Fashion Week is the unbelievable in pursuit of the unwearable. Assuming you could afford so much as one Day-Glo lurex legwarmer, you wouldn’t actually wear it. The London Design Festival, now running until September 25, is far more democratic. And you don’t need to be a size zero.

Tom Dixon is to product design what Giles Deacon is to fashion. Former creative director at Habitat, Dixon is most famous for his S-bend chair, jack light and a rather sinuous sex toy. His designs are praised as “pieces” for which museums pay thousands of pounds. His showrooms are catwalks for the latest in home fashions: he’s design couture. And later today, to launch the London Design Festival, he’s giving away 1,000 of his latest lights: future collectables for free.

“The Great Light Giveaway” takes place at 5pm on the North Terrace of Trafalgar Square, just below the steps of the National Gallery. Blow is an opaque plastic pendant that looks very much like a big light bulb. It’s designed especially for low-energy bulbs to highlight sustainability issues. All you need to know is that each one is worth £195. If you hate it, eBay it. Or perhaps you could try wearing it – you’ll fit in with the fashionistas.

www.londondesignfestival.com

Festival director Ben Evans shares his top tips for this years festival:

Top five installations

Size & Matter – breathtaking installations by Zaha Hadid and Future Systems outside Royal Festival Hall

Lomography Wall - 100,000 images of design from across the world in Trafalgar Square

Established & Sons – main pieces of the collection in stunning carrara marble shown in a vast underground bunker

26 posters – on sites across London 26 one-off posters that try to say something rather than sell something

Barber Osgerby - “The Fluke’ nautical installation at the Naval College Greenwich

Top five for young talent

Designers in residence – this years new talent at the design Museum

Make me want you – best graphics graduates from the University of the Arts

Grandmateria – exciting blend of the new in Gallery Libby Sellers

The New World – British Council show of new designers from across the globe

Jaime Hayon – still young enough to include on show at Bisazza

Top five product launches

Twentytwentyone store - ‘Bags of Goodwill’ 40 top designers make bags to benefit fairtrade

The Urbanite Project - Alex Haw’s commission & installation at Tent in the Truman Brewery

100% Design – always something new & interesting at Earls Court

Moroso – British design ‘Soul’ in the new store

Carpenters Workshop Gallery – Martin Baas latest series of handcrafted furniture

Top five to take part in

Lomography Wall – pick up a lomo camera from Trafalgar Square to add your image to the final section of wall

Blueprint talks at Royal Festival Hall - great array of speakers in conversation with free drinks!

ReDesign seminars at Royal Festival Hall – waste re-used & re-designed

Langlands & Bell – bring your laptop for a virtual installation in Somerset House

Brompton Design District – wander from show to show all open late together

Top five of the past five years

Established & Sons Party 2005 – 2,000 people get down in a Hackney bus garage

Truman Brewery 2006 – 12 projects on one site take over Brick Lane

London Design Festival party 2003 – over 2,000 turn up to the V&A to get the whole Festival going

Tom Dixon 2006 - chair giveaway in Trafalgar Square is mobbed and makes the evening news

World Creative Forum 2003 – nearly 100 speakers downloaded their creative thoughts to an eager audience in the Bloomberg building

Times recommends

• Interior design: It's time to end our craze for open-plan living
• How to make cool bedrooms for kids
• Inside Zaha Hadid's East London apartment