• Review of the ICFF International Contemporary Fair 2008
• Preview of BKLYN DESIGNS and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair – New York, New York

By Ania Dardas

The Big Apple’s design weeks in May kick off with the seventh edition of BKLYN DESIGNS – an all-star line-up of Brooklyn’s hottest designers of contemporary furniture, lighting, carpet, flooring and wall coverings. From May 8 to 10 at St. Ann’s Warehouse, Brooklyn, New York, visitors will have a chance to see the work of the forty five exhibitors, selected from over a hundred applicants.

Courtney Sloane, juror and founder of Alternative Designs, commented: “The jury raised the bar for accepting exhibitors and selectively chose designers that kept an eye on sustainability, while escalating their material in response to the changing marketplace.”

The top five designers will have the chance to go on to exhibit at the ICFF: the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, just one deep breath and a week later at the Jacob K. Javit’s Center in New York. The twenty-first ICFF, being held from May 16 to 19, represents the pinnacle of modern design for design disciples.

It is the place to find out where the focus of contemporary design is pointing with exhibitors from all over the world. More than six hundred exhibitors will be showing contemporary furniture, seating, carpet and flooring, lighting, outdoor furniture, materials, wall coverings, accessories, textiles and kitchen and bath styling.

Expect to jostle elbows with more than twenty-five thousand interior designers, architects, retailers, designers, manufacturers, reps, distributors and developers over the four packed days of the trade fair. And watch out for a full program of events, supplementary exhibits and features. Among them: Materials Matter, spotlighting cutting edge materials and innovative production processes. Join in on a discussion of the state of German Design or listen to MoMa curator Paola Antonelli talk to leading Italian architect and industrial designer Michele de Lucchi. Beyond that, there are parties, discussions, theater and much, much more …

Jang won Yoon's Blade