Designers presented work in the Design Museum too, work from Caroline Noordijk and Florian Ortkrass standing out in particular, their multi-directional lamp a simple and elegant lighting solution that attracted attention from guru Ingo Maurer. Back in Earls Court, newcomers 'Vitamin' displayed a drip-feeder normally found in hospitals for their plant-pots, while 'Juicy Glass' was similarly surprising, designer Sarah McNicol producing non-uniform tiles of mirrors to be placed randomly on strips of Velcro.

Contrast abound in McNicol's work, beyond the obvious contrast between the bright, reflective shards, and the dark absorption of the wall, contrasts lay between the hard and soft textures, while the soft Velcro was arranged linearly and the glass randomly. As decoration and illustration have been widely reconstructed as compositions of graphics, there is an intriguing inversion of material choice as well. Fashion has long been trying to incorporate software into its soft wear, Swarovki has created clothes dominated by their crystals, while Oakley already has in production 'Thump', shades for skaters that contain an MP3 player. Cars such as the MINI Traveller at the Frankfurt Motor Show further this: leather encircles the headlamps while chrome piping surrounds the seats. Materials regarded as typically opponent to their application are being used instead of more traditional options

At 100% Detail and 100% Material, aluminium foam is shown, similarly contradictory, while it is the abundance of chain meshes on display that imprints itself: as links become smaller and more flexible, so this typically hard material attains behaviour comparable to soft fabrics; indeed some are already woven with wire. 100% East also presented fabrics that contain fluorescent thread, revealing patterns in the dark not seen in daylight.

Within the main arena at Earls Court, it is 100% Material that provides the most interest. While other aspects of the event are essentially presenting interpretations of different material's potential use, it is the materials themselves that provide that initial inspiration. Both 100% Design and 100% Detail demand entire halls to themselves, 100% Material, on the other hand, is simply a partition wall. Stepping closer, and it almost seems a climbing wall, every hook holding a sample. The density of ideas is compelling. Aside from the aforementioned aluminium foam was 'axolotl', an organic surface treatment for metals, while aluminium was further used with polypropylene for a crystalline honeycomb. Resin and broad plywood chippings provided another way of considering timber, while Metal-FX is a surface treatment disguising any material as alloy, adhering even to ABS- and magnetising it as well.

100% East and 100% Material are the jewels in the 100% Design crown, but due to the padding provided by the other more mundane exhibits, they do without the impact the furniture has in Milan. However, the show provides useful confirmation of anticipated trends, its popularity set to rise as the edgy East End attracts more young thinkers. Still the city does not have the same thick web of design as Milan, but it certainly demonstrates its intentions.

100% Design website: www.100percentdesign.co.uk