PAD London 2023 beautifully merges contemporary and classic design

PAD London 2023 (10 – 15 October) marks the French fair's 15th edition in the city, as it returns once again to Berkeley Square with its distinctive mix of contemporary design, collectible design classics, art and jewellery (the last including Maria-Sole Ferragamo’s designs at Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery). 'The 15th-anniversary edition of PAD London marks a significant milestone in the fair’s history,' says the fair's founder and CEO, Patrick Perrin. 'Over the course of 15 years, our dedicated efforts have transformed PAD London into the popular and vibrant platform it is today: a place of boundless inspiration, dedicated to creativity, quality, learning and discovery for all.'

The fair's kick-off was a sure success, with over 6,000 people gathering at the landmark Mayfair location on the first day alone, to discover the unique curation by international design galleries, both established and newcomers. 

PAD London 2023: PAD Prize winners

Supported by Ruinart, the PAD London Prizes recognise the fair's most distinguished spaces and pieces, looking at contemporary as well as historical design. The accolades are selected by a jury led by Design Museum director Tim Marlow with honorary presidents, Jasper Conran OBE, Yana Peel and Francis Sultana in collaboration with leading figures from the fields of design, art and fashion. 

At PAD London 2023, the jury selected PAD newcomer, Belgian gallery Objects with Narratives as the winner of the Booth Prize, for its display titled (Un-)Controlled by Objects with Narratives, featuring a curated juxtaposition of works by Mircea Anghel and Vladimir Slavov.

Meanwhile, for the Contemporary Design Prize the jury selected the Khaya Cabinet by Gareth Neal presented by Sarah Myerscough. Made of asymmetrical stacked blocks of expressive mahogany wood, the cabinet 'examines the dialogue between historical and contemporary design – an ongoing keystone of our practice', says the designer, who specialises in traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary aesthetic. 

The impressive cabinet is made from mahogany offcuts, using a by-product of the musical instrument industry generally deemed unsuitable and impractical for other uses. Neal's design celebrates the wood's irregularities through skilled use of discreet inlaid ties punctuating the large panels of the material. 'Standing at nearly 8ft in height, it is an homage to the grandiose fine furniture of eras gone by,' continues Myerscough. 'Gareth employs his deep knowledge of historical techniques to produce this exquisitely made cabinet, while commenting on the throw-away culture of the contemporary timber industry.'

Modernity was awarded the Historical Design Prize for a 1935 cabinet attributed to Otto Schulz for Boet Sweden, the furniture company he had founded. The intricate cabinet is not just an impressive piece of design, but it also demonstrates Schulz's creative vision between functionality and decoration. An intricately inlaid mahogany exterior opens up to reveal a delicate brass and mirror interior with parchment paper decoration. 

PAD 2023: highlights

This year's fair features 62 galleries from 16 countries from across Europe, Asia and North America, with 12 newcomers contributing to PAD's customary eclecticism. Here are some of our highlights from the fair's 2023 edition.