Held from November 11 through 18, this year’s New York Design Week offered up a diverse program of furniture fairs and boutique showcases. Stakeholders in all facets of the stratified design industry, whether it be collectible design galleries, independent makers, luxury manufacturers, or staple brands, put their best foot forward. Fully immersive installations joined long-anticipated product launches, shelved until recently due to the pandemic. Though smaller and less international in scope than in its usual iteration, this year’s city-wide event was as rich as ever. Anchored around ICFF, Wanted Design, and BDNY—fairs that cohabitated at the Jacob Javits Center—the week-long event permeated many parts of town.
Though the crowds might not have inundated SoHo’s Green Street like they used to, the area’s many showrooms organized more intimate activations, chances to better experience new wares and engage in meaningful conversations. Overall, exhibitors themed their showcases based on the idea of renewed social interaction and convivial exchange, conditions that are essential to this domain. As with most events in the strange scramble of this fall season, quality superseded quantity at New York Design Week. Here are a few of our highlights.
Undeterred by not being able to activate its new Tribeca flagship in 2020, preeminent Montreal-based lighting brand Lambert & Fils mounted a stellar display to celebrate its new collection of extruded metal luminaires, which will be launched early next year. The Palais des Glaces staging was developed by 2021 AN Interior Top 50 honoree and long-time brand collaborator Atelier Zébulon Perron to evoke the scaffolding that is ubiquitous in New York. Abutted by glass walls that extended the mise-en-scene beyond the confines of the showroom, this fragmented architectural element was created using an interlocking system of powder-coated steel beams.
Cast in a moody red, the room-within-a-room armature not only helped suspend a series of gothic-style candle holders but also facilitated social interaction. Visitors could catch covert glimpses of each other as they approached the installation. This was even more apparent at night when the hanging torches served as the only source of light. This dramatic, meticulously-crafted vignette was by far best in show at New York Design Week. It’s rare to see such scenographic stagings at this event. But it’s no surprise that Lambert & Fils would be the one to break the mold. The company has consistently gone the extra mile when it comes to product displays.