Priya Patel
TLDR:
- ICFF’s 35th Anniversary Show aims to curate a more intimate, experiential fair on a grand scale.
- The show features American-made and International products, focusing on stronger connections and commerce within the global design community.
For the 35th anniversary of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), brand directors Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat set out to curate a more intimate, experiential fair on a grand scale. The show, held in the midst of the city’s NYCxDESIGN festival, offers an expansive showcase of American-made and International products from more than 450 exhibitors, transforming the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center into a design hotspot. The main focus is to foster stronger connections and commerce within the global design community, presenting content evenly split between U.S. and international exhibitors and providing a fresh and innovative perspective that appeals to a younger audience.
Key elements of this year’s refreshed ICFF include redesigned floor plans with pockets of activations, more opportunities to connect with dining areas and lounges, and new areas and activations such as “Bespoke: The Art of Making,” Design Schools Workshop, OFS x ROOM, The Library, and The Water Studio x Grohe Lounge. Sustainability remains a focus, with gestures such as eliminating carpet from show flooring and reusing signage to cut down on waste.
The 35th edition of ICFF marks the brand directors’ first foray into putting the show together from its start. The show promises to be ultra-relevant, with a focus on young designers and featuring plenty of ‘wow factor’ and surprises. Attendees can expect a more experiential and edgy show that emphasizes design and sustainability.
