The event was an extension of Etro’s Milan-based Circle of Poets arts programme, which Tack Studio transported to Britain to celebrate London Craft Week in May. Live performances from Milanese creatives and London-based designers came together for an evening event and exhibition hosted in Etro’s London boutique.

The Milanese artists used Etro’s store as a live performance space. Alan Borguet decorated the windows of the boutique with black graphics, while Eduardo Tabacchi tattooed pieces of leather. Catherine Leo created an installation of white polystyrene balls on a red carpet and her framed artworks could be found on display throughout the store. Niccòlo Basso provided the evening’s soundtrack with a selection of electronic music.

The London poets were all graduates from The Royal College of Art and displayed design research projects that examined new forms of expression and innovative material applications. Seongil Choi and Fabio Hendry create new lightning and furniture forms using waste material from 3D printing; Gemma Roper designed headphones aimed to use for cycling; Adam Blencowe and Yu-Lin Chen investigate how thawing ice can be documented to form permanent structures; and Louie Rigano and Gil Muller create voluminous rugs from woven silicone.

A central idea of The Circle of Poets was to provide a way for eight artists to collaborate, create and showcase together. Tack Studio achieved this by commissioning Florian Dussopt and James Patmore from London-based practice Awe Design Studio to design the exhibition. Awe responded with discrete display spaces made from cork and metal that provided artist workspaces during the event, as well as separating the installations on display from the remainder of the Etro interior.

Tack Studio curated the evening and commissioned Awe Design Studio to design the exhibition.

The project film is produced by London-based production company Shuffle.