Local Heroes brings together Glasgow’s leading designers for a summer showcase

Glasgow, the birthplace of Charles Rennie Macintosh and the Arts and Craft movement, has always been a hotbed of great design. From 28 July — 12 August, Local Heroes, in partnership with Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, will transform 58 Albion Street into a futuristic retail showroom, showcasing the cities leading designers.

The exhibition will feature 30 high-quality products designed in Glasgow, including 12 exclusive commissions. All the items will be for sale, ranging from scarves to jewellery to bumbags to watches. Specially created for the show is a Glasgow Raincoat. Made in collaboration by Love & Squalor and Alice Dansey-Wright, this piece is a cheeky wink at typical Scottish weather, illustrated with hand-drawn, playful motifs. Ruth Mitchell has designed a bold and vibrant cotton voile scarf, depicting sunset at the Cobbler; using the landscape of her country to garner a truly local feel. Cecilia Stamps candy coloured jewellery takes inspiration from the Glasgow subway. “I wanted to use the language of industry to create a wearable accessible jewellery collection that acts as a souvenir of the city”, she comments.

The exhibition coincides with the 2018 European Championships. As Clive Gillman, Director of Creative Industries at Creative Scotland tells us, “it is an opportunity for visitors and locals to see that beyond the homogeneous high street lies a wealth of local brilliance”. Curator Dr Stacey Hunter has teamed up with artist Steff Norwood to create an “immersive exhibition environment”, featuring “large geological sculptures which will act as plinths for the products”. Alongside the showcase a limited edition magazine will be produced, as well as a series of special events hosted in the space.