{"id":1983187,"date":"2026-06-05T10:30:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T07:30:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1983187"},"modified":"2026-06-05T10:30:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T07:30:42","slug":"the-east-london-gallery-betting-on-designs-next-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1983187","title":{"rendered":"The East London Gallery Betting on Design&#8217;s Next Generation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-tw.jpg?w=1080&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;fit=max&#8221;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"col-post-body col\">\n<div class=\"row post-body\">\n<aside class=\"post-body-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-upper\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-category d-none d-lg-block\">\n<p>    Design\n                                                                                                    <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-published d-none d-lg-block\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<ul class=\"post-body-sidebar-hype-comments-container list-unstyled d-none d-lg-block\">\n<li><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-sm-inline text\">Comments<\/span><\/span>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-author d-none d-lg-block\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider d-none d-lg-block\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-share d-none d-lg-block\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<article class=\"post-body-article\">\n<div id=\"post-body-top-bar\" class=\"post-body-top-bar d-block d-lg-none\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-share-meta-container\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-meta\"><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-category\"><\/p>\n<p>    Design<br \/>\n                                                    <\/span><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-published\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-hype-comments-container \"><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-none text\">Comments<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content\">\n<p>When you speak to anyone who came of age in London\u2019s design world in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they tell you that the scene was as much about the spaces between the products as the products themselves. <\/p>\n<p>While independent shops championed (and paid) emerging talent, galleries provided opportunities for experimentation, and a network of events, studios and chance encounters helped launch careers.<\/p>\n<p>Today, that ecosystem feels noticeably thinner.\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a problem that Duncan Riches, creative director of Shoreditch Design Week and now founder of \u2018Unit D\u2019 gallery, has been thinking about for years.\n<\/p>\n<p>Located in a former workshop space in Shoreditch, Unit D is a new gallery dedicated to emerging designers, affordable design objects and, perhaps most importantly, bringing people together in real life. Rather than focusing on collectible pieces with four-figure price tags, the gallery asks designers to create work that ordinary people can actually buy \u2013 ideally for less than \u00a350.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-8.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-9.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got an incredible design scene in London,\u201d says Riches. \u201cWe\u2019ve got loads of really good makers. We just need to create a new connection between the makers, the designers, and the people who want to engage with their work.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The project grew from a simple opportunity: a vacant ground-floor unit in the building where Riches has had a studio for more than a decade. But what emerged was less a traditional gallery than an attempt to rebuild some of the infrastructure that once made London\u2019s design scene feel vibrant.\n<\/p>\n<p>Riches has conceived a schedule that is made up of a series of short shows which open on Wednesday and close on the Sunday. The likes of Andu Masebo and Michael Marriot have already take over the space, and currently, it\u2019s occupied by Mentsen \u2013 a south London studio who have created a series of wooden shelves.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-1.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-2.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-3.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"4\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">4 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-4.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"5\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">5 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI kept feeling that people wanted to get together face to face again,\u201d he says. \u201cThere was an appetite for it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Part of that appetite comes from what Riches sees as a gap in today\u2019s design landscape. Independent retailers that once championed emerging talent have largely been replaced by established brands, while many young designers struggle to find places to show work that sits outside the ultra-expensive collectible design market. \u201cThere isn\u2019t really a place where you can show everyday work anymore,\u201d he says.\n<\/p>\n<p><q>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands\u201d<\/q><\/p>\n<p>Riches\u2019 belief has shaped Unit D from the outset. Participating designers are encouraged to create affordable, useful objects rather than one-off statement pieces. The challenge has proven surprisingly liberating.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands,\u201d says Riches. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t only exist as inaccessible, rarefied objects.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The approach also speaks to a generation living differently from those before them. \u201cI think the industry is missing a trick generationally,\u201d he says. \u201cSo many people under the age of 35 are renting. They don\u2019t necessarily want big permanent objects. They want things they can buy now and live with.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>That younger audience is already finding its way to the gallery. Riches has actively encouraged students to attend openings and sees Unit D as a place where emerging designers can encounter a creative community in person rather than through a screen.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-5.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-6.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-7.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got to give young people hope,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to say: this is a place for you. You can show work here.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Whether Unit D becomes a permanent fixture remains to be seen. Riches is candid that the project is still an experiment. But at a time where cultural discovery increasingly happens online, there is something refreshing about the simplicity of the idea: create a place, open the doors, and get people in the room. Sometimes, that\u2019s how a scene begins.<\/p>\n<div class=\"show-article\">\n<p>                                                            Read Full Article<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer>\n<div class=\"related-stories-main-wrapper\">\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<div class=\"stories-container\" data-layer-list-name=\"related_stories\" data-layer-list-offset=\"0\" data-layer-list-child-selector=\".story-item\">\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6735338\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6734257\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>PlayStation Is Turning Its Original 1994 Console Into a Laptop and Tablet Cushion Case\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6733554\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>Berlin\u2019s Galerie Om Embraces a Multi-Sensory Approach To Collectible Design\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"city-related-posts-wrapper\" id=\"post-body-city-related-post\">\n<h3>\n        Find out more for London<br \/>\n    <\/h3>\n<div class=\"swiper-container\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n<div id=\"city-related-post-1\">\n<div id=\"post-6735338\" class=\"post-box-container city-box \" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2026\/6\/lucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london\" data-title=\"Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold\" data-post-box data-layer-item-id=\"6735338\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\">\n<div class=\"post-box-image-container fixed-ratio-3-2\"><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F10%2Flucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=375&amp;h=250 1x, https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F10%2Flucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=500&amp;h=333 2x\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-container\">\n<div class=\"post-box-content-title\">\n<h2><span>Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-excerpt\">\n                                New mini airbrush paintings inspired by \u2018The Wizard of Oz.\u2019\n                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n<div id=\"city-related-post-2\">\n<div id=\"post-6729491\" class=\"post-box-container city-box \" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2026\/6\/jack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london\" data-title=\"Jack White Opens His Debut Art Show in London\" data-post-box data-layer-item-id=\"6729491\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\">\n<div class=\"post-box-image-container fixed-ratio-3-2\"><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F01%2Fjack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=375&amp;h=250 1x, https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F01%2Fjack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=500&amp;h=333 2x\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-container\">\n<div class=\"post-box-content-title\">\n<h2><span>Jack White Opens His Debut Art Show in London<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-excerpt\">\n                                Now on view at Damien Hirst\u2019s Newport Street Gallery in London.\n                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>    Looking for more suggestions for London?<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-email-signup-wrapper impression-tracker\">\n<h3>We got you covered. Don\u2019t miss out on the latest news by signing up for our newsletters.<\/h3>\n<div class=\"terms\">By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-author d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-share d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content-tags\">\n<div class=\"body collapsed\">\n<p>    DesignLondonUnit D GalleryDuncan Riches\n                                                            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"post__body__author_info\">\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__inner\">\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__body\">\n<p>                    Alice Morby<\/p>\n<p>                                    <span class=\"post__body__author_info__title\">Managing Editor, Hypeform<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__bio_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"post__body__author_info__bio\">Alice Morby is a writer and editor based in London. She has spent the past decade writing for some of the world\u2019s leading design and architecture magazines. Alice previously held editor positions at both Dezeen, and Wallpaper*, and has had bylines in major publications including Domus, The Spaces, Design Anthology, and The Guardian. At Hypebeast, she leads on all content relating to design and architecture, and grew the platform&#8217;s first dedicated design vertical Hypeform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"post-footer\" class=\"post-footer row\">\n<div class=\"col-shopping-break\">\n<hr>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-comments\">\n<div id=\"comments\" class=\"post-comments none \">\n<header>\n<div class=\"heading\"><span class=\"comment-count\">0<\/span><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"comment-dropdown-tooltip\">\n<ul>\n<li>\n<li><\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row post-body\">\n<aside class=\"post-body-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-upper\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-category d-none d-lg-block\">\n<p>    Design\n                                                                                                    <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-published d-none d-lg-block\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<ul class=\"post-body-sidebar-hype-comments-container list-unstyled d-none d-lg-block\">\n<li><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-sm-inline text\">Comments<\/span><\/span>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-author d-none d-lg-block\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider d-none d-lg-block\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-share d-none d-lg-block\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<article class=\"post-body-article\">\n<div id=\"post-body-top-bar\" class=\"post-body-top-bar d-block d-lg-none\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-share-meta-container\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-meta\"><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-category\"><\/p>\n<p>    Design<br \/>\n                                                    <\/span><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-published\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-hype-comments-container \"><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-none text\">Comments<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content\">\n<p>When you speak to anyone who came of age in London\u2019s design world in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they tell you that the scene was as much about the spaces between the products as the products themselves. <\/p>\n<p>While independent shops championed (and paid) emerging talent, galleries provided opportunities for experimentation, and a network of events, studios and chance encounters helped launch careers.<\/p>\n<p>Today, that ecosystem feels noticeably thinner.\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a problem that Duncan Riches, creative director of Shoreditch Design Week and now founder of \u2018Unit D\u2019 gallery, has been thinking about for years.\n<\/p>\n<p>Located in a former workshop space in Shoreditch, Unit D is a new gallery dedicated to emerging designers, affordable design objects and, perhaps most importantly, bringing people together in real life. Rather than focusing on collectible pieces with four-figure price tags, the gallery asks designers to create work that ordinary people can actually buy \u2013 ideally for less than \u00a350.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-8.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-9.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got an incredible design scene in London,\u201d says Riches. \u201cWe\u2019ve got loads of really good makers. We just need to create a new connection between the makers, the designers, and the people who want to engage with their work.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The project grew from a simple opportunity: a vacant ground-floor unit in the building where Riches has had a studio for more than a decade. But what emerged was less a traditional gallery than an attempt to rebuild some of the infrastructure that once made London\u2019s design scene feel vibrant.\n<\/p>\n<p>Riches has conceived a schedule that is made up of a series of short shows which open on Wednesday and close on the Sunday. The likes of Andu Masebo and Michael Marriot have already take over the space, and currently, it\u2019s occupied by Mentsen \u2013 a south London studio who have created a series of wooden shelves.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-1.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-2.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-3.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"4\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">4 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-4.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"5\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">5 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI kept feeling that people wanted to get together face to face again,\u201d he says. \u201cThere was an appetite for it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Part of that appetite comes from what Riches sees as a gap in today\u2019s design landscape. Independent retailers that once championed emerging talent have largely been replaced by established brands, while many young designers struggle to find places to show work that sits outside the ultra-expensive collectible design market. \u201cThere isn\u2019t really a place where you can show everyday work anymore,\u201d he says.\n<\/p>\n<p><q>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands\u201d<\/q><\/p>\n<p>Riches\u2019 belief has shaped Unit D from the outset. Participating designers are encouraged to create affordable, useful objects rather than one-off statement pieces. The challenge has proven surprisingly liberating.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands,\u201d says Riches. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t only exist as inaccessible, rarefied objects.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The approach also speaks to a generation living differently from those before them. \u201cI think the industry is missing a trick generationally,\u201d he says. \u201cSo many people under the age of 35 are renting. They don\u2019t necessarily want big permanent objects. They want things they can buy now and live with.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>That younger audience is already finding its way to the gallery. Riches has actively encouraged students to attend openings and sees Unit D as a place where emerging designers can encounter a creative community in person rather than through a screen.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-5.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-6.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-7.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got to give young people hope,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to say: this is a place for you. You can show work here.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Whether Unit D becomes a permanent fixture remains to be seen. Riches is candid that the project is still an experiment. But at a time where cultural discovery increasingly happens online, there is something refreshing about the simplicity of the idea: create a place, open the doors, and get people in the room. Sometimes, that\u2019s how a scene begins.<\/p>\n<div class=\"show-article\">\n<p>                                                            Read Full Article<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer>\n<div class=\"related-stories-main-wrapper\">\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<div class=\"stories-container\" data-layer-list-name=\"related_stories\" data-layer-list-offset=\"0\" data-layer-list-child-selector=\".story-item\">\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6735338\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6734257\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>PlayStation Is Turning Its Original 1994 Console Into a Laptop and Tablet Cushion Case\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6733554\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>Berlin\u2019s Galerie Om Embraces a Multi-Sensory Approach To Collectible Design\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"city-related-posts-wrapper\" id=\"post-body-city-related-post\">\n<h3>\n        Find out more for London<br \/>\n    <\/h3>\n<div class=\"swiper-container\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n<div id=\"city-related-post-1\">\n<div id=\"post-6735338\" class=\"post-box-container city-box \" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2026\/6\/lucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london\" data-title=\"Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold\" data-post-box data-layer-item-id=\"6735338\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\">\n<div class=\"post-box-image-container fixed-ratio-3-2\"><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F10%2Flucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=375&amp;h=250 1x, https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F10%2Flucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=500&amp;h=333 2x\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-container\">\n<div class=\"post-box-content-title\">\n<h2><span>Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-excerpt\">\n                                New mini airbrush paintings inspired by \u2018The Wizard of Oz.\u2019\n                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n<div id=\"city-related-post-2\">\n<div id=\"post-6729491\" class=\"post-box-container city-box \" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2026\/6\/jack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london\" data-title=\"Jack White Opens His Debut Art Show in London\" data-post-box data-layer-item-id=\"6729491\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\">\n<div class=\"post-box-image-container fixed-ratio-3-2\"><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F01%2Fjack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=375&amp;h=250 1x, https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F01%2Fjack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=500&amp;h=333 2x\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-container\">\n<div class=\"post-box-content-title\">\n<h2><span>Jack White Opens His Debut Art Show in London<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-excerpt\">\n                                Now on view at Damien Hirst\u2019s Newport Street Gallery in London.\n                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>    Looking for more suggestions for London?<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-email-signup-wrapper impression-tracker\">\n<h3>We got you covered. Don\u2019t miss out on the latest news by signing up for our newsletters.<\/h3>\n<div class=\"terms\">By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-author d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-share d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content-tags\">\n<div class=\"body collapsed\">\n<p>    DesignLondonUnit D GalleryDuncan Riches\n                                                            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"post__body__author_info\">\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__inner\">\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__body\">\n<p>                    Alice Morby<\/p>\n<p>                                    <span class=\"post__body__author_info__title\">Managing Editor, Hypeform<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__bio_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"post__body__author_info__bio\">Alice Morby is a writer and editor based in London. She has spent the past decade writing for some of the world\u2019s leading design and architecture magazines. Alice previously held editor positions at both Dezeen, and Wallpaper*, and has had bylines in major publications including Domus, The Spaces, Design Anthology, and The Guardian. At Hypebeast, she leads on all content relating to design and architecture, and grew the platform&#8217;s first dedicated design vertical Hypeform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-upper\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-category d-none d-lg-block\">\n<p>    Design\n                                                                                                    <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-published d-none d-lg-block\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<ul class=\"post-body-sidebar-hype-comments-container list-unstyled d-none d-lg-block\">\n<li><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-sm-inline text\">Comments<\/span><\/span>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-author d-none d-lg-block\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider d-none d-lg-block\">\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-share d-none d-lg-block\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-category d-none d-lg-block\">\n<p>    Design\n                                                                                                    <\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-published d-none d-lg-block\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-author d-none d-lg-block\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-sidebar-share d-none d-lg-block\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<article class=\"post-body-article\">\n<div id=\"post-body-top-bar\" class=\"post-body-top-bar d-block d-lg-none\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-share-meta-container\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-meta\"><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-category\"><\/p>\n<p>    Design<br \/>\n                                                    <\/span><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-published\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-hype-comments-container \"><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-none text\">Comments<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content\">\n<p>When you speak to anyone who came of age in London\u2019s design world in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they tell you that the scene was as much about the spaces between the products as the products themselves. <\/p>\n<p>While independent shops championed (and paid) emerging talent, galleries provided opportunities for experimentation, and a network of events, studios and chance encounters helped launch careers.<\/p>\n<p>Today, that ecosystem feels noticeably thinner.\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a problem that Duncan Riches, creative director of Shoreditch Design Week and now founder of \u2018Unit D\u2019 gallery, has been thinking about for years.\n<\/p>\n<p>Located in a former workshop space in Shoreditch, Unit D is a new gallery dedicated to emerging designers, affordable design objects and, perhaps most importantly, bringing people together in real life. Rather than focusing on collectible pieces with four-figure price tags, the gallery asks designers to create work that ordinary people can actually buy \u2013 ideally for less than \u00a350.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-8.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-9.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got an incredible design scene in London,\u201d says Riches. \u201cWe\u2019ve got loads of really good makers. We just need to create a new connection between the makers, the designers, and the people who want to engage with their work.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The project grew from a simple opportunity: a vacant ground-floor unit in the building where Riches has had a studio for more than a decade. But what emerged was less a traditional gallery than an attempt to rebuild some of the infrastructure that once made London\u2019s design scene feel vibrant.\n<\/p>\n<p>Riches has conceived a schedule that is made up of a series of short shows which open on Wednesday and close on the Sunday. The likes of Andu Masebo and Michael Marriot have already take over the space, and currently, it\u2019s occupied by Mentsen \u2013 a south London studio who have created a series of wooden shelves.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-1.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-2.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-3.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"4\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">4 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-4.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"5\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">5 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI kept feeling that people wanted to get together face to face again,\u201d he says. \u201cThere was an appetite for it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Part of that appetite comes from what Riches sees as a gap in today\u2019s design landscape. Independent retailers that once championed emerging talent have largely been replaced by established brands, while many young designers struggle to find places to show work that sits outside the ultra-expensive collectible design market. \u201cThere isn\u2019t really a place where you can show everyday work anymore,\u201d he says.\n<\/p>\n<p><q>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands\u201d<\/q><\/p>\n<p>Riches\u2019 belief has shaped Unit D from the outset. Participating designers are encouraged to create affordable, useful objects rather than one-off statement pieces. The challenge has proven surprisingly liberating.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands,\u201d says Riches. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t only exist as inaccessible, rarefied objects.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The approach also speaks to a generation living differently from those before them. \u201cI think the industry is missing a trick generationally,\u201d he says. \u201cSo many people under the age of 35 are renting. They don\u2019t necessarily want big permanent objects. They want things they can buy now and live with.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>That younger audience is already finding its way to the gallery. Riches has actively encouraged students to attend openings and sees Unit D as a place where emerging designers can encounter a creative community in person rather than through a screen.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-5.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-6.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-7.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got to give young people hope,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to say: this is a place for you. You can show work here.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Whether Unit D becomes a permanent fixture remains to be seen. Riches is candid that the project is still an experiment. But at a time where cultural discovery increasingly happens online, there is something refreshing about the simplicity of the idea: create a place, open the doors, and get people in the room. Sometimes, that\u2019s how a scene begins.<\/p>\n<div class=\"show-article\">\n<p>                                                            Read Full Article<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<footer>\n<div class=\"related-stories-main-wrapper\">\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<div class=\"stories-container\" data-layer-list-name=\"related_stories\" data-layer-list-offset=\"0\" data-layer-list-child-selector=\".story-item\">\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6735338\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6734257\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>PlayStation Is Turning Its Original 1994 Console Into a Laptop and Tablet Cushion Case\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"story-item\" data-layer-item-id=\"6733554\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\"><span>&gt;<\/span>Berlin\u2019s Galerie Om Embraces a Multi-Sensory Approach To Collectible Design\n                                                                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"city-related-posts-wrapper\" id=\"post-body-city-related-post\">\n<h3>\n        Find out more for London<br \/>\n    <\/h3>\n<div class=\"swiper-container\">\n<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n<div id=\"city-related-post-1\">\n<div id=\"post-6735338\" class=\"post-box-container city-box \" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2026\/6\/lucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london\" data-title=\"Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold\" data-post-box data-layer-item-id=\"6735338\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\">\n<div class=\"post-box-image-container fixed-ratio-3-2\"><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F10%2Flucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=375&amp;h=250 1x, https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F10%2Flucien-smith-burn-down-the-house-painting-kearsey-gold-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=500&amp;h=333 2x\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-container\">\n<div class=\"post-box-content-title\">\n<h2><span>Lucien Smith Unveils \u2018Burn Down the House\u2019 at Kearsey &amp; Gold<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-excerpt\">\n                                New mini airbrush paintings inspired by \u2018The Wizard of Oz.\u2019\n                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n<div id=\"city-related-post-2\">\n<div id=\"post-6729491\" class=\"post-box-container city-box \" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2026\/6\/jack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london\" data-title=\"Jack White Opens His Debut Art Show in London\" data-post-box data-layer-item-id=\"6729491\" data-layer-item-blog-id=\"1\" data-layer-item-type=\"post\">\n<div class=\"post-box-image-container fixed-ratio-3-2\"><source media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F01%2Fjack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=375&amp;h=250 1x, https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F01%2Fjack-white-hirst-newport-street-gallery-exhibition-london-0.jpg?fit=max&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;w=500&amp;h=333 2x\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-container\">\n<div class=\"post-box-content-title\">\n<h2><span>Jack White Opens His Debut Art Show in London<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-box-content-excerpt\">\n                                Now on view at Damien Hirst\u2019s Newport Street Gallery in London.\n                        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>    Looking for more suggestions for London?<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"article-email-signup-wrapper impression-tracker\">\n<h3>We got you covered. Don\u2019t miss out on the latest news by signing up for our newsletters.<\/h3>\n<div class=\"terms\">By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-author d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-share d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content-tags\">\n<div class=\"body collapsed\">\n<p>    DesignLondonUnit D GalleryDuncan Riches\n                                                            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section class=\"post__body__author_info\">\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__inner\">\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__body\">\n<p>                    Alice Morby<\/p>\n<p>                                    <span class=\"post__body__author_info__title\">Managing Editor, Hypeform<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post__body__author_info__bio_wrapper\">\n<p class=\"post__body__author_info__bio\">Alice Morby is a writer and editor based in London. She has spent the past decade writing for some of the world\u2019s leading design and architecture magazines. Alice previously held editor positions at both Dezeen, and Wallpaper*, and has had bylines in major publications including Domus, The Spaces, Design Anthology, and The Guardian. At Hypebeast, she leads on all content relating to design and architecture, and grew the platform&#8217;s first dedicated design vertical Hypeform.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<div id=\"post-body-top-bar\" class=\"post-body-top-bar d-block d-lg-none\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-share-meta-container\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-meta\"><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-category\"><\/p>\n<p>    Design<br \/>\n                                                    <\/span><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-published\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-hype-comments-container \"><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-none text\">Comments<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-share-meta-container\">\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-meta\"><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-category\"><\/p>\n<p>    Design<br \/>\n                                                    <\/span><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-published\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-meta\"><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-category\"><\/p>\n<p>    Design<br \/>\n                                                    <\/span><span class=\"post-body-top-bar-published\"><time>Jun 5, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-top-bar-hype-comments-container \"><span class=\"hype-count grey\"><br \/>\n             795<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Views<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"disqus-comment-count\"><span>0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"d-none d-none text\">Comments<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"floating-tooltip\" role=\"tooltip\"><span>Comments<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"text\">Save<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content\">\n<p>When you speak to anyone who came of age in London\u2019s design world in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they tell you that the scene was as much about the spaces between the products as the products themselves. <\/p>\n<p>While independent shops championed (and paid) emerging talent, galleries provided opportunities for experimentation, and a network of events, studios and chance encounters helped launch careers.<\/p>\n<p>Today, that ecosystem feels noticeably thinner.\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a problem that Duncan Riches, creative director of Shoreditch Design Week and now founder of \u2018Unit D\u2019 gallery, has been thinking about for years.\n<\/p>\n<p>Located in a former workshop space in Shoreditch, Unit D is a new gallery dedicated to emerging designers, affordable design objects and, perhaps most importantly, bringing people together in real life. Rather than focusing on collectible pieces with four-figure price tags, the gallery asks designers to create work that ordinary people can actually buy \u2013 ideally for less than \u00a350.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-8.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 2<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-9.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Mentsen, The Studio Currently On Show<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got an incredible design scene in London,\u201d says Riches. \u201cWe\u2019ve got loads of really good makers. We just need to create a new connection between the makers, the designers, and the people who want to engage with their work.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The project grew from a simple opportunity: a vacant ground-floor unit in the building where Riches has had a studio for more than a decade. But what emerged was less a traditional gallery than an attempt to rebuild some of the infrastructure that once made London\u2019s design scene feel vibrant.\n<\/p>\n<p>Riches has conceived a schedule that is made up of a series of short shows which open on Wednesday and close on the Sunday. The likes of Andu Masebo and Michael Marriot have already take over the space, and currently, it\u2019s occupied by Mentsen \u2013 a south London studio who have created a series of wooden shelves.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-1.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-2.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-3.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"4\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">4 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-4.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"5\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">5 of 5<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Andu Masebo<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI kept feeling that people wanted to get together face to face again,\u201d he says. \u201cThere was an appetite for it.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Part of that appetite comes from what Riches sees as a gap in today\u2019s design landscape. Independent retailers that once championed emerging talent have largely been replaced by established brands, while many young designers struggle to find places to show work that sits outside the ultra-expensive collectible design market. \u201cThere isn\u2019t really a place where you can show everyday work anymore,\u201d he says.\n<\/p>\n<p><q>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands\u201d<\/q><\/p>\n<p>Riches\u2019 belief has shaped Unit D from the outset. Participating designers are encouraged to create affordable, useful objects rather than one-off statement pieces. The challenge has proven surprisingly liberating.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood design should be in people\u2019s hands,\u201d says Riches. \u201cIt shouldn\u2019t only exist as inaccessible, rarefied objects.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The approach also speaks to a generation living differently from those before them. \u201cI think the industry is missing a trick generationally,\u201d he says. \u201cSo many people under the age of 35 are renting. They don\u2019t necessarily want big permanent objects. They want things they can buy now and live with.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>That younger audience is already finding its way to the gallery. Riches has actively encouraged students to attend openings and sees Unit D as a place where emerging designers can encounter a creative community in person rather than through a screen.\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode-slider before-booted full-screen-enabled light\" data-width=\"100%\" data-animate=\"slide\" data-slideshow data-loop data-slideshowspeed=\"7000\" data-group-cells=\"1\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel\">\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"1\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">1 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-5.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"2\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">2 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-6.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"flickity-carousel-cell\" data-gallery-index=\"3\"><span class=\"gallery-image-index\"><span class=\"image-index\">3 of 3<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n                                    <source srcset=\"https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-7.jpg?q=90&amp;w=2180&amp;format=jpeg&amp;cbr=1&amp;fit=max\" media=\"<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2),<br \/>\n                                        (min-width: 1200px) and (min-resolution: 192dpi)<br \/>\n                                    \" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text credit-wrapper\"><span class=\"credit\">Previous Unit D Shows<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got to give young people hope,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to say: this is a place for you. You can show work here.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>Whether Unit D becomes a permanent fixture remains to be seen. Riches is candid that the project is still an experiment. But at a time where cultural discovery increasingly happens online, there is something refreshing about the simplicity of the idea: create a place, open the doors, and get people in the room. Sometimes, that\u2019s how a scene begins.<\/p>\n<div class=\"show-article\">\n<p>                                                            Read Full Article<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-author d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider share-divider\">\n<h6>Text By<\/h6>\n<p><span class=\"author-name\">Alice Morby<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-share d-block d-lg-none\">\n<hr class=\"sidebar-divider\">\n<h6>Share this article<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-body-content-tags\">\n<div class=\"body collapsed\">\n<p>    DesignLondonUnit D GalleryDuncan Riches\n                                                            <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/hypebeast.com\/2026\/6\/unit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/image-cdn.hypb.st\/https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2Fimage%2F2026%2F06%2F05%2Funit-d-duncan-riches-shoreditch-gallery-interview-tw.jpg?w=1080&amp;cbr=1&amp;q=90&amp;fit=max&#8221;] Design Jun 5, 2026 795 Views 0\u00a0Comments Comments Save Text By Alice Morby Share this article Design Jun 5, 2026 795 Views 0\u00a0Comments Comments Save When you speak to anyone who came of age in London\u2019s design world in the late 1990s and early 2000s, they tell you that the scene was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,39],"class_list":["post-1983187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-hypebeast-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983187","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1983187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1983187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1983187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1983187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}