CB2 Debuts at Downtown Design with Curated Collection

CB2 is the first brand of its kind to exhibit at the leading fair for contemporary and quality design in the Middle East – cementing CB2 as a leading authority on design

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 31 October 2023: CB2, operated by Majid Al Futtaim Lifestyle, will be exhibiting at Downtown Design from 8 – 11 November, marking its debut at the leading fair for contemporary and quality design in the Middle East. The curated CB2 collection will feature alongside 100 design-forward manufacturers, creative studios, and individual designers, representing accessible and responsible curation whilst highlighting statement makers across the globe.

For its first time at Downtown Design, CB2 will be presenting ‘Statement Makers by CB2.’ This will showcase key collections from its most coveted collaborations, as a part of its aim to display a diverse range of perspectives.

A highlight of the showcase will be pieces from the brand’s 12-year collaboration with highly-acclaimed Spanish design studio, Mermelada Estudio, founded by Alex Estevez, Laura Blasco and Juanmi Juárez. The collaboration between CB2 and Mermelada Estudio features designs that fuse innovation with elegance, resulting in refined furniture with a carefree character.

In celebration of over a decade of partnership, Alex Estevez will be present at this year’s Downtown Design. Alongside his partners, Estevez is recognised for providing an unconventional perspective on everyday objects, which visitors to the event can witness and discuss personally during ‘Statement Makers by CB2.’

Sarah Sullivan, Senior Director of International Operations at Crate and Barrel Holdings said:

“At CB2, we pride ourselves in having a unique point of view and showcasing exceptional design — partnering with a growing base of designers and makers from the Americas to Africa, Spain, Asia and beyond. By featuring the work and craftsmanship of designers like the Barcelona-based Mermelada Estudio at Downtown Design, we can cement CB2 as a platform for leading and emerging creatives, artistry and self-expression, as well as a regional gateway for responsible and accessible high design.”

CB2 launched digitally in the UAE in 2021 and opened its first physical store in Mall of the Emirates one year later, representing its first presence outside of North America. CB2 consistently brings unique capsule collections to the Middle East inspired by the globe’s most current tastes, from fashion to music to interiors. As a platform for unique and exclusive designers such as Mermelada Estudio, CB2 also seeks to curate the unexpected through interesting collaborations such as Goop by Gwyneth Paltrow, Kravitz Design by Lenny Kravitz and Gianfranco Frattini. 

Commenting on the Downtown Design collaboration debut, Alex Estévez, Founder and Designer at Mermelada Estudio, said:

“I am thrilled to be participating in Downtown Design with likeminded creatives, operational leaders and decision makers from all over the world. Our relationship with CB2 has grown and evolved over the years; it was in fact at a design fair just like this one that we first met the team and received a request to collaborate. Twelve years later, Mermelada Estudio has established itself as a renowned Barcelona-based studio bound by a commitment to excellence, wit and poetry on an international stage.”

With over a dozen distinct collections to explore, including Lawson-Fenning, Paul McCobb, Jennifer Fisher, and Robert Wengler to name a few, CB2 continues to amplify and diversify the creative voices that are inspiring dream homes. This aligns with the event’s mission to exhibit and celebrate ideas that address identity, materiality and social impact through design.

Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed Al Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and member of Dubai Council, Downtown Design is the anchor event of Dubai Design Week. The region’s most important creative festival reflects Dubai’s position as the design capital of the Middle East and will host an extensive programme of events, collection launches and collaborative showcases in the heart of Dubai Design District.

Visitors to Downtown Design can find CB2 at booth B13 and the event opens to the public on November 9.