How NYC Design Week Became a Celebration of Design, Storytelling and Connection
By Rachel Fasciani
From ICFF and Afternoon Light to immersive showroom experiences, NYC Design Week highlighted design’s growing focus on connection, storytelling and engagement.
Few events capture the breadth of today’s design industry quite like NYC Design Week. n a city overflowing with creativity, inspiration and cultural energy, the week offers an unparalleled look at the ideas, products and people shaping the industry.
This year was monumental. NYCxDesign outdid itself by creating events across intimate Design Talks, a lighting exhibition, ICFF, and more. Tag onto that, TEFAF, various brand events, the thoughtfully edited Afternoon Light, and the embracing and inspiring level of design in one city over seven glorious days is clear. Read on for the highlights.
The shows and markets
ICFF was notably smaller this year, but thrumming nonetheless. Across many of the distinctive exhibitors, craftsmanship, material exploration and sculptural forms emerged as recurring themes.
I found the Wanted section to be especially remarkable for its smaller makers. Notable in that area were Nomasuno for their brilliant mirror by architect and designer Daniel Morrison, founder of Yucca Stuff, Concrete Poetics textural intentionality in their handcast sculptural vessels, Hadil Alkhatib’s cast and eroded furnishings (they reminded me of LaVerne pieces), and Maeda Woodworks for their experiential booth showcasing an artist at work in Japanese woodworking. Lighting’s 2026 propulsion carried through in small maker booths as well. Of note was Beginner Ceramics’ double endless lamp, a creative nod to Fulper Pottery Company lamps of the early 1900s.
While not a part of the Wanted section, other small makers shined. Designer and ceramicist Sivim Ly’s lighting debut of highly sculptural and visually rich pieces were darlings of the show. An additional standout was Linderior for their contemporary mirrors, selectively the brass and rope piece.
Larger brands were also impactful. Among them, Ligne Roset, whose well-designed space hosted intimate seating moments like the one above. Bernhardt Design premiered Ayrlron Arellano’s privacy lounge, shown as two highly stylized, yet cozy chairs within their booth. Tala, a lighting brand, marked a defining moment with their Heath lamp, inspired by London’s Victorian chimney pots and capped with a cotton shade.
Hardware in kitchen and bath continued their design-focused journey with booths from Infinity Drain, who exhibited their compelling new slot sink drain, while Grohe hosted an Aqua Atelier to debut their new line, Grohe SPA, as well as the Atrio Private Collection, in collaboration with Buster + Punch and Caesarstone.
Afternoon Light was its own show, unique in its format, presentation, and selection of vendors. Conversation-starters were Camber Atelier, a Detroit-based furniture maker whose Series No. 1 nightstand was a thing of utter craftsmanship and beauty. Matthew McCormick Studio teamed up with Lawson-Fenning to present a vignette of the designer’s newest lighting collection paired with Lawson-Fenning’s furnishings. Grounded by a rich brown-and-ivory vintage Anatolian rug and flanked by octagonal ottomans, the vignette embodied warmth and restraint.
Mary Ratcliffe’s handmade, solid wood Corral cabinet was striking in form and utility, while Carl Hansen and Son made their mark with both exceptionally crafted furniture and on-site creation of a wishbone, corded seat chair. Finally, HiLo’s serpentine, upcycled sofa surrounded by Rebecca-Rebecca Studio’s dreamscape mural was my most adored piece.
Standout moments
Brizo kicked off its new kitchen collection, Faircroft, with an outstanding evening held at The Standard Highline and featuring some of the crème de la crème of design, including Rayman Boozer, Jason Wu, Kesha Franklin and many, many others. The hero piece though, was the new line, beautifully presented on pedestals against green velvet drapery and flanked by florals and special for its line-wide incorporation of SmartTouch Technology.
Intimacy was key in the Design Talk I attended at Fisher & Paykel. The revered, luxury home and kitchen appliance showroom in the A&D building in New York City hosted a panel on the idea of legacy with an informed and animated group of design leaders – Corey Damen Jenkins, principal, Corey Damen Jenkins and Associates, Paul L. Whalen, partner, Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), and Arthi Krishnamoorthy, senior principal, owner, TenBerke were led by moderator Leopoldo Villardi, managing editor of Architectural Record in an informative discussion. The first hour in the sleek yet warm space offered attendees an opportunity to discover Fisher & Paykel’s products and meet and enjoy the company of others in design.
I was in the company of Nancy Walker-Arnold, senior-designer of Bakes & Kropp, Lauren Luskey of MCM Construction, and Amal Kapen, interior designer and owner of Amal Kapen Interiors & Decorations. This is where conversation and connection transformed a good event into a great one. That first hour of hosting and allowing attendees to freely experience the space while forging new relationships is the new and next era of branding, marketing, and markets in the 21st century. It adds up to a memorable and positive experience that will keep designers coming back to brands again and again.
The products and showroom deserve mention as well. While sleek, hidden appliances are the name of the game at Fisher & Paykel, it was the functionality and intentionality that shined. Watch our video to see what I mean.
Another key event I attended was the Living by Design Virtual Showhouse hosted by Miele at the ever-chic Lamborghini Lounge in Chelsea. In attendance were some of the showhouse designers, including Lori Panajape, Rasheeda Gray, Isabel Ladd, Corey Damen Jenkins, Sasha Bikoff, Lisa Mende, and others from Amad AbouZanat, Pulp Design Studios, Kligerman AD, Adam Hunter, and Bobby Berke. Each created a unique space for the showhouse. The genius of Miele products in the lounge’s contemporary kitchen came through as guests were invited to interact with the space.
The future is experiential
If there was a narrative arc from this year’s NYC Design Week, it is that great design does not exist in isolation. The most memorable moments are not product presentations or beautifully styled booths, but the conversations, experiences, and connections that surrounded them. From the maker-driven energy of Afternoon Light and ICFF to the thoughtful hospitality of brand showrooms and events, the industry continues to move toward experiences that feel more personal, immersive, and meaningful. In a city known for its creativity, NYC Design Week proved that the future of design is as much about connection as it is about the objects themselves.
