“Shanghai PPl” is BuzzandtheCity introduction of people behind remarkable projects in marketing & advertising, technology & communication, luxury, art & design, and of course entertainment.

Andrew Yang & Design for BuzzandtheCity

As 100%design opens in Shanghai tomorrow, Andrew Yang talks about the fair, designers on watch in China and inspiring places in our beloved city.

BuzzandtheCity : What’s your story ?

 Andrew Yang : I have been a design journalist all my life. I studied Architectural History in college and when I graduated, I moved to New York to write about architecture and design. I’ve freelanced for all the publications I have loved to read, like Wallpaper*, the New York Times, Architectural Record, W and WWD.

When I moved to Shanghai in January 2007, I slowly made the rounds, meeting all the important and notable designers in Shanghai. One thing led to another and 100% Design came calling–they wanted to launch in Shanghai, after they had established their shows in London (1995) and Tokyo (2005). So in my third year now, my role on the show is consultant. I have a lot of freedom to be both hands-on and hands-off when I see fit. I consult on just about every aspect of the show, from the show’s business strategy to the designers we invite, to all the major media partners.

More important, I am ultimately responsible for making sure 100% Design Shanghai, which is a commercial trade showcasing modern contemporary design products, is healthy both from a critical point of view, as well as a business point of view.

 BC : What to expect at this fair?

AY : This year, we have invited, as our keynote speakers, the British designers Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby. Trained as architects, they have been taking the design world by storm in the past decade, and represent for me the classic industrial designer–modern, inventive, creating products that are streamlined, smart, original and–in some way–get you to think about the future, not about the past.

So, that being said, there are a lot great things to expect at the show. For one, our creative directors, Tobias Wong and Aric Chen, have created a dazzling exhibition with our sponsor Crystallized–Swarovski Elements with a pop-up shop of original products by Chinese-based designers. They have also launched a competition to nurture young Chinese talent, which we have named “DESIGNED IN CHINA: The Rado Young Design Prize,”  after our gracious benefactor, the Swiss watchmaker Rado. Through this competition, a young designer will actually get a chance to get his or her product made, manufactured and sold, courtesy of Design Republic, another sponsor of this prize.

 Another program to expect is STEP 1, where 6 Chinese architects have designed furniture, made by a Chinese furniture manufacturer, Airises, which is really making an effort to get designers to work with their industrial facility in Jinan.

 BC : What is the hot item to buy ? (The Shopaholic in me is speaking..)

AY : Generally, you cannot buy things at the show. If you are a designer or a restaurant owner, for example, you can place orders for things at the show. Things on the exhibition floor at the show are for viewing. Think of it this way, if you want to buy something, someone will have to go to the warehouse to get you what you want.

 However, at the 100% Crystallized pop-up show, some one-of-a-kind items have been commissioned that people will be able to buy as a way of owning a piece of this year’s show. The pieces range from 180RMB to 1,500 RMB. I personally have my eye on the “Precious” shoebrush (380RMB) by Shanghai-based designers WOKmedia and the Jin Shi Wei Kai vase (450 RMB) by Beijing designer Liu Feng.

Jin Shi Wei Kai Vase by Liu Feng - limited to 88 pieces

BC : From your perspective, which hot designer in China should we follow now? Who is your favorite?

AY : This is a hard question. I can’t play favorites, obviously because I need to work with all of them! I will tell you, though that my favorite designed spaces in China are New Heights at 3 on the Bund, Issimo and the JIA hotel in Shanghai, and SML, a new restaurant by my friend Alan Lo in Hong Kong. Also, when it opens, I think CCTV in Beijing is going to be the first masterpiece of 21st Century architecture.

Look at the designers who did those projects, and that’s who you should be following.

 BC : Last, a few cool places in Shanghai for design lovers and designers ?

AY : The Bund, any longtang (alleys), any tree-lined street in the French Concession : seriously, this is timeless landscape design, public planning bureau please take note!  And also my apartment, because I have a well designed bed, and that’s what’s most important these days: sleep.

100%design China, 15-17th oct @ Shanghai Exhibition Center