New York City’s own design fair NYCxDesign returns May 8 to 19 with a staggering supply of events, programming, shows and shops that promise to keep New Yorkers and international visitors occupied with cutting-edge design from dawn to dusk. Whether searching for architecture forums, engineering discussions, interior design seminars or simply the next big furniture purchase, the options—and the designers—are near-limitless. NYCxDesign is a collaboration of NYC & Company, NYCEDC, city agencies, the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and a steering committee appointed with designers, curators, entrepreneurs, experts, educators, editors and more.
Check out our brief selection of highlights:
Design Fairs, Markets, Shows and Festivals
The Decoration and Design Building, in its 50th year, will host its annual Spring Market for two busy days over May 13 to 14 packed with a selection of events, discussions and more.
Designer-musician band Rough will perform at ICFF's opening night party.
ICFF, unfolding at the Javits Center over May 16 to 19, will flood 165,000 net square feet with more than 32,000 designers, architects, retailers, representatives, manufacturers, merchandisers and more, with the public welcome starting May 19. Over 700 exhibitors will offer up contemporary furniture, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, textiles, kitchen and bath and more for both residential and commercial interiors. The renowned fair will host guests from around the world, as well as representatives from Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Brazilian Furniture, British European Design Group (BEDG), Ceramics of Italy, Design Philippines, Furniture New York, The Furniture Society (U.S.), Inside Norway, Interiors from Spain and Portugal Brands. ICFF’s opening night on May 16 will be held at the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden at the Museum of Modern Art, featuring perhaps the fair’s most inventive entertainment yet: performances by the collective band, Rough, made up of the renowned designers Tom Dixon, Bradford Shellhammer, Del Marquis and John Weingarten.
Designjunction makes its debut at NYCxDESIGN this year.
Designjunction's Edit New York will arrive at NYCxDESIGN for the first time, showing May 15 to 18 in the industrial ArtBeam gallery (540 W 21st Street, New York) with over 25 international names reimagining the building as a new creative hub. Some of brands include: Chalk, Intro/NY, VG&P, Rosie Li, Frame Store, Korridor, Native Union and more. Learn more online here. Check out British brand Modus Furniture's the Everyday Chair, which was designed by Swedish studio Claesson Koivisto Rune, Melin Tregwynt's woven throws and cushions, and Native Union's cutting-edge marble iPhone cases.
BKLYN DESIGNS celebrates contemporary furniture, lighting, accessories and art from May 8 to 10 in the newly revealed Brooklyn Expo Center with a selective group of talented artisans, designers and companies from the borough presenting. Designers are invited to make an appointment for The American Design Club and Token's special Product Pitch event in their lounge space at BKLYN DESIGNS on May 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn more.
The courtyard at WantedDesign Brooklyn's Industry City location
For its five-year anniversary, WantedDesign is celebrating with a new Brooklyn fair. WantedDesign Brooklyn, partnering with the Brooklyn Museum, Pratt Center and The Municipal Art Society of New York, will run May 9 to 19 at Industry City featuring exhibits, factory and studio visits, a pop-up store, and more, all with a focus on experimentation, process and innovation. WantedDesign NYC, which calls the landmark Terminal Stores building on 11th Avenue home, will feature collaborators including Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Colombia Design, David Trubridge | Wakanine, Design Within Reach, Gufram, Erickson Aesthetics, Nursery Works, Tokyo Design Week, Tonki, and a number of other innovators. Other events include the conversation "The Role of and the Position of Museums in Growing the International Design Voice and Supporting the Industry," which will be held on May 17 at noon and moderated by Susan Szenasy, publisher and editor of Metropolis magazine; student workshops; and the third edition of the Launch Pad program, which showcases market-ready prototypes from 25 international design studios as well as independent designers. Learn more here.
The fifth annual Parsons Festival, from May 7 to 22, will celebrate up-and-coming artists with a collection of exhibitions, presentations, installations, workshops, symposia, gallery openings and performances in Manhattan at The New School’s Greenwich Village campus and at venues throughout the city, including WantedDesign Brooklyn’s Industry City showroom. Some of the highlights include a discussion with the founders of Opening Ceremony on May 7 at The New School’s University Center, 63 Fifth Ave., guided tours of the new Sunset Park Recreation Center on May 16 and 17; and exhibitions of student works at various venues. Learn more.
"Brancusi Studies" and "Rod+Weave Chair" at Sight Unseen's OFFSITE
Online magazine Sight Unseen returns to NYCxDESIGN with its second annual Sight Unseen OFFSITE fair from May 15 to 18, focusing on independent design studios, innovative brands and work the likes of Dynamic Sanctuary, an immersive installation by Brooklyn-based design studio The Principals, as well as a pioneering satellite show in collaboration with Collective Design featuring burgeoning American designers and their gallery-level work including Mimi Jung, Matthew Sullivan, Doug Johnston, Brian Thoreen, Steven Haulenbeek and Egg Collective. Learn more.
Read the full preview of this year's Collective Design here.
Exhibitions, Installations and Showroom Events
Take a seat at ICFF from May 16 to 19 at IFDA’s 3rd Annual “Chairity” Auction, where a collection of imaginative chairs will be on exhibit—and later auctioned off to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Learn more.
M2L will exhibit Artifort furnishings as well as Lumina lighting and M2L BRAND furniture
M2L will convert two booths at ICFF (booth 2000 and 2204) into a celebration of four decades of design, with a retrospective of Artifort furnishings (with special attention to works from French designer Pierre Paulin) and in the second room, lighting from Lumina and furniture from M2L BRAND will be featured, including modular furnishings from the Harvey Probber collection.
FTDA Expo showcases Finland's top designers, filmmakers, artists, musicians and tech geniuses—including Threse Öhrvall, Joel Jägerroos, Susanna Sivonen, Susan Vatanen, Roy Aurinko and more—on May 18 from 2 to 5 p.m. at NOoSPHERE Arts (251 East Houston Street, New York). Learn more.
Master gilder Sheelin Wilson invites the public to his studio. Photo courtesy Facebook
Visit the studio of renowned master gilder Sheelin Wilson, on May 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to watch the artist in action at the Sheelin Wilson Gilding Studio, 315 East 91st Street. Learn more.
"This Is for Everyone: Design Experiments for the Common Good," on May 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., explores technology's impact on design at the Museum of Modern Art.
Kartell's "A Tribute to Memphis," will feature newly revealed projects that design master Ettore Sottsass designed for Kartell, as well as particular post-futurist looks of Memphis fabrics adorning Kartell soft seats in the flagship store (39 Greene Street, New York). Another perk: Kartell will showcase some of the recent collections premiered at Salone del Mobile in Milan. Learn more online.
Elektro Magnetism's group show, featuring new lighting collections by Lucy Koldova and more, will be held May 15 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Property’s new showroom in Tribeca and hosted by Colin Cowie and Peter Davies. Learn more.
A collection of Brazilian-inspired furniture by Thomas Hayes for ALT for Living will debut on May 19 at ALT for Living.
Blu Dot SoHo will premiere new designs at an opening night party for Design Week on May 16.
Artemide presents Les Danseuses from Atelier Oi, an installation of lights inspired by the waves of a flamenco gown, on May 16 at the Artemide Showroom.
