PAD London: the Fair of Fairs

October 14, 2015Fair impresario Patrick Perrin personally curates the mix of dealers and objects found at the PAD fairs in London, every October, and Paris, every March. All photos courtesy of PAD London

Held annually in Berkeley Square, PAD London — the chic younger sibling of spring fair PAD Paris, founded by Patrick Perrin and Stéphane Custot in 1997 — celebrates discovery and connoisseurship across collecting categories.

This year’s iteration, which runs from October 14 through 18, showcases an exciting mix of Art Deco furniture, Scandinavian modernism, postwar Italian art and tribal arts — in addition to contemporary furniture, lighting and ceramics. Visitors enjoy exemplary clean-lined pieces by such Scandinavian maestros as Axel Einar Hjorth, Finn Juhl and Poul Henningsen alongside boundary-pushing forms by contemporary creators like Paul Cocksedge, Charles Kalpakian, Florian Borkenhagen and Carol Egan.

Galerie BSL (Paris), Friedman Benda (New York), Nilufar (Milan) and Ammann (Cologne) are just a handful of the top-tier international 1stdibs exhibitors presenting their latest and greatest treasures. “We love participating in PAD London because it’s a vibrant marketplace for contemporary art and design, as well as antiques and jewelry,” says Gabrielle Ammann. “The London crowd responds to its elegant and exuberant variety.”

Found under the fair’s now-iconic black tent in the middle of Mayfair’s leafy square are more than 60 dealers, a compelling mix thoughtfully curated by Perrin each year. Though he hails from the family behind Galerie Perrin, famed Parisian purveyors of fine 18th-century antiques, the fair’s impresario acknowledges the appeal that contemporary design and fine art have for today’s top collectors and also the energy that is generated by having young, innovative dealers offering cutting-edge material alongside veteran galleries and their blue-chip works. It’s that sort of thinking that makes a visit to PAD London compulsory during this busy week when art and design connoisseurs descend on the city.

“We love participating in PAD London because it’s a vibrant marketplace for contemporary art and design, as well as antiques and jewelry,” says Gabrielle Ammann.

The Ammann Gallery presentation at this year’s fair includes works by the Florian Borkenhagen and Italian design collective Nucleo, as well as photographs by Rolf Sachs and Hélène Binet. Photo by Lewis Khan

The booth of 88 Gallery, which is based on London’s Pimlico Road, showcases 20th-century decorative arts from Italy, France, Belgium and the United States. Photo by Nick Harvey

Pierre Passebon’s Galerie du Passage has long been where such stylish shoppers as Christian Louboutin and Princess Caroline of Monaco go when they’re in Paris searching for distinctive 20th-century design objects. Photo by Nick Harvey