9 reasons why you should go to the London Design Festival this year

The London Design Festival 2015 swings into action this month with design shows, exhibitions, pop-ups and installations.

Here's what to put in your diary now.

Soak up some culture at the V&A

The V&A is the hub of LDF and will have countless installations. Highlights include the interactive sculpture of 250 hand-blown globes that will emit light and sound by Austrian designers mischer'traxler and bouqitue champagne house Perrier-Jouet, and Faye Toogood's two-part installation, The Cloakroom, where visitors can collect one of the designer's 150 coats to wear around the museum. A map is sewn into every coat to guide you through the second part of the installation, a series of sculptural garments, each one made from non-traditional clothing materials, such as wood and metal, bridging the worlds of furniture and fashion.

Turner Prize nominees Assemble will be celebrating the centenary of the birth of Robin Day, one of Britain's most significant furniture designers, with an exhibition focusing on his passion for wood. However, it's the six-meter high Tower of Bable by Barnaby Barford, comprising of 3,000 bone-china facades depicting different London shops that may prove the piece de resistance.

Swot up on the latest trends at Designjunction

Designjunction is where you need to go to swot up on the latest trends. Returning this year to two new venues on Southampton Row, Wrong for Hay, Fritz Hansen, Tiipoi, Herman Miller and Benjamin Hubert join a line-up of 180 established and cutting-edge brands will be at The College, while across the road at Victoria House, they'll be upwards of 50 pop-up shops from the likes of Design Museum Shop and Skultuna.

Explore the future of luxury and discover the beauty of wool at Decorex

This year's event offers the opportunity to explore The Future of Luxury, with seminars, interactive installations and new furniture, lighting and accessories from more than 400 brands. Also, discover the beauty of wool on the Homes & Gardens Wool Trail or hear Abigail Ahern talk about colour with executive editor Giles Kime. For more details visit our stand at G33A, hglivingbeautifully.com, or decorex.com.

Immerse yourself in florals at Lee Broom's Shoreditch store

Turning his store into a flower shop for the launch of his new 25-piece collection during LDF, which includes his foray into the world of vases with Podium, head over to Lee Broom's Shoreditch store for an immersive floral display - complete with Dirty Nastini's (a floral take on the Dirty Martini) shaken and stirred by food writer and author of The Herb & Flower Cookbook, Pip McCormac.

Discover the new design district

New for 2015, Bankside Design District's events are sure to be a highlight of LDF. To celebrate the area's painted signage, attend a hand-lettering workshop at Borough Market or explore the remains of hand-painted advertising on a Ghost Signs tour.

See a shooting star steel sculpture

This may look like a giant pylon has been thrown javelin-style into the ground but this installation is the work of Alex Chinneck. Known for his clever tricks of the eye, the 35m sculpture weighs 15 tonnes and is tethered to lean at a perilous angle over an adjacent road. It will be visible from North Greenwich station, the Thames Clipper, the Emirates Airline cable car, Canary Wharf and planes flying to and from City Airport. By night, it will be illuminated.

Go international at Tent

With 440 designers, brands and installations from 29 countries, Tent and partner Super Brands London hosts the most international show at LDF. The playful mood is captured in the bold textiles from Kitty McCall and illustrative wallpapers by Petronella Hall.

Get your hands dirty at Make Your Mark

This series of free workshops celebrates the hand of the maker. Head over to Luna & Curious in Shoreditch and make a pinch pot, your own stationery or, if you'd prefer, just get your nails done. The free workshops will run daily from 12 to 4pm from September 19 - 27.

Navigate your way through colour at 100% Design

This year in its new home at Olympia, 100% Design features five distinct sections including interiors, Design and Build, Kitchens and Bathrooms, Workplace, and Emerging Brands. The theme is Design in Colour, and they have collaborated with trend agency WGSN to curate a palette that can be used to search for products on their website and at the show itself.