Handmade objects, farm-inspired seating, 3D printing—NYC’s Design Week never fails to inspire.
NYCxDesign 2025
Boroughs in Bloom
New York City buzzed with creative energy during NYCxDesign 2025, held from May 15 to 21. This annual festival transformed the city into a dynamic showcase of design innovation, featuring exhibitions, talks, and installations across all five boroughs. From Manhattan’s iconic showrooms to Brooklyn’s newly designated design district in Dumbo, the event celebrated the intersection of art, architecture, and technology, drawing design enthusiasts from around the globe.
ICFF
A cornerstone of the festival, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) took place at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from May 18 to 20. Marking its 36th edition, ICFF spotlighted the theme “Designing in Harmony,” emphasizing sustainability, craftsmanship, and human-centered design. The fair featured over 450 exhibitors from more than 35 countries, presenting a diverse array of contemporary furniture, lighting, and materials. Notable highlights included the Bespoke: The Art of Making Salon, an immersive space designed by March and White Design, which showcased artisanal craftsmanship through tactile and sensory experiences.
Art of Display
Beyond the Javits Center, NYC’s premier design showrooms unveiled their latest collections. Louis Poulsen introduced new finishes and portables to their iconic catalog in a museum-style space punctuated with classics like the PH 5 and Panthella collections. Flos highlighted several new pieces launched last year, including the striking SuperWire lamps by Formafantasma.
Haybale Lounge Chair
Moooi introduced the Haybale Lounge Chair by designer Nicholas Baker. Inspired by wrapped bales of hay, this modular seating system features plush quilted cushions secured with bold straps, available in various upholstery options, blending comfort with raw, sculptural appeal.
Shelter by Afternoon Light
Adding to the festival’s vibrancy, the inaugural Shelter fair by Afternoon Light debuted at the historic Starrett-Lehigh Building. This three-day event reimagined the traditional trade show format, offering an approachable and immersive experience. Curated by Deirdre Maloney and Minya Quirk, Shelter showcased over 100 brands and creatives in furniture, art, and decoration, fostering connections between industry professionals and design enthusiasts.
Trendspotting
Throughout NYCxDesign 2025, several design trends emerged, reflecting the industry’s evolving landscape. 3D printing technology took center stage, with brands like Gantri highlighting fully customizable 3D-printed lamps in every shape, size and color. Designers like Jolie Ngo presented vibrant, digitally crafted mirrors and floor lamps that combined traditional ceramic techniques with modern fabrication methods.
Handmade objects also gained prominence, emphasizing the value of artisanal craftsmanship. USM Modular introduced a new woven material in their "Woven Structures" collection, a collaboration with New York-based industrial designer Henry Julier. This 10-piece furniture collection integrates Danish paper cord into the USM Haller Modular System for the first time, adding warmth and tactility to the brand's iconic design.
Handmade Objects
Meso Goods, co-founded by Guatemalan designer Diego Olivero, exemplifies the essence of handmade craftsmanship by collaborating with artisans across Latin America to produce sustainable home décor that seamlessly blends traditional techniques with contemporary design. Peg Woodworking shies away from the typical wabi-sabi approach to handmade objects, breathing new life into materials like wood through precision carving techniques.
Sculptural lighting
Virginia Sin of Brooklyn-based studio SIN introduced sculptural lighting collections Obel and Stria, inspired by Egyptian obelisks, featuring ceramic bases with pyramid-shaped shades. Ethan Streicher of Streicher Goods showcased his Deep Reflections series, a collection of hand-built ceramic lamps with unique textures and finishes, blending traditional techniques with modern design sensibilities.
Rhythmic Shapes
Repeating shapes and patterns were prevalent, offering visual rhythm and harmony. Tala introduced Firth, a new collection of wet-rated, commercial-friendly glass sconces with eye-catching glass ribbing. No stranger to Bauhaus geometries, A-N-D Light presented a variety of totem-like floor lamps from the Vale and Column series. Zack Nestel-Patt of Ah Um Studio’s Jura Furniture Collection utilized handmade tiles and geometric forms to create bold, sculptural pieces that balanced edginess with softness. Matter Made highlighted their Legato collection—repeating conical forms in both linear and vertical fashion.
Reflective Finishes
Mirrored finishes added a touch of glamour and depth to various designs. Pablo’s Bola Portable makes clever use of its highly reflective finish, echoing the warm orb that sits atop it. Tom Dixon’s iconic Melt Collection reflected on 10 years in a glossy new finish. The newer Pose Collection showed off a variety of highly polished finishes, bouncing light in playful new ways. The ultra-new Pose pendant (coming soon) features a stylish magnetic orb that allows you to position the light right where you need it—a playful addition to the highly polished collection.
Organic Materials
A strong focus on organic and sustainable materials underscored the festival’s commitment to environmental responsibility. Designers incorporated natural elements like volcanic rocks, recycled plastics, and mycelium into their creations, highlighting the importance of eco-friendly practices in contemporary design. MushLume Lighting, founded by designer Danielle Trofe, exemplifies sustainable innovation by crafting lampshades grown from mycelium—the root structure of mushrooms—and hemp. This biofabrication process requires minimal energy and water, resulting in 100% biodegradable lighting fixtures that not only enhance interior spaces but also promote healthier indoor air quality by avoiding synthetic materials and harmful emissions.
Quiet Luxury
Quiet luxury reflects a broader movement in interior design that values subtlety and enduring style over ostentatious displays. Audo Copenhagen exemplifies this through its commitment to understated elegance, timeless craftsmanship, and high-quality materials. Their Plinth Collection and recognizable Interconnect candle holder showcase minimalist silhouettes and refined textures.
NYCxDesign 2025 successfully showcased the fusion of tradition and innovation, emphasizing the role of design in shaping a sustainable and inclusive future. The festival’s diverse offerings and emerging trends underscored New York City’s status as a global design capital.
