DATES + TIMES
Friday 22nd May: 11am – 7pm
Saturday 23rd May: 10am – 6pm
Sunday 24th May: 10am – 5pm
The Big Design Market is excited to be back with its ‘Almost Winter’ event which will be running this May in Melbourne at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, delivering an unparalleled way to discover the very best in independent design while luxuriating in wintery delights and cosy pleasures as the cooler months set in. Venture through this exquisite space adorned in guest artist Xue Fei Art’s captivating designs and twinkling festoon lighting, bringing warmth and a feel-good atmosphere that is the ultimate environment in which to shop and indulge in seriously good food and drink.
Boasting 250+ independent designers from across Australia, 75+ artisanal food and drink brands, an incredible art installation and a kids creative play space, Almost Winter is a delightful opportunity to indulge the senses on every level. There will be an exceptional curation of ethically made ceramics, jewellery, homewares, apparel, innovative lifestyle products, pet wares and much more, with over 55 new brands joining the lineup and exciting new product launches. While there is a huge diversity of products on offer from exhibitors, they are all underpinned by uncompromising quality, highly considered design and inspiring origin stories born from authenticity, passion and visionary minds.
Plus there will be designer showbags, an epic visitor prize valued at over $1,200 and a fun creative play space for kids created by the talented Xue Fei Art.
INDEPENDENT DESIGNERS
There are loads of exciting new brands joining the lineup this year delivering inspired designs and unique concepts, as well as ever popular crowd favourites making a return. Some highlights include newcomers Mariella McKinley Glass who specialises in hand-blown and cold worked glass to create the most exquisite homewares that hero colour, pattern, texture and form in a truly captivating way, e’serdiv who merge ethics with uncompromising quality and comfort with their range of 100% vegan premium women’s footwear made using AppleSkin – a sustainable bio-based leather alternative made from apple by-product discarded by the beverage industry, The Artist Nest – the brainchild of Byron Bay based artist and ceramicist Mon Mannabu – who creates premium, 27 pocket tool bags for artists and makers, designed to support the whole creative process and rhythm, SMEC Eyewear who creates high end, bold and incredibly unique titanium frames in a range of stunning hues and UKOO with their clean body care designed for the whole family, merging ancestral wisdom with modern science through the use of their signature Body-Biome blend that supports the skin’s microbiome and barrier, seeking to celebrate the timeless bonds between family, skin, and nature.
There’s also ReRoped, a collaborative project between RMIT University and Outdoors NSW & ACT that recycles old rock climbing ropes by turning them into bags, thereby preventing them from going to landfill, Ignem Terrae with their stunning, meticulously handcrafted ceramics that hero curves and organic forms to create pieces that sit in a league of their own, TRIBU Eyewear with their bold, refined and ultra cool sunglasses made using premium materials and custom engineered hardware, leaving no stone unturned in ensuring their pieces deliver uncompromising quality and durability, Rittle King who handcrafts super unique, super cool ceramics with a cheeky personality, Everyday Normal with their range of beautiful table linen, handmade in small batches, designed to transform everyday moments into the main event and celebrate the art of slowing down, ATKM x Spacecraft – an epic collaboration bringing together ATKM’s expertise in craftsmanship with Spacecraft’s incredible artistry to create an inspired range of functional and distinctive bags, Printing Potter with their range of contemporary homewares that blend intentional forms with fresh, matte colours and are made with PLA, a renewable plant-based bioplastic and Angharad Neal-Williams, an artist who creates all manner of illustrated goods including prints, greeting cards, stickers, washi tape, key rings and more featuring her honest and distinctive designs depicting moments of soft optimism, wonder and joy.
It is also worth noting that Saddler and Co will be exhibiting at Almost Winter and this will be their only event appearance for the entire year, making the trip down from Dubbo which is home to their workshop and only store. This small family business creates handcrafted fine saddles and elegant leather goods, using time honoured techniques, combined with innovation and new technologies, to ensure distinctive products with strength and classic style.
THE FOOD, THE WINE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Not to be overlooked is the giddying lineup of 75+ food brands from around Australia who will be creating a sublime feast for shoppers. Tuck into delicious savoury options like top shelf Banh Mi from Ca Com, Gnocchi Sorrentina tossed in a 40kg Grana Padano wheel and other drool worthy Italian dishes from Ugo Burrata Bar, handcrafted gourmet pastry creations from Wonder Pies, the brainchild of renowned chef Raymond Capaldi whose Baketico will also be there serving up delicious salads and focaccias, heavenly Bao buns made from scratch by Wonderbao and fresh and nutritious eats from Earl Canteen.
Melbourne’s iconic Axil Coffee who boasts 2 World Barista Championship wins and 7 Australian Barista Championship wins (no biggie) will be serving up their impeccable brews all weekend long, and sweet tooths will be spoiled for choice with a heart-racing selection of decadent gourmet treats. There’ll be Portuguese tarts from Casa Nata, artisanal pastries and cakes from Cobb Lane, dreamy, all-natural ice cream from Melbourne’s Billy Van Creamy, decadent treats from All Day Donuts and authentic cannoli from Cannoleria.
For a cheeky tipple, there’ll be a whole host of fresh faces like Tommy’s Booze for real deal Italian Liqueurs originating from a bag of lemons and Nonna’s OG recipe, HM Gin headed by father-daughter duo, passionate about big flavour and smooth finishes with left field flavour profiles like Seven Spice Chai Gin and Six-Eyed Scorpion Chilli Gin, next level spirits and cocktails from award-winning Ester Spirits, Brick Lane Brewing who are a state of the art, independent and B-Corp certified brewery sustainably crafting a wide range of beers in Melbourne and Sakemate who has been chosen by Japan’s Shichiken to be the only distributor in Australia of their wide range of premium Sakes and other Japanese alcoholic beverages. Plus there’ll be Pizzini Wines, White Oat Distillery, Subtle Tea, Solbevi, Taylor & Smith Distilling Co, Departed Spirits, Seasalt Yuzushu, Jimmy Rum, Timboon Distillery and more, as well as non-alcoholic options from Triffid Tonic Company, Soda Smith, Lemonicious and Eden Orchards.
Across the food emporium there will be a whole host of brands selling gourmet packaged foods to take home cooking to the next level including loads of newcomers like the unparalleled L’Artisan Gourmet Food, headed by French born Chef Lionel Abello who works with recipes that have been in his family for generations to create a range of artisanal French condiments and charcuterie, Sad Girl Matcha who creates a range of heavenly matcha products including silky matcha spread that is gluten free, nut free and the ultimate treat for cosy nights in, with the cutest packaging to boot, Del Bocia with their artisanal, hand-crafted grass fed butter that blends Italian culinary traditions with the finest Australian ingredients, Chotto Motto with their world famous Chilli Oil and other Japanese pantry products for an instant punch of flavour, texture and subtle spice, Posh Crumpets who make small batch, handcrafted Buttermilk crumpets with a crunchy outer and a soft, fluffy middle that is pure heaven and Sporadical City Mushrooms who are paving the way in sustainable food production through their Melbourne based zero waste urban farm where they cultivate seasonal gourmet mushrooms and create a range of mushroom based condiments. There’ll also be Ultra Culture, Umei, Pistachio Papi, Chappy’s, O2H Tea, Mamé Cocoa, Bennetto, From Basque With Love, Cunliffe & Waters, Loco For Cocoa, Matcha Matcha, Truffle Hill, Thousand Apologies, Kiwi Artisan, Only Mine, SISUU, Maho and more. Chef’s kiss!
FRIDAY NIGHT DRINKS
Knock off drinks have never looked so good! Visitors that arrive between 4pm-6pm on Friday will be treated to Pizzini’s Spritzzini Prosecco Lime Spritz served in a glass with fresh mint and ice, completely free of charge. The palate is a beautiful balance of sweet and savoury with refreshing mint and lime notes that jump from the glass. The ultimate way to flow into the weekend.
GUEST ARTIST
The Big Design Market is thrilled to have the wonderful Xue Fei Art on board for this year’s ‘Almost Winter’ event who will be transforming the Royal Exhibition Building into a magical space with her vibrant and evocative art. Xue Fei Art, formerly known as XF Illustrations, is the creative practice of Elaine Li, a Melbourne based artist inspired by nature, childhood memory and the subtle beauty found in everyday life.
Drawing from early experiences of wonder and imagination, she reinterprets landscapes through bold colour and simplified form. Influenced by traditional landscape sensibilities yet grounded in a contemporary visual language, her semi abstract paintings explore the balance between playfulness, stillness, structure and spontaneity. Through her work, she creates spaces where personal memory and collective experience quietly meet.
Her artwork titled ‘Moon Dip’, which will be featured across the entire Almost Winter promotional campaign, was part of her recent solo exhibition named ‘Bitter Sweet Lullaby’ held at Off The Kerb Gallery. This is how she described the show and her process – “Place a rock here and a leaf there, let the water flow through and the memories share. This is how I paint – arranging nature’s elements with a playful touch, like a child crafting a world by a stream. Inspired by traditional Chinese landscape paintings, I reinterpret rocks, water, and the plants in a modern, semi-abstract style. Rocks symbolize history and strength, while water represents movement and change. This body of work is a journey through past and present, inviting viewers to experience and connect with the memories they hold.”
Visitors will have the pleasure of being immersed in Elaine’s stunning designs with an exclusive, large scale installation of her work hanging from the great dome of the Royal Exhibition Building.
JUST FOR KIDS
We’ve got a thrilling surprise in store for little ones with a dedicated kids area designed by Elaine Li of Xue Fei Art who will create an enchanting and immersive environment designed to encourage imagination and creativity. There’ll be badges and colouring in sheets featuring Elaine’s beautiful designs which they can keep and take home. It’s the ultimate activity for some engaging downtime, with children of all ages welcome.
