It’s New York’s Turn
Plus: a Milan rant, my trend prediction, the independent studio gap, and 3daysofdesign’s very smart idea.
Are you so sick of the Milan Design Week round ups?! Get ready for NYC! Although NYCxDesign isn’t nearly as commercial as what Milan has become, it still has a lot of room for improvement. It’s been a tough few years with the organization changing hands, but we’ll see what happens in two weeks!
The Milan think pieces started driving me a little crazy last week, but they were also impossible to ignore. I thought Sight Unseen did a fantastic job of articulating what’s happening there, but bad news, guys: this is just the beginning. Brands will only find it harder to sit out Milan when the entire design world’s attention is focused in one place.
Oh, and as an aside - one roundup said, “we need a sommelier for Milan events,” which nearly made me fall out of my chair because THAT’S WHAT WE DO HERE. The Design Release is a curated calendar of the best design exhibitions around the world. On our mobile web app you can save your favorite exhibitions, route from show to show, add events to your calendar, and discover the best events.
I only went to exhibitions that I personally added to the site, and it was extremely easy and productive. Highly recommend. Join us, and I’ll be sending some fun private NYC events to our registered users.
Back to my Milan rant. The fashion conversation:
We brought this up last year when these pointless, shallow exhibitions started popping up, leaving you feeling more empty than when you arrived (unless you’re there for the pics only), but frankly, and think about it, who is paying most of the bills of all the design magazines? Who is likely one of AD Magazine’s biggest ad buyers? It’s probably LVMH or Kering up there, so why wouldn’t Gucci do an exhibition (which was literally a vending machine) with all that guaranteed press?! Fashion pays for design in our world, we have to accept that, but they have to try harder to be part of the cultural conversation in a more meaningful way, or at least in a more interesting way.
A few independent studios (including friend of TDR Lulu Lafortune) expressed interest in showing in Milan, feeling the fomo months in advance. But it’s clear that it’s no longer the right place for a self-funded solo exhibition. And this is exactly why Alcova will continue to become a better and better show. Alcova is becoming a required stop for emerging and interesting independent design in Milan, allowing it to continue to become more selective and better.
Professionals in the industry are feeling the fatigue, and so am I. And I’ll give you my final post-Milan trend prediction:
I think we will start to see less and less “cool/weird” furniture in interiors and go back to - yes! - brown furniture!!! Antiques are so cheap right now… I shouldn’t even put people on to it, because that’s how I am furnishing 90% of my apartment… and with the high ass cost of living (pardon my French), outrageous costs of mid-range furniture for yee average person, I have no idea how one would do it otherwise!! I get my contemporary furniture wholesale (I’m director of Leibal store, that’s why), and I have to buy one item per quarter to afford it. It’s crazy!
So if you are an independent studio in the USA, start thinking about Acova Miami perhaps… or maybe ICFF!!
Ok that is my segue into the topic at hand! ICFF.
I am thrilled and excited at the opportunity that presented itself last November (a big thank you to Fernando Mastrangelo, who helped connect the dots).
I was asked to be program curator for Look Book - the section for independent design studios within ICFF - for this upcoming edition, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to be back in the fair game.
The real reason this felt like a good fit (because after 7 years at AD Show, I swore I wouldn’t put myself through this kind of stress again) is the craziness of the design market and what I am seeing around me.
In a nutshell: Covid killed fairs - some completely, and most, if not all, financially. Eyes went straight to Instagram, and collectible furniture, by nature of being unique and visually interesting, got a lot more attention. More design galleries opened, leading to greater success for collector-focused design fairs that mostly exclusively host gallery exhibitors, such as Design Miami, which has expanded to other cities, likely due to demand.
This left behind, in my opinion, an excellent category of furniture designers who aren’t necessarily looking at their practice through the lens of collectibility, but through the lens of collaboration, especially with interior designers. They’re making stunning, craft-based, and artistically driven furniture that deserves more attention.
So it’s been wonderful to work with ICFF to bring together some of these studios, including designers I’ve followed/worked with since my early career days in NYC, and help position them on a platform that, to an outside reader, may read as emerging, but from my perspective is incredibly sophisticated - and also VERY FUN.
I have a few of my featured designers here in Look Book, and I hope you will come join us May 17-19!!
Free tickets at the end of this newsletter.
Clockwise from top left: Lantern and ceramic lamps by Vy Voi, chair made of post-consumer pulp by Samuel Aguirre, art nouveau-inspired vessels by Sivim Ly, vessel with tassels by Karen Gayle Tinney, sculptural wooden chair by Maha Alavi, decker sider tables by Mary Ratcliffe, and Brera Stone lighting collection by Hank Beyer and Alex Sizemore for Leibal.
Magma lamp by Simon Johns, marble coffee tables by Matt Castilleja, yama table lamp by Coil + Drift, rubber mirror by Kate Danessa, rock stool by Thomas Yang Studio, stick light by Mock Studio, desk with lamp by Austen Morris Furniture, Materials Study chair by Kalon Studios.
Legat Sconce by Marx Et Al, blown glass lamps by Anna Dawson, wood lamp by Aaron Getman Pickering, another one by Sivim Ly, outdoor chair by Sun Set, and upholstered vanity chair by Cuff Studio.
More to come! Free tickets below.
News News News 🚨
I wanted to send this little rant out without too many bells and whistles, but there’s a lot of juicy news, here we go:
Personal news!! I’ll be on Business of Home’s Podcast, recording May 11 (not sure when it goes live). I am soooo excited!! I can’t wait to get my chat on with my bestie Dennis Scully! (Besties in my imagination but maybe in real life soon 🥹)
In Smart Ideas news, 3daysofdesign - as we know - Copenhagen’s major design event that continues to expand meaningfully every year (likely by way of Milan), is offering an opportunity for those wanting more personal connection on their visit, and it’s prepaid dinners at very nice venues, with other design world people. This is very smart! If you have 600 - 900 DKK to expense on tiny Danish food, I think it’s a nice idea and clever way for them to get a new revenue stream.
Speaking of podcasts - I really enjoyed Design Discord’s latest ep with Laura Anne Young of The Future Perfect. She’s very funny and candid, I loved it. And Fernando’s a fantastic interviewer.
“NY Now has new owners—and a plan to rebuild” NY Now was one of the first fairs I would scout exhibitors for AD Show, and I loved that cool design section, and the Japanese homewares. I hope they get it going again. Business of Home
“The Venice Biennale jury resigns amid tensions over awards ban, Russian participation” NPR
Instagram’s 2026 fabric of the year (mohair) is being banned across retailers. Home Textiles Today
“Authentic Brands Group Is Bringing Barneys Back” Business of Fashion
Ok that’s it!
Next issue will be around May 12th, along with some BIG news for New York design community.
Here are the free ticket details:
ICFF returns to New York City May 17–19, 2026 during NYCxDESIGN, bringing together the global design community for three days of discovery, learning, and connection.
With this all-access pass, attendees can:
Explore 400+ international design brands and independent designers
Attend 25+ ICFF Talks hosted by industry leaders and innovators
Experience immersive designed spaces across the show floor
Celebrate the best in contemporary design at the ICFF Editor’s Awards (champagne served)
Network with 13,000+ industry professionals throughout the event
Register at the link here and use code TDR100 on the checkout page.
See you there!
Julia and Leo
The rant about recent events was necessary, the commercial fatigue is real, and the sommelier line was spot on. It is refreshing to see a focus shift toward independent studios that prioritize craft over shallow spectacles. The textures in the preview, specifically those lamps and stone details, prove that craft-driven design is far more interesting than a vending machine exhibition. It is clear that meaningful collaboration and sophisticated, artistic furniture are exactly what the industry needs right now.
TDR's Milan edit needs to be on everyone's radar!