Mr. Curve dining Chair by BNF Studio - Courtesy of ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan 2023 @ the Javits Center.

Mr. Curve dining Chair by BNF Studio – Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

Design – During NYCxDESIGN week, Archipanic explored ICFF 2023, NYC’s International Contemporary Furniture Fair and North America’s leading event for contemporary furniture design. Check the ten brand-news design collections we liked the most at the fair and the Crossroads exhibition. Curated by David Rockwell of Rockwell Group in collaboration with Pei-Ru Keh, the show brings together 17 designers to offer a snapshot of American design in its many shapes and forms to provoke a dialogue about what American design is and can become.

Moire mobile by Ladies & Gentlemen - Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

Moire mobile by Ladies & Gentlemen.

At Crossroads, NYC studio Ladies & Gentlemen explores new dimensions of optical material effects using bent perforated sheet metal. Through an assemblage of overlapping organic shapes, the Moire mobile creates a smoothly shifting composition revealing a complex undulation of geometries that alternate between obscured and transparent materiality.

New York artist and designer Liam Lee works with colour-saturated felt to create biophilic yet functional furniture. “At Crossroads, I wanted to play with that notion of porosity and make the domestic interior more of a dream world, where you could experience everything happening outside while we were all trapped inside.”

Felted chair by Liam Lee - Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

Felted Chair by Liam Lee.

Toronto-based multidisciplinary studio StackLab expands its Felt project with brand-new lighting design pieces. The project upcycles surplus off-cut and end-of-bolt felted wool from regional premium Merino wool manufacturers in Toronto and Upstate New York, as well as Toronto metal manufacturers and computer programmers. The studio has also developed a computer-aided system that makes productive (re)use of the materials to create furniture.

FELT Light Fixtures by Stacklab - Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

FELT Light Fixtures by Stacklab.

Brooklyn-based studio Fort Standard expanded its Cooperage Dining Collection with a table and bench in a bold palette of contrasting wood. Each piece features large faceted round elements nodding to Cooper’s barrel-making trade. On display at the Crossroads exhibition, like the following project.

Cooperage Dining Collection table and bench by Fort Standard - Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

Cooperage Dining Collection table and bench by Fort Standard.

Established by a dad for his daughters and their friends, the Lumber Club Marfa project is a woodworking club of girls in Marfa, Texas. “We specialise in threaded, three-legged stools. A three-legged stool is designed to adapt, staying solid and stable regardless of the terrain. They are made to work. Our goal is to teach members to achieve that same adaptability.”

Walnut stools by Lumber Group Marfa @ Crossoads, ICFF and WantedDesign Manhattan.

Walnut stools by Lumber Group Marfa.

In New York, Mexican studio Namuh continues its exploration of bold and solid shapes highlighting the ‘temper’ of materials with the Diez lamps collection. A totemic wooden element nests the lighting source, inspiring contemplation for timeless transcending moments.

Diez lamp by Namuh studiop - Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

Diez lamp by Namuh studio.

With the Arc stool, New York studio Juntos honours the humble low seat as the cornerstone of every living space. The angled legs and softly curved seat create a distinctive look, adding style and functionality to host a crowd. Made from sustainably sourced hard maple, the stool comes in light green, dark blue, and deep purple.

Arc stool by Juntos - Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

Arc stool by Juntos.

Phoenix-based designer Daniel Germani has created the Cosmopolitan Kitchen collection for Danver. The design system includes stainless steel powder-coated elements for cooking, eating, storing and prepping that can be reconfigured at pleasure. The kitchen also provides versatile solutions for outdoor spaces of any footprint.

Danver Cosmopolitan Kitchen by Daniel Germani - Courtesy of ICFF 2023.

Danver Cosmopolitan Kitchen by Daniel Germani.

A-N-D presents the Iris series of pendant lamps by Caine Heintzman, industrial designer and co-founder of the Canadian lighting design brand. A kaleidoscopic light extends from the orb-like source, travelling beyond its crystalline surface. Encased in an elliptical shell, the lighting design floats weightlessly with an aerial-like quality.

Chicago-based Bnf studio introduces Mr. Curve series of chairs and tables designed to break free from traditional furniture-making constraints. Sculpted curves challenge the linear norms of fine hardwood furniture while maintaining a deep respect for the craft. The unique finishing process allows for control of colour without losing the grain’s natural tactile quality.

Iris Series by Caine Heintzman x A-N-D - Courtesy of A-N-D.

Iris Series by Caine Heintzman x A-N-D.

All photos: courtesy of ICFF 2023.