Allen Jones is a painter, sculptor and printmaker who studied at the Royal College of Art and is associated with the genesis Pop Art. He is still best known for Chair, one of a series of ‘transgressive’ sculptures that he created in 1969, in which the seat is supported by a female mannequin dressed in black boots and underwear. The profile of his later output may be lower, but he has continued to work steadily in both sculpture and lithography, drawing much of his imagery from advertising and performance. Allen Jones is a Royal Academician and was the subject of a retrospective at the Royal Academy in London from 13 November 2014 to 25 January 2015.

Lola Lely is a designer living and working in East London. Her work is process and narrative-based, which means that often, if there is an outcome; it is in the form of an event rather than just a product; a resting point rather than an end point. She has collaborated with various experts on a variety of different projects, including an anthropologist, a weaver, a storyteller and a silversmith.

On The Wish List project, she said at the time, ‘My role was an enabler. I was the problem solver. It is alright not to be so much of a designer on this project. This is what Allen has always wanted and it is what he is going to get.

For over 25 years the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has been at the forefront of international wood promotion, successfully building a distinctive and creative brand for U.S. hardwoods. AHEC’s global programme of activities secure a future for American hardwoods by demonstrating the performance and aesthetic potential of these sustainable materials, while providing valuable creative inspiration and technical advice.

Benchmark is a leading company of craftspeople and designers, founded 30 years ago by Sir Terence Conran and Sean Sutcliffe. Based in West Berkshire on a converted farm, the team is now 50 strong in over 40,000 sq ft of workshops for timber milling, carpentry, veneering, spraying, specialist metalworking and upholstery, as well as design studio and furniture showroom. Benchmark works extensively on design solutions for hotels, restaurants, public buildings, offices and private residences.

The London Design Festival was conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans. Building on London's existing design activity, their concept was to create an annual event that would promote the city's creativity, drawing in the country's greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators to a deliver an unmissable celebration of design. First staged in 2003, the London Design Festival is now one of the world's most important annual design events. The estival programme is made up of over 300 events and exhibitions staged by hundreds of partner organisations across the design spectrum and from around the world.

The London Design Festival works closely with, and receives financial support directly from, the Mayor’s Office – having transferred support from the London Development Agency. The Festival also receives support from Arts Council England, as a National Portfolio Organisation 2012-15.

The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The Museum holds many of the UK's national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.

James Latham

Morgan Timber