[WDC2014] puts the spotlight on local creative genius

Showcasing breath-taking design is nothing new. But trust me, you've not seen design pieces curated in such a way that the unseemly textures sing a new song together and colours blend as harmoniously as at the Design House Exhibition. And with the slogan 'Makers + thinkers: see. learn. do', you'll be rethinking the way you look at waste and repurpose goods in your own life - at least, I did.

What am I waxing lyrical about? Wednesday, 15 October saw the opening of the WDC2014 Design House Exhibition titled 'Transforming Cities' in celebration of Cape Town being the official WDC2014.

My favourite display at the Design House Exhibition - Birds in Motion, by Dean Samuels

Attendees mingled to the beat of live marimba drumming, taking in exhibitions on how top cities are being transformed through energy-efficient design, by Accra, Dublin, Taipei, Paris, and Bavaria.

Mayor De Lille unpacks what the World Design Capital mantle means for Cape Town

The World Design Capital designation is bestowed biennially by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid). World Design Capitals recognise the value of design thinking and are dedicated to using design as tool for social, cultural and economic development.

Previous winners have been Helsinki, Seoul and Turin, with De Lille announcing that Taipei is taking on the baton from Cape Town in just a week's time.

Cape Town WDC2014's Design House Exhibition partners

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said Cape Town's mantle of 'World Design Capital' came at the right time as it served as a catalyst at exactly the right time to get new ideas flowing, especially as South African cities are still blighted by the physical and emotional scars of apartheid, and says this is a great way to stir the heart strings of the city. She also highlighted the exhibition as a fantastic way to celebrate our inherited culture and heritage through the ages, going back to the way our ancestors decorated pieces of wood in the Pleistocene era through to today's cutting edge design.

In De Lille's own words, Cape Town's creative richness and extraordinary ideas have been unlocked, and the road to transforming the city begins with us, but this is just the start - she hopes that in 5 to 10 years all cities that have been deemed World Design Capitals will be brought together to share their experiences and learn from each other.

Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille says World Design Capital project emphasises that the people make the city pic.twitter.com/OERtVnVoOF

- Rambling Litchi (@Leigh_Andrews) October 15, 2014

But don't just take my word for it. Get down to the Stadium to celebrate Cape Town at the Design House Exhibition. The best part? Bizcommunity reports that Pick n Pay's V&A Waterfront store is offering a limited-edition range of World Design Capital 2014 handmade designer items, retailing at R100 each, from mid-September to the end of the year. What are you waiting for? Celebrate Cape Town's people by celebrating its creativity.

The Make it New exhibits on display at the Design House Exhibition were curated by: Sue Heathcock, Henrique Wilding, Jos Thorne, Jane Solomon, Rayda Becker and Isabell Schneider.

WDC2014 galleries:

Beautiful people celebrating gorgeous design
World Design Capital 2014 'Make It New' Design House Exhibition