The Designhuis is famous for offering a platform where design, craft, art, and innovation are linked in an inspiring manner, but during this year's Dutch Design Week, more than 125 arriving stars took possession of the Designhuis to exhibit their projects for the first time outside the borders of their native countries.

The Talent show presented a colourful collection of new European talent, and the selection of the best students from 30 European Academies by Li Edelkoort, curator and art director of the Designhuis, gave a multifaceted picture of what is happening in Europe right now...

Here are M.E.'s top four from the show:

Andy Dixon, who graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology this year showed his Spider Chair, influenced by the early Art Deco period in Europe and developments in Scandinavian design in the twenties. Dixon combines modern design with organic forms and found work by Eileen Gray and Alvar Aalto particularly inspirational for this piece.

Aurelie Fradin from the Ecolle Boulle, France, displayed 'Récapitulation(s)'.  Hallways of houses often become a storage place for all sorts of goods we leave lying behind. With these three units you can organise all your objects for daily use. Shelves, coin holders, containers and file slots can be arranged individually by the user as to pick out all the necessary items before leaving the home.

Designer Georgios Maridakis, a graduate of the Royal College of Art impressed us with 'The Sevres Vase Clock' -  a new type of timepiece that tells the hour by tapping on the surface of a vase to produce sound. An adjustable hammer mechanism allows a variety of vases to be used, thereby permitting a range of chimes to be generated. This piece was inspired by porcelain's three main qualities: transparency, whiteness, and a pure ring. The clock reminds the user of the passage of time not only through its chime, but also through the gradual damage inflicted, which inevitably leads to destruction...

And last but not least, Paula Arntzen on her own turf in the Netherlands, coming from the Artez Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Arnhem, showed her beautiful 'Paper Process' project. Painstakingly handmade in paper, her lamps are intended for interior decoration but could also be used for decoration of a party or event.

Photography: Lisa Klappe