The annual headline event of NYCxDesign is the combined International Contemporary Furniture Fair(ICFF) and WantedDesign Manhattan. Both shows are still in recovery and rebuilding mode following the pandemic, with several new components added in 2023 to help fill out the program. Following the demise of the Stationary Show which used to run concurrently at Javits in NYC, ICFF moved to the more spacious upstairs level. Sadly both shows got kicked back down to the basement this year with its lower ceilings and overall terrible lighting.

At the back of the hall within the yellow walled area that defined WantedDesign, there was good energy and the usual mix of curated design offerings, student work and Launchpad prototypes. The surrounding outside aisles of ICFF reflected a fair that desperately needs to evolve beyond the old corporate trade show format. There’s signs that’s already beginning to happen with WantedDesign founders Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat now serving as brand directors for both shows.

Photos and Text: Dave Pinter

The Crossroads

A new addition for 2023 is The Crossroads exhibit featuring furniture, lighting and accessories by emerging and established American designers. It’s a component long missing from ICFF. The display was produced by NYC-based Rockwell Group and curated by Pei-Ru Keh of Wallpaper* magazine.

The work selected to fit into two contemporary Americana-inspired categories, the great outdoors and the American home. Pieces set against a panoramic sky backdrop expressed naturalistic forms or made use of natural materials in new ways. The other vignettes arranged in the area offered a look at contemporary American furniture design; over-scaled geometry, modern craftsmanship and pragmatic aesthetics.