INTRODUCTION
Slancha is partnering with The Hoxton for London Design Festival to curate a special takeover of the Hox Shop at The Hoxton, Shoreditch.
As The Hoxton celebrates 20 years in Shoreditch, we are inviting London-based and London-connected makers, artists and designers to submit objects for consideration. Selected works will be purchased for the Hox Shop and presented as part of a curated retail moment during London Design Festival.
The theme for the open call is Travel Light.
This brief invites makers to consider the idea of travel, movement, temporary living, hotel rituals, souvenirs, useful objects, portable pieces, and items that feel connected to a hotel shop, without being overly literal. We are looking for objects that are thoughtful, design-led, accessible and commercially suitable for a curated retail environment.
Please review the FAQs section at the bottom of this page before your submission.
SUBMISSION FORM
THE BRIEF
THEME: TRAVEL LIGHT
The theme Travel Light takes its starting point from The Hoxton as a hotel, a meeting place, and a third space for people passing through London.
We are interested in objects that respond to ideas such as:
- Travel and movement
- Objects for the room, bag, bedside table or journey
- Lightness, portability and ease
- London as a place of arrival, departure and discovery
- The rituals of staying in a hotel
- Souvenirs that feel contemporary rather than traditional
- Small design objects that carry a sense of place
- Useful objects with character
- Items that could sit naturally within a curated hotel shop
The response does not need to be literal. We are not looking for generic tourist souvenirs, but for considered objects that could feel at home in the Hox Shop: distinctive, functional, tactile, memorable and well made.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We are looking for small-scale objects with an RRP up to £100.
Objects may be existing products, adapted products, limited editions, or new proposals created in response to the brief.
Submissions should be suitable for a retail setting and achievable within the project timeline. More than one unit of a selected object may be required, so please consider whether your object can be produced in small multiples.
Selected objects will be purchased at 50% of the suggested RRP.
For example, an object with an RRP of £60 would be purchased at £30 per unit.
EXAMPLE OBJECTS
The following examples are intended as a guide only. We encourage broad and imaginative responses to the theme.
Possible objects could include:
- Travel-sized ceramics or small vessels
- Keyrings, luggage tags or bag charms
- Bedside trays, catchalls or small valet trays
- Candlestick holders or small home objects
- Notebooks, travel journals or writing sets
- Incense holders, soap dishes or bathroom objects
- Bookmarks, reading objects or hotel-room companions
- Objects inspired by room keys, door numbers, signs or hotel details
- Compact sculptural objects
- Useful objects designed for people travelling light
We are particularly interested in objects that feel collectable, giftable and easy to understand within a retail environment.
COMMERCIAL TERMS
Selected objects will be purchased for the Hox Shop.
- Objects should have a suggested RRP up to £100
- Objects will be purchased at 50% of the suggested RRP
- Up to 10 units may be required
- Final quantities will be confirmed with selected makers
- Payment terms and delivery details will be confirmed with selected makers before orders are placed
Selection does not guarantee a specific order quantity. Final orders will depend on suitability, pricing, production capacity and the wider curation of the shop.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Please submit a clear proposal that gives us enough information to understand the object, its relevance to the theme, and its suitability for the Hox Shop.
Submissions do not need to be fully polished, but they should clearly communicate the proposed object. This could include photographs of an existing product, sketches, renders, material references, prototypes or a short written proposal.
Submissions will only be accepted via the submission form linked at the top of this page.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Submissions will be reviewed by Slancha and The Hoxton team.
We will consider:
- Strength of response to the theme
- Suitability for the Hox Shop
- Quality of design and making
- Commercial viability
- Price point
- Production capacity
- Fit within the wider curation
- Originality and clarity of the proposal
TIMELINE
Submission deadline: 10 July
Successful makers notified: Within 2 weeks of the deadline
Production and order confirmation: Following selection
Hox Shop takeover: During London Design Festival (12–20 September 2026)
HOW TO SUBMIT
Please complete the below submission form before 23:59 on July 10th. Please note, you must be logging into a Google account to access the submission form.
SUBMISSION FORM
ABOUT SLANCHA
Slancha is a contemporary design platform and gallery supporting emerging designers, makers and artists through curated retail, exhibitions, events and storytelling.
We work with design-led objects, furniture and homeware, with a focus on contemporary craft, material exploration and emerging creative practices.
ABOUT THE HOXTON
The Hoxton is a series of open-house hotels rooted in culture, community and neighbourhood life.
As The Hoxton celebrates 20 years in Shoreditch, this London Design Festival takeover of the Hox Shop will spotlight makers whose work reflects the creative energy of the city and the rituals of travel, staying, collecting and passing through.
FAQs
Who can apply?
The open call is for makers, designers, artists and small studios who create design-led objects, homeware, accessories, paper goods, textiles, ceramics, collectable objects or other small-scale pieces suitable for a curated retail environment.
We especially encourage submissions from London and UK-based makers, as The Hoxton is celebrating 20 years in Shoreditch. However, we also welcome submissions from makers based further afield. If selected, makers must be able to ensure their objects can be delivered to The Hoxton in time for London Design Festival, with shipping and associated costs being the responsibility of the maker.
What is the theme?
The theme is Travel Light.
This can be interpreted broadly. We are interested in objects connected to travel, movement, staying in hotels, temporary living, small rituals, useful objects, souvenirs, London, Shoreditch, objects for the room, bag, bedside table or journey.
The response does not need to be literal. We are not looking for generic tourist souvenirs, but for thoughtful, design-led objects that feel suited to The Hox Shop.
What kind of objects are you looking for?
We are looking for small, considered objects that could sit naturally within a curated hotel shop.
This could include ceramics, paper goods, small homeware, textiles, travel accessories, reading objects, scent or ritual objects, useful design pieces, compact sculptural objects, gifts, souvenirs, or objects connected to the experience of travel and staying somewhere temporarily.
Can I submit an existing object?
Yes. You can submit an existing object if it feels relevant to the theme and suitable for The Hox Shop however we encourage new work.
Can I submit a new idea?
Yes. You can submit a new proposal, but your submission should provide enough detail for Slancha and The Hoxton team to understand the object, how it would be made, the price point, production timeline and how many units could realistically be supplied.
Does the object need to be finished before I submit?
No, but your submission should be clear enough for us to make an informed decision.
You can submit photographs of a finished piece, prototype images, sketches, renders, material samples or visual references. If the object is not yet finished, please explain how it would be produced if selected.
What price point should the objects be?
Objects should have a suggested retail price of £100 or under.
How will selected objects be purchased?
Selected objects will be purchased for The Hox Shop at 50% of the suggested retail price.
For example, if your object has a suggested RRP of £60, it would be purchased at £30 per unit.
Why are objects purchased at 50% of RRP?
This reflects a standard wholesale-style structure for a retail environment. The object is purchased at 50% of its retail price, then sold in The Hox Shop at the suggested RRP.
How many units will be ordered?
Final quantities will be confirmed with selected makers.
More than one unit of your object may be required, so please tell us the minimum and maximum quantity you could supply, along with your production lead time. We do not expect to need more than 10 units of each item.
Can I submit more than one object?
Yes. You may submit more than one object, but please complete a separate submission for each object so that each proposal can be reviewed clearly.
When is the deadline?
The deadline for submissions is 23:59 on July 10th 2026.
When will successful makers be notified?
Successful makers will be notified within 2 weeks of the submission deadline.
Will every applicant receive feedback?
Due to the number of submissions, we may not be able to provide individual feedback to every applicant.
When will the takeover take place?
The Hox Shop takeover will take place during London Design Festival.
Final dates, delivery details and any additional requirements will be confirmed with selected makers.
Where will the objects be sold?
Selected objects will be sold as part of the Slancha × The Hoxton takeover of The Hox Shop at The Hoxton, Shoreditch.
Do selected makers need to deliver the objects to London?
Delivery details will be confirmed with selected makers. Selected objects must be delivered to London within the agreed timeline. Exact shipping requirements will be confirmed upon selection; however, any costs associated with delivery, including shipping, customs charges, import duties and related fees, will be the responsibility of the designer.
Will I need to provide packaging?
Please let us know whether your object comes with packaging, labelling, care cards or any other retail-ready materials.
Packaging is not always required, but the object should be suitable for a retail environment. If packaging would need to be developed, please include that in your submission.
Can fragile objects be submitted?
Yes, fragile objects can be submitted, but please consider whether the object is suitable for a retail environment and whether it can be safely handled, packaged, transported and sold.
Will Slancha and The Hoxton use my images?
Submitted images will be used to review your application. If selected, Slancha and The Hoxton may use your name, studio name, object information and imagery for marketing and promotional purposes relating to the open call and The Hox Shop takeover.
If there are any restrictions around image use, please tell us in your submission.
Is there a fee to apply?
No. There is no fee to submit to the open call.
Who can I contact if I have a question?
For any questions about the open call, please contact: info@slancha.com