May 23–24 | Kronospan Design Center, 45 Unirii Boulevard, Bucharest

On May 23 and 24, the Romanian design community will reunite for this year’s first edition of Made in RO, the concentrated contemporary design event created by the editorial platform Designist.ro. 

With a 14-year history and now at its 17th edition, Made in RO returns under the concept #ReCenter, in a special location: Kronospan Design Center, at 45 Unirii Boulevard. 

Dedicated to interior design, the space becomes, for an entire weekend, part of the story and the stage for a growing creative community.

Visitors will have the opportunity to discover more than 50 carefully selected participants, from different cities across Romania, including Bucharest, Timișoara, Iași and Brașov, as well as from abroad, including Chișinău and Kyiv. The projects on display cover a wide range of categories: home & deco, lighting, studio ceramics, author jewellery, accessories and fashion design.

New collections and objects created especially for Made in RO are on the radar. In a period dominated by breaking news and anxiety, this experience delivers moments of serenity and a refuge in beauty, for sometimes the best move is to stop, breathe and return to the centre of what you love.

A community, not just a design fair

Since its very first edition, Made in RO has been more than a creative shopping context. It is the place where Romanian designers and creative entrepreneurs, product designers, ceramists, jewellery designers and fashion creators, meet the audience that understands their work and supports their projects. For many of them, Made in RO has served as the launchpad for their brands and as a testing ground where they calibrate their ideas, products and direction through direct feedback from an informed public.

“Made in RO connects creative entrepreneurs with what the audience needs. It’s not something we say; it’s what they have been telling us over the 14 years. We are happy to see that some of the designers who launched at Made in RO are now returning with more experience, but with the same enthusiasm. I am equally happy that, with each edition, we continue to discover new talents and emerging creators. It is a launchpad for local brands with creative DNA and an opportunity for creators to test their ideas and products in front of an educated audience,” says Elis Popescu, founder of Designist.ro and Made in RO.

TheAlternativeSchool joins the partnership

As a constant supporter of Romanian talent since 2005, TheAlternativeSchool Creative MBA teams up with Designist.ro for Made in RO by offering each of the 50 participants one individual ticket to the next FutureProofCreativity module, access to the school’s editorial platform to promote the most relevant voices, a one-hour personal branding and business consultancy session dedicated to their digital imprint, and the possibility of further tailored support, open to a barter format.

“With expertise gathered in international contexts over the past 20+ years, our aim is to join forces with Designist & Made in RO, by helping creative entrepreneurs discover their blind spots, refine their presence, elevate their voice and give their businesses a stronger chance to succeed,” said Teodora Migdalovici, founder of TheAlternativeSchool.

Creativity TALKS: 8 conversations with entrepreneurs from the creative industries

Alongside the exhibitors, this edition’s programme includes a series of micro-conferences on creative entrepreneurship with the people behind the brands: conversations about what it means to build a design brand in Romania, about challenges, sustainability and future plans.

Saturday, May 23

*Anca Fetcu Studio, on product design and lighting
*Martine Claessens, on the power of colour in interior design
*Oana Opriș, Genuin, on how she started a creative business in natural textiles
*Angeline Cake Boutique, on entrepreneurship and creativity in artisanal pastry

Sunday, May 24

*Nicu Baciu, Pliabil Studio, on the first modular house made of structural cardboard
*Oana Mihalcea, psychologist, on the role of aesthetic experiences in emotional health
*Cristina Foarfă, on Harta Literară, the first interactive map of places mentioned in books
*The Beer Institute, on a #madeinro craft beer brand

More details about the Creativity TALKS programme and speakers are available on the Facebook Event.

Participation in Creativity TALKS is free, subject to seat availability.

The space as experience

The choice of location for the 17th edition of Made in RO is no coincidence: good design is better seen where a trained eye already exists. Kronospan Design Center is a space dedicated to interior design, a context in which the objects on display enter into dialogue with the aesthetics of the host venue.

“In scenography, space and action do not function separately; they function in complete synergy. At Kronospan Design Center, we believe precisely in this principle: a space dedicated to developing the community and promoting the new values of contemporary creators. In this context, the association with Designist and Made in RO became a completely natural step. We share the same goal: to promote the values of contemporary Romanian design,” says Radu Gheorghițoiu, scenographer and representative of Kronospan Design Center.

Made in RO 17 participants

Home & Deco, lighting, textile design, decorations, accessories: Anca Fetcu Studio, FOLDO, Pliabil Studio, Urba Naiz, Genuin, The Wooden Goose, Black Smurfs Creations, Magic Mint, Lilian's Edit, InAtelier, Lumânări by Blue-Maav, MoVerde, Crafted Harmony, I Wood Be (IWB) and others.

Studio ceramics: Alexandra Radu, Egal 4 Remold, Clay-love, Ignis Ceramics, Ambra & Moon, MellonCollie Ceramics, Snuggl Studio, Alina Ceramics, Joined by Fire Studios, Oameni și Lut, Little Houses, Ema Ceramics Art, Lilium and others.

Author jewellery: Utopic by Mona Vulpoiu, Samokish (Ukraine), Muzeul de la Ureche, Siminici Studio, Ceramiceanu, ERDE Jewelry, Golden Beetle Jewelry.

Fashion design: Christine on the Clouds, Meg Wi Baby, Maam with Love, Maison Ilia, Soleil, Gabriela Atanasiu Design, SSEE, The Bulb Bag.

The Made in RO pop-up café, the event’s socialising space, is created by Angeline Cake Boutique, makers of beautifully crafted artisanal desserts. Relaxation moments will also be provided by The Beer Institute, an “institute” of #madeinro craft beer.

Media partners: Radio Guerrilla, Igloo, IQads, Smark, Zeppelin, Modernism, Feeder.ro, Zile și Nopți, Like5, Catchy, ELLE, The Woman, Happ, Dreaming of, News and Spice, Curatorial, Bună Dimineața București, Adelina’s Lists, Noemi Meilman, Curatorialist, Revista Biz, The Alternative School.

In brief

Made in RO | Concentrated Contemporary Design | 17th edition
Saturday, May 23 + Sunday, May 24
10:00–19:00
Kronospan Design Center (KDC) | 45 Unirii Boulevard, Bucharest
Free admission

Daily updates on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/designist.ro/
https://www.instagram.com/madeinro.ro/
Web: designist.ro | madeinro.ro

About Made in RO

Made in RO is an event conceived and curated by the editorial platform Designist.ro, which supports and promotes Romanian product designers and the country’s creative industries through dedicated content. Made in RO, the Designist.ro event, functions as an accelerator for creative entrepreneurship: it brings together some of the most talented Romanian designers, creates opportunities for visibility and acts as a launchpad for brands with creative DNA.

About Designist.ro

Launched in 2011, Designist.ro is the first online publishing project in Romania dedicated to showcasing everything that inspires in the field of design, especially Romanian design: local brands, architecture, trends, lifestyle and interior design. The mission of Designist.ro is to educate taste, encourage local entrepreneurial initiatives and promote the creative industries in Romania.