Holland founded the whole thing in 2024 with a text to a few friends, and it’s grown from 46 locations to this in three editions, fast enough that it’s now drawing visitors nationally and internationally. The festival exists to give smaller brands and independent makers the same stage as the legacy names, and to make LA a permanent stop on the global design calendar. Based on what we’ve seen, it’s well on its way.

LA Design Week/end
September 30 through October 4
Free and open to the public
Full schedule at ladesignweekend.com

Read the full interview with Holland below, and find this and more on our calendar.

LA Design Week/end started in 2024 with 46 locations and has grown to over 130 hosts across 15+ neighborhoods in just three editions. What was the original idea, and did you expect it to take off like this?

The original idea was to highlight the breadth of local design talent in Los Angeles, including architecture, interiors, furniture, and art. I had the loose idea in February 2024 and texted a few friends to see if they wanted to help make it happen. Within two weeks, we had our first kickoff call with 20 people.

I did not expect it to take off like this at all. During the first week/end, I was pleasantly shocked by how many people showed up. It has gained traction incredibly quickly, not only in LA, but nationally and now internationally. I think that speaks to both the need for something like this within LA and the excitement among visitors for a less traditional design week. They can still discover new and exciting work, but experience it in a very different way.

The decentralized, progression-based format is the heart of the festival, moving people through the city instead of gathering them in one place. Why was that the right model for LA, and what does seeing design in context change for both visitors and designers?

It’s the right model because LA is so big. Even if you live here, you’re never going to tap into everything the city has to offer. It’s an embarrassment of riches, but it can also be overwhelming.

The map and progression provide an intentional, well-planned journey while still allowing for flexibility and choice. We don’t want to tell people exactly what to do. We want to give them an amazing selection of options while making the experience accessible and easy to navigate. All of that creates a really special energy.

Seeing design in context is like seeing animals in the wild versus at the zoo. There’s just no comparison.

How do you decide which neighborhoods and hosts make up each edition? What are you looking for as it all comes together?

We’re fairly rigid about which neighborhoods can participate, but only because we want the festival to remain manageable for attendees and ensure hosts receive the strongest possible turnout. If the programming becomes too spread out, the experience is diminished for everyone.

Downtown LA, the Arts District, Northeast LA, and East LA are already home to an abundance of makers in close proximity to one another. We essentially overlaid the festival map onto where these communities already existed.

Within that footprint, the more the merrier. The primary requirement is that you’re located within the predetermined map.

This year expands from three days to five and brings dublab in, with sound woven throughout the week. What drove those changes, and what does music add to how people experience it?

We received feedback that the increase in events from year one to year two felt overwhelming and lost some of the condensed progression that made the first edition so special. Expanding to five days gives the schedule more breathing room and allows people to build up their energy as the week progresses.

Friday and Saturday culminate in our two big nights with dublab. LA is home to so many incredible musicians and DJs, so it felt right to give music a more central role. Several of our producers come from the music festival world, and honestly, we just wanted to throw some memorable dance parties.

You also work at Gantri and co-founded Nomadory, so you see the design industry from a few different angles. How do those shape what you think LA’s design community needs from a festival like this?

All of my experience in the design industry has shaped LAD/W. Before working on the manufacturing side, I was a woodworker and furniture designer, as well as an interior designer working in hospitality. Today, my work focuses primarily on commercial and hospitality design.

I’ve been the client, the maker, the seller, and the purchaser. What I’ve learned from those experiences is that we need every part of the industry for it to thrive. The segment that needs the most support, however, is smaller brands and independent makers. They’re often spotlighted within a craft context, but they need to be seen in the same light as larger legacy and heritage brands. LAD/W creates space for all of them to exist alongside one another.

I’ve also traveled to design weeks around the world for about 10 years. LAD/W is the kind of design festival I’ve always wanted to attend, and I hoped other people would feel the same.

Where do you want LAD/W to go from here?

I want LAD/W to help establish Los Angeles as an international design destination. I want it to become part of the annual global design calendar alongside events like Salone del Mobile, 3daysofdesign, and NYCxDESIGN.