While Chicago’s skyline has long defined its architectural reputation, a new generation of designers is building upon that legacy not with skyscrapers, but with furniture.
This June PAVED STATES, a hybrid collective exhibition and concept store presented by Sixtysix magazine, brings together designers and companies from various creative fields across the globe with a special focus on Chicago’s dynamic design culture.
The exhibition will showcase furniture from some of the most influential young designers at THE MART during NeoCon, North America’s premier commercial design event. As more than 50,000 industry professionals flood THE MART in search of design inspiration, PAVED STATES offers a platform for independent designers—many from Chicago—to shine alongside the big names.
PAVED STATES, a hybrid collective exhibition and concept store presented by Sixtysix magazine and NeoCon, brings together designers and companies from various creative fields across the globe. Rendering courtesy of Points of Sail
The show’s name taps into Chicago’s relationship with Brutalism, concrete, steel, and glass. Works from Noam Nayberg (Noam Atelier), Cara Molitor (Dollyfox Metal Works), Anna Stechschulte, Ian Alistair Cochran, and Cody Norman translate these materials into furniture you want to live with, making industrial feel intimate.
Though Chicago designers anchor the exhibition, PAVED STATES reaches beyond city limits. Work from international designers including Ia Kutateladze, Christian Borger, Hanneke Lourens, Lorenz Krisai, Siete Studio, and Room–File creates a mix of both local and global design.
“This city rarely sees an exhibition like this, which is exactly why we’re doing it,” says Abigail Grohmann, director of brand marketing at Sixtysix. “We’re bridging Chicago’s creative energy with global design while spotlighting what’s happening here, right now.”
Beyond furniture PAVED STATES extends into a retail environment featuring small objects, home goods, scents, and wearables, offering take-home pieces that carry the show’s material focus. Rendering courtesy of Points of Sail
Beyond furniture, PAVED STATES extends into a retail environment featuring small objects, home goods, scents, and wearables. Visitors can shop pieces by For Us, Dear, Sinead Cleary Ceramics, Rory Pipia, Clue Perfumery, Sofia Elias, Binaurale Fragrances, Noel Mercado, Todo Pasa, and Heller, offering take-home pieces that carry the show’s material focus.
PAVED STATES runs June 9–11, 2025 in Suite 121 on the ground floor of THE MART (222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago).
The exhibition is open to both NeoCon attendees and the general public. A kickoff cocktail reception will be held on Monday, June 9, from 5–7 pm.
Register to attend at www.pavedstates.com
