ICFF 2005: Design and the City

The International Contemporary Furniture Fair enters its 17th year as North America’s premier design-oriented trade show on May 14, 2005. From opening day at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center until the ICFF winds down on May 17, New York City will be the design capital of the United States, made so by events, parties, and showroom openings, as well as cool places to dine and important museum and gallery shows to see. Clearly the fair has shaped the culture and commerce of the city, and to recognize this, a new publication will debut this year, ICFF Connected/Metropolis Design Guide: NYC. The guide will help visitors discover, among other things, neighborhoods where strong design cultures are developing, from the Meatpacking District to Brooklyn, and will continue to be a useful companion to visitors and natives alike throughout the year.

Visitors to the fair will see many special exhibitions at the Javits, including a show of some 20 entries from the Metropolis Next Generation Design Competition, selected by an independent jury—with additional picks by Metropolis editors—and displayed at the magazine’s booth, designed by Moorhead & Moorhead. At the ICFF Theater on Monday, May 16, the annual Metropolis Conference “Design Entrepreneurs: Connecting Cultures” will ask an international array of speakers the following questions: Which design ideas translate from one culture to another? Do local identities enrich global markets? Displayed for four days at the Javits will be the work of such new talent as Jerszy Seymour for Magis; rising stars like the Bouroullec brothers for Vitra; national groups of increasing importance from Sweden, Spain, and Denmark, among others; and thought-provoking concepts from American design schools that challenge preconceptions about
furniture.