It is a universal truth about ICFF that every time it’s on, it’s impossible to think of a time that it isn’t. And every year there is the sameness of the new: faces, designers, objects, chairs, sofas, taps, wallpapers, rugs, and parties.
Click here to see our highlights from the fair
This year was the year of the streamline; there wasn’t a ragged edge to be seen, even in the student booths. The SVA Designer as Author program, led by the prolific designer and writer Steven Heller, had a great gigantic-chair booth (designed by Nigel Sielegar) filled with 18 IKEA chairs reconfigured by students to fit an assigned adjective (we didn’t dare go under Superstitious by Kristina Critchlow but loved Stupid by Yaijung Chang).
Jerry Helling’s Bernhardt Lounge combined, for the first time ever, student work from the Pasadena Arts Center and professional work from the Global Edition Line (Shelly Shelly from the former had a set of perfectly articulated dark wood chairs, while Wallpaper's very own editor-at-large Suzanne Trocmé added a stunning new swivel armchair to her existing collection).
For something a little different, Kohler’s booth, where the company launched Karbon, their brand-new hinged and movable tap, was exciting for the overenthusiastic pointers among us (they had a set of towels on hand for just such a moment). So was Plank’s, which showcased this year’s favorite Konstantin Grcic’s Myto chairs, and also Bernhardt’s ICFF Studio, which showcased fellow ICFF Editors Awards winner Todd Bracher.
Yves Behar, last year’s darling with his One Laptop Per Child project, was practically in every other booth – from a slightly phoned-in collaboration with Orange 22’s Botanist Blank Canvas project to a great collection of pieces for HBF – while everyone was whispering about how fantastic Herman Miller’s Lifework Portfolio was. The Designboom Mart was tough on our wallets with fantastic dinnerware by Reiko Kaneko and concrete rings by Taiwan-based 22 design studio.
Whispers got louder during the deafening party circuit. Highlights were Moss and Pomegranate on Greene Street, the official opening night party at MoMA, and Core77’s ping pong-themed unironically black-lit and rave-soundtracked late-night Saturday bash. Just enough to tide us over until next time.
