Celebrating New York City as the destination for world-class design, the annual Festival attracts 300,000+ national and international visitors to the city. Anchored by major trade fairs ICFF, WantedDesign, and Lightfair, this year’s programming promises to offer something for everyone with hundreds of events about design and innovation, creativity, culture, inclusivity, and sustainability. “Highlighting the strength of New York’s creative economy, the Festival is once again tapping the industry’s brightest minds to create brilliant activations across the city,” says Ilene Shaw, official Executive Director of NYCxDESIGN, the nonprofit organization that produces the annual festival and facilitates year-round programming. “Following 10 successful years of unparalleled inspiration and innovation, the Festival has helped establish New York as a premier design destination.”
With hundreds of events, exhibitions, and happenings packed into a single week, there’s no better opportunity to immerse yourself in the creative spirit of New York City’s design community. The Festival’s annual kick-off event is the NYCxDESIGN Awards ceremony presented by Interior Design, which will take place on the Festival’s opening day. Following the ceremony, will be held an opening party hosted by Studio by Tishman Speyer at the Bjarke Ingels Group–designed skyscraper dubbed The Spiral. An afterparty will be held at the Chelsea gallery Tuleste Factory hosted by Satu & Celeste Greenberg.
NYCxDESIGN’s anchor events taking place at the Javits Center from Sunday, May 21 to Tuesday, May 23 include ICFF, WantedDesign Manhattan, and LightFair, which runs through Thursday, May 25. Their combined offerings showcase latest design introductions across hospitality, commercial, and residential design sectors. DIFFA by Design, a three-day celebration of design that makes a difference. DIFFA grants funds of organizations providing treatment, education and assistance for people impacted by HIV/AIDS, homelessness, hunger, and mental health issues.
The week’s highlights are not confined to the Javits Center: a variety of NYCxDESIGN experiences are open to the public and taking place in design districts across the city. Madison Avenue launches its inaugural Design Week May 20–25. The Brooklyn Navy Yard, one of NYC’s most iconic innovation centers, invites visitors into a dozen studios across fashion, furniture, and product design on May 20th for its Design Day at the Yard event. The NoMad and Soho design districts are also hosting evening events on May 19th and 20th, respectively.
The Festival not only activates local design hubs, it shines a light on epicenters of design innovation across the world. From May 18-20, Argentina will be showcasing its long tradition of design through The Argentinian Creative Experience, an open exhibition at the Argentinian Consulate. Oui Design!, a new annual event that brings together 19 places of excellence in French design and craft in New York, will also allow attendees to experience French design and savoir-faire in a whole new way.
Engaging with local museums has been a hallmark of the Festival for many years. This Spring, attendees have the opportunity to explore exhibits at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), The Noguchi Museum, The Guggenheim Museum, and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, touching on a variety of topics ranging from broad discussions on designing equitable cities to deep-dives into the short-lived phenomenon of paper fashion in the 1960s.
The 2023 edition of the NYCxDESIGN Festival will feature hundreds of live talks and conversations from the world’s top changemakers in design. A live DesignTV by SANDOW screening will bring key speakers from participating institutions together, highlighting themes like design’s intersection with climate change, food insecurity, and social justice. ICFF + WantedDesign Manhattan Talks also return for 2023 with nearly 100 design visionaries who are looking forward to sharing their creativity, innovation, design insight, and what makes them tick with fair attendees across twenty sessions.
Scores of exhibitions will occupy New York City’s numerous galleries and museums during the week of the festival, offering fresh inspiration to visitors and locals alike. While student exhibitions at Pratt Institute, The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), Cooper Union, and Parsons demonstrate what the next generation of design talent is capable of.
