IDS is proud to announce the launch of the IDS x Obakki Design Incubator, an initiative designed to mentor and support young Canadian talent; with emphasis on encouraging emerging talent to show their designs on a national level through the incubator program by selecting one participant from the IDS Studio North program each year. Selected annually, the incubator program will provide Obakki-led mentorship in areas including marketing, wholesale market navigation, branding, and business growth.

To launch the initiative, Obakki will create an immersive feature in the main entry concourse at IDS Vancouver during the show in September 2023.

Obakki is a Canadian homewares brand known for representing a roster of global artisans. The first brand selected for the incubator program is Montreal-based Cyrc., a company that creates functional objects for the home made from recycled plastic waste. Cyrc. was awarded the Juror’s Choice award at Studio north design competition at IDS Toronto in January, 2023.

Bringing the organic beauty of our natural world into human-built spaces through this installation. The intent of the entry feature is to bring two co-existing worlds (natural & human-designed) into a shared space to explore their interrelation and the impact of human-centric design on the natural world.