist Huihui. Through this cross-disciplinary curatorial initiative, Design Shanghai not only showcased the forward-thinking spirit of Chinese design but also fostered deeper global dialogue and collaboration, driving innovation in both design and material practice.
