New York Design Week 2023, also known as NYCxDesign, engulfed the Big Apple this week (closing on May, 25). This year’s iteration was stronger than ever, not least because two major tentpoles of the design festival, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair and Wanted Design, were brought together under the unified direction of Wanted Design co-founders Claire Pijoulat and Odile Hainaut.
New York Design Week 2023: ICFF, WantedDesign and more
Starting this year, Pijoulat and Hainaut served as ICFF + WantedDesign brand directors, overseeing programming for both entities, which were located under one roof at the Javits Centre, as has been for the past two years. Inspired to create a design showcase that felt smooth and unified while celebrating the strengths of each fair, the reimagined ICFF + Wanted Design aspired to bridge the gap between commerce and culture since the former has long been an established trade fair, while the latter has served as a platform for emerging talent and creativity.
Inspired to bring back an element of discovery to the Javits, Pijoulat and Hainaut’s vision for the fairs included a new showpiece installation, ‘At the Crossroads of American Design’, which presented a snapshot of established and emerging design from around the United States. Designed by Rockwell Group and located at the nexus of the two fairs, the immersive installation paid tribute to two pillars of Americana – the great outdoors and the American home.
With plenty of independent exhibitions and several recent showroom openings, including Nanimarquina and Lladro, the year’s design showcase was more vibrant and varied than the years past.
HIGHLIGHTS AROUND NEW YORK
Galerie May at the Invisible Collection Townhouse
(©)Invisible Collection
Melding the best of both worlds, the Invisible Collection filled its Upper East Side townhouse with pieces from the French design studio, Galerie May. Coinciding with NYCxDesign and French Design Week, Galerie May’s presence within the Manhattan townhouse captured an extravagance more commonly seen across the pond. The 39-strong collection, by founders Maylis and Charles Tassin, showcased a wide range of aesthetics. Highlights include the decadent Dorr Mirror, a bronze anthropomorphic sculpture that nods to motherhood and Tess armless chair, which evokes sensuality and comfort through gestural, carved shapes and silhouettes inspired by sci-fi B movies.
‘Crafted by Nature’ by Radnor
(©)Radnor
Founder Susan Clark presented all new Radno̲r Made work from artists and designers Clark, Bunn Studio and Adam Rogers as well as exclusive Radno̲r Represented pieces from Abigail Booth, Toshio Tokunaga and Fong Brothers Company. Presented in Radnor’s immersive apartment setting, which features stunning views of Manhattan, highlights include an exclusive reissue of the Fong Brothers Company’s Parsons Circular Sofa, a legendary 1970s design long since retired, and Clark’s own Core Tables, which take inspiration from the process of core drilling and honors the intrinsic complexity of stone, a block of rare yellow sienna marble sourced from Italy.
Lasvit at ICFF
(©)Lasvit
The Czech glass and design company Lasvit lit up the halls of the Javits Center with a pair of new collaborative collections. David Rockwell has created ‘Constellation’, a design inspired by the iconic celestial skyscape that adorns the ceiling of Grand Central Station, while Yabu Pushelberg has created ‘Miles’, an elegant light form inspired by jazz, and the parallels drawn between glass blowing and making music.
‘Unding: The Restoration of Existence’ by Wonmin Park at Carpenters Workshop Gallery
(©)Carpenters Workshop Gallery
The South Korean artist/designer Wonmin Park marks his solo American debut at Carpenters Workshop Gallery with ‘Unding: The Restoration of Existence’. Comprised of two bodies of work, Stone + Steel (made from volcanic rock and industrial steel) and the Remediated series, which features colourful resin fused with glass, the exhibition provides deep insight into the works and Park’s artistic vision, which is heavily influenced by teachings of German-Korean philosopher Byung-Chul Ha. 11 pieces ranging from a table and chairs to a bench and a floor lamp are presented.
‘Bao’ by Alda Ly Architecture for HBF
(©)HBF
HBF presented its newest collection, Bao, the first-ever furniture collection designed by Alda Ly Architecture. A celebration of women in design and Asian culture, the perfectly formed collection is comprised of stools and ottomans that combine upholstery and bent wood accents and are designed for maximum comfort. A play on the Chinese word ‘bao’ – a homonym for bun, bag, precious, and baby, the collection is sculptural in silhouette yet simple in its construction and was conceived to bridge the gap between formal and informal, sedate and lively.
Nanimarquina
(©)Nanimarquina
The Barcelona-based rug brand nanimarquina inaugurated its new New York flagship with a presentation of new designs from Ronan Bouroullec, Begüm Cânâ Özgür, and Matthew Hilton. The three new collections experiment with the rug medium in different ways; Bourellec’s geometric design riffs on ancient kilim techniques, Hilton’s Oblique toys with the idea of overlaying rugs on top of each other while Özgür juxtaposes vibrant colours to harmonious effect.