Don’t Miss These NYCxDESIGN Festival Highlights

Get ready to ignite your creativity during the 12th edition of the NYCxDESIGN Festival, which will transform New York City into a design extravaganza May 16-23, 2024. Think: Engaging events, inspiring exhibitions, and larger-than-life public installations. Not to mention the much-anticipated NYCxDESIGN Awards ceremony, presented by Interior Design Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen on May 20, which celebrates the creative landscape of New York state, New Jersey, and Connecticut, stretching beyond the boroughs for the first time.

Nodding to this year’s theme, “Design is All Around Us,” the festival seeks to highlight community, inclusivity, and a broad coalition of design disciplines. “The NYCxDESIGN Festival plays a vital role in promoting the City’s design culture, unifying its creative capital through all design disciplines, drawing significant exposure and opportunities to New York City as a design destination,” states Ilene Shaw, executive director of NYCxDESIGN.

Explore 2024 NYCxDESIGN Festival Highlights

Highlights for this year’s NYCxDESIGN Festival include: The second annual Madison Avenue Design Week, hosted by Madison Avenue Business Improvement District; an array of curated experiences and talks; the fourth annual East 14th Street mural—a 7,500 square feet asphalt work celebrating the cultural significance of the Union Square neighborhood by Union Square Partnership in collaboration with the NYC Department of Transportation Art Program—and a groundbreaking public art installation in Flatiron called “The Portal,” which focuses on fostering connection, in-person and across the globe.

Speaking of a global presence, for the first time in New York City, design leaders from Estonia will discuss the unique aesthetics of Estonian Design in SoHo. The Italian Trade Agency is also working on special events organized by standout Italian brands like Rimadesio, Poltrona Frau, Natuzzi, Kartell and Poliform. Plus, Villa Albertine’s Oui Design! is back for its second edition of French design, with pieces on display in galleries in Chelsea and as well as demonstrations in the D&D building.

New this year is the NYCxDESIGN Keynote series, a platform conceived to invite sharing, educating, learning, and uniting. These keynotes will address the pressing needs of our world and using design as a tool to solve these challenges, presented by brands such as Samsung, IBM, and Adobe.

Catch Interior Design at Must-See Festival Events

Throughout the festival, Interior Design will host several events around the city, from talks and panels to a decadent brunch. First up, design icon Clodagh will share insights into the Marc Phillips x Clodagh rug collaboration with Editor-in-Chief Cindy Allen on May 15. Shortly after, on May 17, Allen will join Nicola Coropulis, CEO of Poltrona Frau, and architect Michele De Lucchi, as they celebrate the opening of the Poltrona Frau Flagship Store on Madison Avenue.

Meanwhile, Natuzzi Italia chief brand officer Pasquale Junior Natuzzi will speak about the power of color in design all while enjoying an Italian-inspired brunch with residential designers on May 19 at the Natuzzi Italia showroom. Next up, Interior Design’s NYCxDESIGN Awards will honor industry standouts on May 20.

Rounding out the week, Allen will host a panel with Marybeth Shaw, chief creative officer of Wolf-Gordon, on May 22, delving into the brand’s latest exhibition “El Muro,” joined by three of participating artists: Blanka Amezkua, Francisco Donoso, and Rodrigo Lobato. Needless to say, there’s a lot happening!

ICFF Returns During New York Design Week

But that’s not all. During New York Design Week, visitors can experience the best of American design as well as novel creations by makers around the globe at the International Contemporary Furnishings Fair, which will take place at the Javits Center May 19-21. 

Learn more about the 2024 programming for the NYCxDESIGN Festival and check out event highlights below.