PAD London 2025: Design in Close Focus
From 14–19 October, Berkeley Square once again hosts PAD London, bringing together 67 international galleries in its 17th edition. Opening the day before Frieze, the fair marks the start of London’s design and art week. The Collectors Preview on Tuesday and VIP Opening on Wednesday provide a first look at newly commissioned and rare works, allowing curators, dealers and serious collectors to study objects closely before the public opening.
The fair remains a concentrated view of design across eras, from 20th-century modernism to the most inventive contemporary creations. At Friedman Benda, Faye Toogood’s The Magpie’s Nest occupies a corner with singular works that balance playfulness and precision. The curatorial arrangement encourages lingering: surfaces shift under light, curves reveal themselves gradually, and scale is never predictable.
Gallery FUMI presents Max Lamb’s ceramic chairs, startling in their combination of fragility and monumentality. Nearby, Jesse Schlesinger’s new pieces and Vladimir Slavov’s bronze lighting respond to the space around them, shadows and reflections emphasising texture. Sarah Myerscough Gallery’s wooden vessels by Ernst Gamperl are asymmetrical, tactile, and measured, revealing the hand behind every curve. Nilufar Milan pairs historical figures such as Walter & Moretti with Vikram Goyal’s contemporary designs, contrasting patina with vivid colour, tradition with experimentation.
Bronze, too, commands attention. Galerie Mélissa Paul and Clotilde Ancarani present modular tables that are simultaneously sculptural and functional; Carpenter’s Workshop Gallery places limited editions by Maarten Baas and Marcin Rusak with deliberate tension, the works commanding space through weight, form, and subtle humour.
Historical design remains compelling. Portuondo Gallery brings mid-century armchairs by Gustavo Pulitzer alongside a Fernand Léger painting, highlighting the interplay of line, texture and colour. Galerie Jacques Lacoste offers Art Deco rarities by Ruhlmann, Dupré-Lafon and Giacometti, every edge and joint a reminder of meticulous craftsmanship. Rose Uniacke presents a newly available Alvar Aalto dining ensemble: its simplicity and proportion draw the eye even amidst more exuberant surroundings. Meanwhile, Galerie Gastou and Modernity juxtapose 1960s–70s furniture with contemporary metallic consoles, encouraging comparison of scale, surface, and finish.
Jewellery punctuates the fair with equal care. Elie Top’s diamonds are reimagined with subtlety; Hemmerle, Taffin and Boghossian display sculptural combinations of metal and stone where texture, weight and finish invite scrutiny.
Immersive installations complete the experience. RINCK with The Guild of Saint Luke pairs Art Deco originals with contemporary reinterpretations, the juxtaposition emphasising line, light, and form. Pulp Galerie’s presentation of Gaetano Pesce demonstrates invention and whimsy in equal measure, while Sceners Gallery places Carlo Bugatti furniture beside Jean Degottex paintings, drawing attention to contrasts of material, scale and abstraction.
PAD LONDON
14 – 19 October 2025
Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1
https://www.padesignart.com/en/london/
SCHEDULE
Collectors Preview: Tuesday 14 October 11am – 7pm
Press Preview: Tuesday 14 October 12pm – 6pm
VIP Opening: Wednesday 15 October 11am – 7pm
Public Opening:
Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 October 11am – 7pm
Sunday 19 October 11am – 6pm
Elena Leo is the Culture & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.