Pingdom Check

DesignMarch 2022

DesignMarch in May

Yes, Iceland's largest design festival is called DesignMarch, but this year it will be staged for 5 days in May across a number of Reykjavík neighborhoods, from the city center to Grandi harbor and the Gróska university area.

Watch our video to get an idea of the creative spirit of Iceland, and what that concept means for a number of innovative Icelandic designers.

Bringing joy

Now in its 13th year, DesignMarch's mission is to celebrate creativity and innovation. Its exhibitions and events reflect a wide range of design disciplines, including architecture, ceramics, fashion and jewelry, furniture and interiors, textiles, graphic design, product and industrial design, and experience design.

In the words of Þórey Einarsdóttir, the festival director, "DesignMarch is a harbinger of optimism, innovation and new ways. The festival will continue to use its power to bring inspiration and joy along with highlighting the simmering creative power of the local design community in Iceland."

Icelandair is proud to be a sponsor of DesignMarch, as part of our commitment to bring the spirit of Iceland to the world. We are excited to nurture and showcase local talent. Read more about Iceland's simmering creativity and the program for DesignMarch 2022 on the DesignMarch website.

Icelandair x Plastplan

The Icelandic company Plastplan specializes in finding ways to utilize plastic waste from companies and turn it into useful objects. Their aim is to work towards a sustainable future and find function where it’s least expected. 

We first met Plastplan when we made our short documentary for the 2021 DesignMarch festival. Björn Steinar Blumenstein, one of the founders, showed us how he can take discarded plastic and turn it into something that’s not only fun, but also functional. We were so inspired that we decided to collaborate with the company. We just needed the perfect project to kick it off.

A souvenir to tell a story

The opportunity presented itself for DesignMarch 2022. As Iceland is expecting foreign visitors from all over the world, we wanted to give them something travel-related that also tells a story. 

The first collaborative project between Icelandair and Plastplan, therefore, was designing and producing luggage tags made entirely out of plastic waste. The fun, colorful and unique tags represent the can-do spirit of Iceland and highlight that value can come from where you’d least expect. 

For now, the tags are produced in limited numbers. They will likely feature in some of our competition giveaways – follow us on social media or sign up to receive our newsletter so you can keep up-to-date. If you're curious, you can see Plastplan's designs at Gallery Port in Reykjavík during DesignMarch.

By turning plastic waste into functional objects, we’re reducing what ends up in landfill or gets shipped abroad to be recycled. That’s one way we work towards a greener future – and one way we bring the spirit of Iceland to the world.