NYCxDESIGN returned this week from Nov. 11 to Nov. 18. The week of design, which usually happens in May, includes two main fairs: the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and WantedDesign Manhattan. The two fairs took place in the Javits Center, in conjunction for the first time since the festival’s inception. Due to its temporary shift to November, the festival also coincided with Salon Art + Design.
Together, the three annual New York City fairs celebrated New York City’s own creative engines with 61,496 designers, 1,029 museums and galleries, and 7,586 design firms participating, according to NYCxDESIGN.
This year’s design week in New York had more highlights than we could possibly point out—but here are a few of our favorites.
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- Nuée designed by Marc Sadler. Photo courtesy of Foscarini
Nuée lamp by Marc Sadler from Foscarini
The cloud-like fluffiness created by Nuée’s material—”a three-dimensional technical weave produced with a technology Foscarini has applied for the first time in the lighting sector”—makes every one of these poetic orbs of light changeable and unique.
Marc Sadler, known for experimenting with materials in his creations like the “Bap” motorcycle protector for Dainese, debuted the lamp at the Foscarini Spazio Soho showroom.
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- Ian Collings, Karl Zahn & Chen Chen & Kai Williams. Photo courtesy of Future Perfect
Chen Chen & Kai Williams, Ian Collings and Karl Zahn
The Future Perfect designed a very special showcase for Salon Art + Design 2021 featuring works from Chen Chen & Kai Williams, Ian Collings, and Karl Zahn. The display, reminiscent of the Earth, sky, and everything in between, highlighted the earthy tones of the works such that they complemented each other.
“Under the canopy of the Park Avenue Armory’s magnificent and historical architecture, we have endeavored to make a world within a world,” The Future Perfect said in a release.
Works shown include mirrors and reflective tables from Chen and Kai’s Transition series, Ian Collings’ freestanding and wall-mounted stone sculptures, and illuminated sculptures from Karl Zahn that incorporate LED lights to illuminate and expand upon the artistry.
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- Michael Anastassiades’ “Upbeat.” Photo courtesy of Friedman Benda
Michael Anastassiades: Upbeat
The Manhattan skyline inspired Michael Anastassiades’ first solo show in the United States, presented by Friedman Benda. The featured works include skyscraper-like bamboo and light towers.
“Upbeat” is a shift from Michael’s usual industrial and material-focused work, as each piece was produced entirely within the studio—without the aid of industrial fabrication methods. As a result, bamboo becomes a staple of the works, and traditional craftsmanship comes into play.
“The project has been an exercise of negotiation with the variability of nature. To understand the material and establish certain constants on which I could build a rhythm. To embrace its peculiarities and accept its unpredictability,” Anastassiades said in a release.
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- Photo courtesy of Jonaldudd
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- Photo courtesy of Jonaldudd
JONALDUDD
We love a good collection of incredible objects—and that’s exactly what JONALDDUDD assembles each year. JONALDDUDD’s annual display during New York Design Week is really an exercise in punk—a display of “conceptual works challenging the conventions of contemporary design” and “a platform for dissenting voices working in and around the field of design,” boasts its website. Organized by Chris Held and Lydia Cambron, the resulting irreverent display of color, shape, and varying degrees of functionality make JONALDDUDD a sight to see.
The 2021 JONALDDUDD display at Canal St Market included a few items that have crossed our radar—wooj design’s Wavy Lamp being one of them—and a lot of new and interesting pieces. We love Loop from notpaulsimon, “It Takes A Village: Carnival Queen” by Tim Karoleff, and “Big Flamingo” by Laura Stevenson of Rite Guy Design.
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- Photo courtesy of Bowen Liu Studio / Jacob Snavely
Bowen Liu
Bowen displayed her new Helle Collection at Wanted Design’s Look Book. The collection won an ICFF Editors Award and was inspired by Bowen’s interest in sailing on the Long Island Sound. The collection is named after the Hell Gate Bridge in the East River of New York.
Also on exhibit was her Feast armchair and side chair upholstered in “Fruitleather,” a new material made from wasted mangos in Rotterdam.
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- Emblem’s NYC Showroom. Photo courtesy of Stefan Pasqualetti / Emblem
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- Emblem’s NYC Showroom. Photo courtesy of Stefan Pasqualetti / Emblem
EMBLEM NYC Showroom
Emblem Paris is a celebration of France’s design rather than New York’s—but its first American showroom, unveiled this week, became a toast to both.
Emblem’s boutique Soho space was designed by Anne Pericchi Draeger with the aim to be quintessentially French: “inspired by a chic jardin in a Parisian hȏtel particulier.”
As a collective of French heritage brands, Emblem’s showroom spotlights the craftsmanship of its four ateliers: Maison Taillardat, manufacturer of high-end traditional furniture; Maison Craman-Lagarde, a marquetry specialist and master cabinetmaker; Manufacture des Emaux de Longwy, the oldest ceramic factory in France; and Vernaz & Filles, specialist in custom gold leaf work and historic restoration.
If the space feels straight out of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, well, that’s because it kind of is—Maison Taillardat provided the traditional furniture for the film. Splashes of color and vibrant patterns complement the more traditional designs to add up to a sensory, intimate space.
