Inside PAD London 2025: Jewels, Design, and the Magic of Berkeley Square
- JewelleryPursuer
- Oct 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 30
There’s something almost cinematic about stepping into Berkeley Square during PAD London week. The crisp October air, the hum of anticipation, the white pavilion glowing softly against the autumn leaves — it’s as if London itself pauses to admire.
This year’s PAD London (14–19 October 2025) was everything I love about the city’s design scene: refined, surprising, intellectual, and emotional. It’s a place where furniture, sculpture, art, and jewellery meet in a perfect, curated chaos. And somehow, every single piece feels like it has a soul.
The Jewels That Stole My Heart
I was completely mesmerised by the jewellery section this year. It felt like wandering through miniature universes, each booth glowing with its own personality and story.
Elie Top’s booth was the first to stop me in my tracks. His new collection, Liaisons Dangereuses, reimagines 18th-century romance with a theatrical touch — all swirling gold, secret mechanisms, and diamonds that seem to tell ancient tales. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, but it was the imagination behind each piece that truly stunned me.
Just a few steps away, Boghossian transformed their space into an ethereal cabinet of curiosities designed by Danish studio Kufstudios. Jewels floated mid-air, delicately suspended on silk cords — a poetic, almost spiritual experience. Standing there, surrounded by glittering light, I forgot I was in the middle of London.
Hemmerle’s booth was a quiet revelation. Their pieces — combining precious stones with unexpected materials like wood or iron — challenged everything I thought I knew about high jewellery. There’s a kind of raw honesty to their designs; they don’t shout, they whisper.
And then there was Taffin by James de Givenchy — bold, sculptural, and full of personality. I loved how his pieces walked that fine line between art object and adornment. Every ring felt like a conversation starter.
It was refreshing to see Karry Berreby’s curated collection of vintage pieces, too. Her 1970s Bulgari Tubogas bracelets brought a nostalgic glamour to the space — sensual, elegant, effortlessly timeless.
Designs That Dazzled
Of course, PAD isn’t only about jewellery — it’s where design across eras meets in one beautiful conversation.
One of my favourite stops was Friedman Benda’s booth, curated by Faye Toogood. Her installation, The Magpie’s Nest, felt like a storybook — whimsical, intelligent, and deeply personal. Her Maquette 208 / Paper Chair was breathtaking: a cast aluminium piece that still somehow carried the fragility of folded paper. It deservedly won the PAD London Contemporary Design Prize this year.
I also loved wandering through Sceners Gallery’s stand, where a Carlo Bugatti console and a Jean Degottex painting were in dialogue — design and art locked in this powerful, silent exchange. And RINCK’s Art Deco revival with The Guild of Saint Luke was pure theatre — a moody, glamorous escape into craftsmanship.
In the historical section, I had a quiet, almost meditative moment with Pierre Chareau’s 1924 wood panelling, presented by Laffanour / Galerie Downtown. It went on to win the Historical Design Prize, and rightfully so — it was like standing before a piece of architecture that still breathed.
Why PAD Feels Different
There’s a reason PAD London has become the beating heart of design week. It’s not just about buying or selling — it’s about seeing. Seeing how materials speak to each other across time. How the warmth of wood plays against the cold shimmer of bronze. How can an object hold emotion?
With 67 galleries from 20 countries and 11 first-time exhibitors, the fair felt more international — and more alive — than ever. From Beirut’s PIK’D to Limassol’s NM Art & Design, the newcomers brought new textures, voices, and perspectives.
But beyond the names and numbers, what I love most about PAD is how personal it feels. You can talk directly to gallerists, touch materials, and hear the stories behind the works. You can stand inches away from a Jean Prouvé desk or an Ado Chale bronze table and feel the quiet pulse of design history.
Leaving with Wonder (and a Few Wishlist Pieces)
As I left Berkeley Square that evening, I was thinking, I could lose myself in the magic of the fair, the fair glowing from within — I couldn’t help but smile. PAD London 2025 wasn’t just a showcase; it was an experience that reminded me why I fell in love with design in the first place. The jewels may have stolen my heart, but it was the atmosphere — that rare blend of beauty, thought, and craftsmanship — that stayed with me. If design is a mirror of our time, PAD London reflects something truly timeless: the human desire to create, to connect, and to be moved.
📍 PAD London 2025
🗓 14–19 October 2025
📌 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1
📸 Follow: @pad_london | #PADLondon
Author: Shohista Turdiyeva
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