SoD Opening Night antics and Aesop After Dark!

The Exhibition Building buzzing with people for SoD opening night! - photos Tobias Titz

Here are some pics from last's night's State of Design opening night at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton! It was so great! A huge turnout, and such an incredible buzz and excitement about the festival!

You will notice some of these photos are excellent. Those ones are not mine! They belong to festival photographer Tobias Titz. Thanks Tobias! (The rather more average ones are mine :)

Top - Designboom Mart was super popular with the crowds. Bottom - best outfit of the night spotted at The Foundry's stand. Love those stockings, and the tulle headpiece!

After the opening, a select group of festival guests were invited to a late night discussion group called After Dark, in Fitzroy. The intimate event was hosted by Aesop (with a little help from Absolut Vodka and the British Council, apparently). The incredible paper installation by Melbourne's March Studio absolutely transformed the space and was a major talking point - upstaged only by the mini-dinners served with crispbread in petri dishes! Fabulous.

Beautiful shot of March Studio's paper installation - photo Tobias Titz

I have never been so excited to see a petri dish!

Crowds mingle - and Fleur Watson from State of Design introduces the speakers... and warns us not to steal the petri dishes!

Bar staff looking a little bit Super Mario in their bright orange overalls. Cocktails are mixed with chemistry beakers... and plants grow in bottles lined up along the bar.

Nipa Doshi waits quietly for the discussion to begin!

Nipa Doshi charmed the crowd with her thoughtful discussion, beautiful hand-rendered design sketches... and secrets about Tom Cruise' special shoes! - shhh!