The Art of Living Beautifully at LAPADA 2025
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s the crisp autumn air settled over Berkeley Square, Mayfair’s prestigious LAPADA Fair once again brought together London’s elite collectors and curators. From October 28 to November 2, the marquee, now in its tenth year, played host to over eighty distinguished dealers in fine art, antiques, design and jewelry. The 2025 edition was marked by a palpable sense of occasion: an eye-catching new visual identity, an emphasis on heritage celebrations, and the debut of several luxury showcases. Under the direction of CEO Elizabeth Shanks, the fair boasted a dynamic mix of seasoned galleries and newcomers alike, affirming its status as a highlight of the London social calendar.
A Carnival of Craft and Color
At the heart of the fair’s reinvention was Adam Ellis Studio’s “Carnival Bloom” installation. The firm, renowned for its lavish work at Harrods and Annabel’s, wrapped the Berkeley Square marquee in a bold botanical motif. Rich golds, deep reds and jewel-toned florals spilled across the interior and exterior surfaces, framing the aisles in an “autumnal tableau” of artistry. This creative flourish set the tone for the week. In the words of Elizabeth Shanks, the combination of the Art Deco centenary, the new Haute Jewels partnership and Ellis’s design helped “raise the bar even further” for the fair. Visiting the fair felt like stepping into a living art installation: one where an antique oak in Berkeley Square itself was integrated into a stand display, and every wall served as a gallery for innovation. The atmosphere buzzed with enthusiastic dealers and collectors traversing the gleaming, color-washed halls under the gentle glow of crystal chandeliers.
Rare Jewels and Objet d’Art Debut
For the first time, one of London’s oldest silver houses brought its newly minted jewelry division to LAPADA. Koopman Rare Art – founded in 1952 and long celebrated for masterpieces by Paul Storr and Paul de Lamerie – made a splash with a dedicated exhibition of antique jewels and objets de vertu. Kimberley Smith, who has steered the Dover Street gallery into the world of fine jewelry, curated a glittering display. Highlights included an ingenious 1940s platinum diamond necklace and a stylized 1930s diamond bird brooch with ruby eyes. Bolder retro pieces – like a gold and diamond strap bracelet from the 1940s – stood alongside rarities such as 18th- and 19th-century jewel-encrusted gold snuffboxes.
Every item underscored Koopman’s commitment to provenance and craftsmanship. As Shanks noted, “LAPADA is delighted to welcome Koopman Rare Art for the first time… marking the beginning of a distinguished collaboration that celebrates exceptional jewellery rich in history”. Collectors at the fair flocked to this corner to examine the rare gems and relish the sense of discovering a new chapter in an old house.
Deco Dreams
A central theme of the 2025 fair was the centenary of Art Deco – and many dealers embraced it. LAPADA programmed a curated Deco display that captured the era’s flair. Noted specialist Serhat Ahmet (also a BBC Antiques Roadshow expert) presented rare European artifacts, ranging from a 1924 Sèvres vase made for the Paris Olympics to elegant Meissen porcelain horse models by Max Esser (1928).
Meanwhile, Jeroen Markies Art Deco devoted its stand to sleek period furniture, glassware and bronzes of the 1920s–30s. AntikBar Gallery highlighted vintage poster art, notably an original 1935 Monaco Grand Prix poster by Geo Ham.
Even younger design talents like M&D Moir contributed Deco-inspired pieces, ensuring the theme resonated throughout the fair.
These offerings allowed visitors to experience Deco as both museum-quality history and vibrant design. “We’re proud to present exceptional dealers like Serhat Ahmet, AntikBar and M&D Moir,” Shanks said, noting that their collections give “connoisseurs and curious newcomers a chance to discover Deco at its most captivating”. In practice, attendees found themselves surrounded by the geometry and luxury of the 1920s – from stepped-lighting to polished chrome accents – woven seamlessly into the mix of antique and contemporary treasures.
A New Stage for High Jewellery
A major debut was Haute Jewels London, a consortium of elite jewelry maisons brought in under the fair’s marquee. For the first time, LAPADA joined forces with this high-end collective, installing a separate pavilion on Berkeley Square. The location was opulent: a marquee entrance on the street opposite the world-famous Annabel’s club. Inside, the Haute Jewels exhibition presented stunning high-carat pieces, many of them one-of-a-kind creations not found in any London showroom. Founder Michael Hakimian (also CEO of Yoko London) was enthusiastic about the venture. “We are thrilled to bring the Haute Jewels Exhibition to London for the first time and to partner with LAPADA,” he said.
The Fair’s Enduring Prestige
Beyond individual stands and spectacles, LAPADA 2025 reinforced its broader significance. The fair has always been a crossroads for connoisseurs, and this edition only deepened that role. By blending venerable antiques and fine art with cutting-edge design, it showed how tradition and innovation can coexist in Mayfair. Visitors reportedly poured in each day – dealers noted brisk sales and lively conversations – and the buzz extended beyond the marquee into the streets and clubs of London. Importantly, LAPADA 2025 felt like an event both insiders and new audiences could savor: workshops on conservation, private tours for VIP collectors, and daily appearances by experts from the British Museum and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York underscored its cultural cachet. As Shanks reflected at the close of the fair, LAPADA “has always been about discovering the unique and the eclectic – for seasoned collectors and new audiences alike… The 2025 Fair will be a destination not only for acquisitions, but for inspiration.” In an era of digital auctions and globalized markets, the live experience of Berkeley Square once again proved irreplaceable – a living tapestry of history and luxury where artists, dealers and the world’s tastemakers meet.
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