Reason to Love Vancouver #52: Our Design Scene is Collaborative, Not Competitive

Team work makes the dream work, and wouldn’t you know it, there are some exciting mash-ups coming our way.

Vancouver designers are people who don’t necessarily find their creativity in solitude—and our design scene is all the better for it. This “all together now” philosophy is exemplified by the dozens of community design events each year (from the polished Vancouver Design Week to the scrappier East Van Culture Crawl), but IDS Vancouver perhaps practises shine theory best. This year’s intercity mash-up event—dubbed The Mix: West Coast, Best Coast—brings leading L.A. designers Leah Ring and Bari Ziperstein into the studios of some local heroes (furniture maker Ben Barber and Hinterland’s Riley McFerrin, pictured) for collaborative installations and inspiring discussions that put everyone on the rise. Win-win-win.

IDS Vancouver runs September 20 to 23

Ryan McFerrin (left) and Ben Barber share a moment (and a coffee) in Hinterland’s studio.