In his opening remarks at this year's London Design Festival (LDF), which took place from September 15 to 25, Mayor Ken Livingstone declared he'd rather that London "be second in financial services and first in creative industries. No one comes to look at a city for its bankers." Indeed: With more than 250 public events—including exhibits, product launches, gallery openings, talks, and two major trade shows—held at dozens of venues around town, the LDF offered loads to see. It was a design orgy any way you viewed it.

The event's Queen Bee? Zaha Hadid. Within a week the inimitable architect, whose work is the subject of a major retrospective at the Design Museum, installed her public art piece Urban Nebula at a prime spot along the Thames, received the inaugural London Design Medal; gave a joint talk with architect/designer Amanda Levete; and held court at the B&B Italia fete for new pieces by Patricia Urquiola, Antonio Citterio, and herself, among others.

If Hadid set the festival's pace, Tom Dixon was close on her heels. At one moment the wry designer was erecting in Trafalgar Square a massive chandelier comprised of his energy-efficient Blow lights, (left; he was to give 1,000 of the fixtures, as well as 3,000 compact florescent light bulbs, to passers-by). Then he ushered journalists around 100% Design, explaining his changes as the trade show's new creative director. Later he moderated a panel about the future of British design, and of course he could be spotted at his own booth, debuting products like lamps with cast-iron bases and satin-brass shades that indulged his metal muse.