Design Hotels’ Downtown LA Proper hosted the official kickoff for LA Design Week/end (LAD/W), a community-focused industrial and interior design fair. Now in its third iteration, this LAD/W hosted 130 partners and brought in thousands of attendees.

LAD/W was co-founded by Holland Denvir, whose craft spans woodwork and interior design. Denvir’s career boasts a breadth of industry knowledge, managing a showroom and an exhibition series before co-founding Nomadory, a custom rugs manufacturer. Denvir curated a diverse list of vendors for the five-day fair, with brands hailing from Silverlake to Denmark.

Each day of LAD/W centers a different area of Los Angeles, with programming including open studios, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, and more. Many of the venues were provided by host Design Hotels, which powers over 300 independent, architecture-driven properties. Owned by Marriott Bonvoy, the conglomerate manages five hotels in Los Angeles alone. 

Kickoff partygoers at the Proper’s rooftop were greeted by a panoramic view of DTLA’s skyline. Resident DJ Daisy O’Dell spun vinyl as the sun set behind her, soundtracking an evening of celebrating LA’s diverse architectural landscape. Guests also enjoyed a first look at the FW 26 issue of Design Hotels’ creative publication, Directions. With original editorials spanning design, culture, food, and travel, the publication offers an intimate connection with everything that’s exciting about visiting someplace new.