New York City has officially regained its gravitational pull over the rest of the world. Broadway is back, the Met held another dazzling celebrity gala on Monday night, and the art world is buzzing about a new Basquiat show that offers the most personal look at the artist yet. But for design lovers, the best is still yet to come. On May 10th, the city’s annual NYCxDesign festival kicks off its 2022 edition — and Instagram is already full of sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes previews.
NYCxDesign is back to its regular spring time slot for 2022 after last year’s edition was postponed to the fall. Running 10 days, this year’s festival marks the 10th anniversary of NYCxDesign. To celebrate, the organizers have planned a full assortment of design exhibitions, product launches and showroom events spread all across the city.
Meanwhile, over at the Javits Centre, NYCxDesign 2022’s two main anchor events — ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan, both running May 15 to 17th — promise to bring major manufacturers and independent designer-makers together under one roof for a one-two punch of design excellence.
(In partnership with BeOriginal Americas, AZURE will even be moderating an ICFF Talk, “Where Originality Begins: Inside the Creative Mind.” Join us to hear from speakers like Gabriele Chiave from Marcel Wanders Studio and Herman Miller archivist Amy Auscherman on how they tap into their inner ingenuity.)
Below, we preview five upcoming NYCxDesign 2022 launches setting the tone for the exciting festival ahead. See you in New York.
During last November’s edition of NYCxDesign, Lambert & Fils partnered with PIN–UP Magazine for Palais des Glaces, an installation that saw the Quebec lighting manufacturer’s showroom decorated with a series of custom candle holders made from extruded aluminum tubes. As it turns out, this was just a preview of more to come at NYCxDesign 2022.
On May 13th, Lambert & Fils is unveiling Silo, a modular lighting collection of glowing cylindrical forms. To fête the new design, Lambert & Fils has partnered with rug company cc-tapis to create another special showroom installation. (One upside of swapping out burning wicks for bright LEDs: this time, there’s no chance of getting wax on the floor.)
Following in the footsteps of director David Lynch, Californian designer Cory Grosser is the latest creative to be inspired by Mulholland Drive — a street known for its stately mansions.
Seeking to evoke a similar sense of glamour, Grosser developed an elegantly fluid silhouette that combines a moulded shell and a solid ash frame. His Mulholland chair will be officially unveiled during NYCxDesign 2022 at Berhardt Design’s ICFF booth. Naomi Watts might want to start planning her next dining room renovation.
Balancing out ICFF’s big commercial displays with edgier indie offerings, WantedDesign Manhattan spotlights the best from designer-makers. The festival’s Look Book program focuses on established high-end studios, while its Launch Pad platform spotlights up-and-coming talent, highlighting fresh ideas that skew refreshingly playful and experimental.
Lotti Gostic Studio’s Shine “sentimental shelving system” is a perfect example. Featuring a clean-lined grid, the wall-mounted unit has an immediate graphic impact. But it’s also highly functional, with components dedicated to all of the cherished objects that people like to put on prominent display: books, cards, photographs and even houseplants.
Mohawk Group’s latest carpeting lies at the intersection of nature and geometry. Meant to lay the groundwork for calming interior spaces, Fractal Fluency features patterns inspired by the organic textures of the great outdoors.
But the collection’s environmental considerations don’t stop there. The nylon tiles are backed with Mohawk’s EcoFlex One and manufactured with carbon-neutral production. Each tile measures 30.48 wide by 91.44 centimetres long.
Just in time for patio season, Stellar Works is using NYCxDesign 2022 to unveil a fresh interpretation of the classic café chair. Designed by Connecticut-based BassamFellows, Pagoda takes inspiration from the cane seating that defined 19th-century Vienna. Its arms and back also evoke the curved silhouettes of traditional Chinese Pagodas.
The chair speaks to modern sensibilities in its approach to streamlined material use and shipping efficiency. Designed to pack flat, it is comprised of just six easy-to-assemble components. Pagoda even includes its own attaché-style carrying case, because sometimes you want to sit and sip your coffee and sometimes you want to take it to go.
Finishes for the solid-wood back include oak and walnut; the seat is available in Vienna cane, leather or textile upholstery; and the legs are offered in solid wood and polished or gold-anodized aluminum.
NYCxDesign — and by extension, ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan — are just around the corner. Here are the big unveilings that have us excited.