Every fall, The Salon Art + Design opens with the world’s most prestigious galleries presenting their exquisite collections of historical, modern, and contemporary art, design, and furniture. This year, The Salon is scheduled to take place on November 8th-12th at The Park Avenue Armory, New York. 56 galleries from 11 countries will exhibit their dazzling collections of decor that span from the early modernist Nouveau to the late 20th century – works by the masters to the young and upcoming talents.

Book signings, design discussions, and talks and screenings, are just some of the plethora of events scheduled for The Salon. Several special installations from leading brands will also be on view throughout the event. Maison Goyard will present an exclusive installation with the theme,“In Praise of Slowness,” which will showcase a snail pulling a net of Goyard trunks – a playful and poetic metaphor for slowness as the epitome of grand craftsmanship and design. Another installation will be from Eileen Fisher, which will highlight the blurred boundaries of design in today’s world. The installation will feature wall hangings and interior decor made from stitching together old garments, effectively showing today’s dynamic, circular economy in which art, design, textiles, and activism intersect.

Goyard at The Salon 2017. Courtesy of Maison Goyard.

Exhibition from Milan, Salone de Mobile 2018. Courtesy of Eileen Fisher|DesignWork.

Our friends at Architectural Digest think “The Salon is one of the few happenings of this sort that can’t be missed.” We couldn’t agree more!

The Alpha Workshops is back with its annual Masquerade Ball! This year’s theme, Alpha After Dark, invites guests to dress up as their favorite nocturnal creatures and dance the night away at Stage 48 in Manhattan. Garnering over 300 of New York’s most prominent professionals within the design community, including interior designers, architects, manufacturers, and press, the Masquerade Ball is one of the most anticipated design events of the year. For over a decade, this event has benefited the Alpha Workshops Studio School – the only school in the nation that professionally trains people with HIV/ AIDS in the decorative arts field. Alpha After Dark will be hosted on Tuesday, October 30th.  

Here’s a look at last year’s Exotic Aquatic-themed event which was co-hosted with Benjamin Moore and Drake Anderson.

Courtesy of The Alpha Workshops.

About The Alpha Workshops:

The Alpha Workshops is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 in Manhattan’s Chelsea area. It was modeled after Omega Workshops, the Wiener Werkstätte, the Bauhaus, and the American Arts & Crafts movement. It is the umbrella organization of: The Alpha Workshops Studio School (AWSS) and The Alpha Workshops Studio. AWSS is a vocational school formally licensed by the New York State Department of Education and the Alpha Workshops Studio is an acclaimed profession design studio staffed by AWSS graduates. The Alpha Workshops has rapidly grown over the years and has touched the lives of many along its path. It has received press coverage in Architectural Digest, Connecticut Cottages & Gardens, Contract, Domino, ELLE DECOR, House & Garden, House Beautiful, InStyle Home, Interior Design, Metropolis, Metropolitan Home, Metrosource, Newsday, Newsweek, New York Magazine, New York Spaces, O at Home, POZ, The Daily News, The New York Times, The Robb Report, Time Out, Traditional Home, Veranda, and Vogue Living. Today, it is recognized as the nation’s one-and-only non-profit organization that provides a decorative arts education and employment to talented people of communities that are at-risk or with disabilities or other vulnerabilities, and it continues its dedication to “creating beauty and changing lives”.

The 10th season of the Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF) kicked off in New York Tuesday night with the World Premiere of Leaning Out, directed by Basia and Leonard Myszynski. This moving documentary tells the untold story of the World Trade Center’s lead structural engineer Leslie E. Robertson, the legendary man who oversaw the construction of the world’s tallest skyscraper at the time.

Image: Courtesy of Leslie E. Robertson.

The film begins with the tragic events of September 11, 2001 – the day the Twin Towers came tumbling down. Even today, 17 years later, we are still haunted by grief and sadness when we pass by the 9/11 Memorial, which stands exactly where the Twin Towers originally stood, tall and proud.

Leaning Out delves into the prolific life of Robertson, touching upon his early life and his successful career as a structural engineer, working on projects like the World Financial Center in Shanghai and the Lotte World Tower in Seoul. The film chronicles the story of the Twin Towers through Robertson’s eyes – from the innovations he brought to the Towers’ design, to the enormous sense of guilt he still carries over their collapse on 9/11.

The film also offers a unique lens into the Towers’ role in preserving lives. The structures were able to resist the impact of both crashes, thereby allowing people to escape through the stairwells, which remained largely intact until the buildings collapsed. And because the buildings collapsed vertically, rather than toppling over onto other buildings, thousands of lives in the surrounding areas were spared. Despite the many lives lost that day, and although Robertson is still burdened by guilt, Leaning Out shows us that his innovative designs actually helped to save many people who might have otherwise perished.

Photo: Courtesy of Leslie E. Robertson.

Ultimately, the directors take us on a journey to discovering a brilliant man who, in his post-war experience and in the wake of 9/11, became an activist and a pacifist. Leaning Out poses a juxtaposition between loss, survival, and healing through the intricate weaving of the storyline by the film’s directors Basia and Leonard Myszynski.

Photo: Courtesy of Leonard Myszynski.

Leaning Out is on view Friday, Oct. 19th and Saturday Oct. 20th. For more information, click here.

WestEdge Design Fair is returning this fall (October 18th to October 21st) at the Barker Hanger – Southern California’s premier venue for the most exclusive events. Now in its sixth year, WestEdge has established itself as the leading contemporary design fair in the West Coast – attracting over 12,000 attendees, 175 exhibitors and 70 special guest speakers. As the central hub of design, the West Coast has the largest chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and other professional trade associations.

As is tradition, the show will kick-off with a floor-wide Opening Night party to benefit Safe Place for Youth, a non-profit organization that aims to provide critical resources for homeless youth. More than 1,500 attendees are expected; among those will be prominent business leaders, acclaimed media partners, connoisseurs of design, celebrities, and emerging stars in the design community. There will be a preview of the fair before it opens to the public as well as an auction that will feature exclusive designer items. Throughout the action-packed night, guests will enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

A diverse showcase of talent, WestEdge includes brands and manufacturers from all over the world including Canada, Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Thailand, Iceland and more. Rising designers, artisans and makers will be featured as well with an array of modern designs. Attendees can check out a range of programs, workshops, meet-and-greets, book signings, culinary demonstrations and tastings, networking opportunities, and more.

This year’s Feature Areas include:

• Convo By Design Audio Design Lab
• Citibank Culinary Pavilion
• KARMA Auto Lounge
• MADE:MODERN
• Milk Stand Pop-Up
• Women’s Work

“WestEdge is the most important trade show we have in Los Angeles.  This curated show brings together new, luxurious, and important designers, artists, manufacturers and visionaries.  It is here that you will get up-close-and-personal with key trendsetters and innovators making a difference in the world of design. It’s a must-see event each year and an honor to align myself with the WestEdge team on every level.” – LA ASID Chapter President (2015-16), Laura Schwartz 

High Point Market (HPMKT) is around the corner! Kicking off on October 13th, designers and industry insiders will arrive in North Carolina for the mecca of all things home. Established in 1909 as the Southern Furniture Market, HPMKT has become one of the most anticipated shows in the design industry, attracting over 75,000 guests to see more than 2,000 exhibitors with tens of thousands of product introductions. As the largest home furnishings trade show, with an international reputation, High Point gives attendees the first scoop on the emerging trends, product launches and design collaborations.

With several roundtable discussions, meet and greets, seminars and more, HPMKT is celebrated as the place to make strategic connections and to learn valuable tips and tricks of the trade. We’re excited about the lineup for this year’s Keynote Series, which will explore a wide range of cultural influences impacting the current home furnishings market. Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin-Williams Sue Wadden with VP of Home and Interiors for Fashion Snoops Jaye Anna Mize will explore the role of color and offer a 2019 forecast. Author and internationally renowned consumer futurist Doug Stephens will discuss the strategy behind creating an unforgettable customer experience, both in-stores and online. And Executive VP of Research and Chief Material Scientist at Material ConneXion Dr. Andrew Dent will share insight on the importance of creating personal and tangible interactions for customers in today’s increasingly digital world.

This year, the Design Viewpoint Series will dive into the newest innovations in home tech and the growing opportunity for healthy design. These panel discussions will cover topics like: the importance of developing new approaches in design, technology tools used by industry peers to make business more productive, and health and environmentally-conscious design. This series is sure to offer rising designers a competitive edge towards building an effective business model.

At The Point at HPMKT there will be a variety of activitations throughout the day including live podcasts, informal roundtable sessions, mixers including “After Hours” hosted before evening events, and more. Attendees are invited to connect, learn and share at these events.

As every tradeshow veteran knows, it’s important to take advantage of the quiet moments. HPMKT has organized Stars Under the Stars for a little fun and relaxed entertainment after the day ends. There will be plenty of tasty bites, drinks and live music!

We are also tracking several other cool events happening in conjunction with the show including the HGTV Stars Reunion, a HPMKT first. Surya showroom and Design Talk LIVE have collaborated to create this special event. Featuring some of our favorite faces from the network, this red carpet event is sure to be memorable. 

We can’t wait to see all that this season’s HPMKT has in store!

New at the Gagosian, PLAY from Swiss artist Urs Fischer is a must-see exhibit this fall. An ensemble of nine office chairs greets visitors as they enter the gallery. But these are not ordinary office chairs. They swivel in place, glide across the gallery space, and appear to take on lives of their own. Fischer’s interest in escaping traditional art norms is echoed in PLAY, where viewers are invited to walk a fine line between spectator and participant. But just as much as we are free, the objects of exhibit (the nine chairs) are also in a sense, autonomous – as they appear to roam the gallery on their own volition.

The longer one watches, the more challenging it becomes to distinguish between random movement and orchestrated choreography. Viewers may find they feel compelled to in fact play with the chairs.  And in time, the interplay between the spectators and the objects of spectacle seamlessly forms a play of its own – perhaps an area Fischer wanted to explore in the first place.

The chairs, by Humanscale and the celebrated industrial designer Niels Diffrient, are spectacles in their own right. Fischer selected nine different variations of the Freedom chairs so each one has a distinct design identity. From Crayola-like colors, to various configurations of headrests and armrests, each one captivates the audience as it moves. Though extensive engineering and programming helps to create the magic of the scene, viewers still buy into the illusion of this fictional world of play as they interact with the colorful chair-like critters or critter-like chairs.

According to the Gagosian, “Play, a ritual older than humankind, has set rules that distinguish it from reality, but it has no clear aim or value other than itself. Instead, it is merely a feedback loop, a push/pull of energy, bound by time and place. Accordingly, the chairs seem to behave in such ways as to belie some level of predictability—only to then debunk the illusion.”

Come to play and let yourself escape from reality for a bit at the Gagosian. PLAY is on view at the Gagosian until October 13th.

Artwork © Urs Fischer. Photo: Chad Moore. Courtesy Gagosian.

We stopped by the Somerset House during the London Design Biennale to visit our friends at culture.pl and check out A Matter of Things.  Curated by Małgorzata Wesołowska, it reveals the inextricable link between emotion and experience through the lens of Polish design. The exhibit is particularly poignant as it coincides with the 100th anniversary of Poland’s renewed independence.

A Matter of Things is the result of a nation-wide open call that the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and National Museum in Warsaw announced in November 2017. The winning exhibition was selected from sixteen entries submitted both by recognized curatorial voices and young curators, by a jury which included London Design Biennale Artistic Director, Christopher Turner. Małgorzata Wesołowska, the curator with the winning proposal, invited a team of designers, including Studio Noodi Design, Studio Szpunar and graphic designer and illustrator Michał Loba to work on the exhibition as a creative team. The resulting showcase explores the fluid meaning of items according to the place, time, language, and culture in which they are presented.

Atlanta’s design community is sizzling! Last night, was example of what happens when you bring Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine, Architectural firm Harrison Designs, and Steve Glamery with Blackston Custom Homes, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta together at the fabulous Sub-Zero Wolf Cove showroom located in Buckhead to Kick-Off the AH&L 2018 Home for the Holidays Showhouse!

The Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles 2018 Home for the Holiday Showhouse will mark the 10th annual milestone when the house opens November 15 and runs until December 9, 2018.  Over 20 designers working on the showhouse were in attendance, as well as many sponsors and the generous hosts Sub-Zero, Wolf & Cove  displaying the ultimate southern hospitality, the presenting sponsor Blackston Custom Homes, and new sponsor Larson-Juhl to share a few.  

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) will be the deserving beneficiary of this gorgeous showhouse this year.  Melisa Morrow, CHOA Foundation Development Officer, attended the event, expressed her gratitude and shared that it takes over $3M a day to provide care to all the children within the CHOA network. “She said, we simply couldn’t do what we do without the support of the design community and projects like the AH&L Home for the Holidays Showhouse.”  

The Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle 2018 Home for the Holidays Showhouse opens November 15. We can’t wait to see what this incredible team creates!

Looking for anything new? Or trying to discover what’s next? Join the New York Design Center (NYDC) for their 10th annual What’s New, What’s Next event tomorrow! What’s New, What’s Next has established itself to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, in the interior design community. This year, it will return with over 85 showrooms that will feature product introductions, meet and greets, panels, and soirees.

Last year, the event garnered more than 7,500 guests, in the iconic 16-floor design building on 200 Lex,. to celebrate the “new” and the “next” in design. Guests had the opportunity to meet and engage in dynamic conversations with the industry’s most prominent figures. NYDC partnered with 23 notable media publications and editors, some of which include: Architectural Digest, Elle Decor and T: Magazine.

Above three images: What’s New, What’s Next 2017

Don’t miss out on the industry’s biggest event yet. RSVP here.

About NYDC:

Designed by Ely Jacques Kahn, NYDC first opened its doors in 1926. Upon opening, it initially focused on department and retail store buyers. When the building began to shift its attention to architecture and interior design in the late 1970s, the building finally established itself, in 1981, as what it is known today: the New York Design Center. Over the years, NYDC has formed a network of close ties with museums, charity organizations, designers, and design schools. Today, NYDC is the industry’s finest resource for design and innovation.

With dazzling views of New York City’s evening skyline, people from the design community gathered for the 7th annual Picnic by Design fundraiser held by DIFFA (Design Industries Fighting AIDS) last Wednesday at the Viacom Lounge & Terrace.

Guests enjoying the extravagant views of New York City’s evening skyline. Photography by Erik Bardin.

Picnic by Design is DIFFA’s summer celebration. It offers design, food, and fun all to make a “DIFFArence” for a worthy cause. Designers, manufacturers, and artists collaborate to create “picnic baskets” filled with exclusive tickets and designer goodies, based on a particular theme. These baskets are then bid on by DIFFA supporters in which the funds eventually go to grant-making efforts that help nonprofits battle HIV/AIDS. The theme of this year’s Picnic by Design was Broadway, making the already spectacular event even more theatrical. This year the event surpassed last year’s record of $50,000, raising a total of $60,000! “You ask designers to create a simple basket, and you get a full-blown picnic extravaganza!” comments DIFFA Chair Cindy Allen.

This year’s Picnic by Design Participants for the “Picnic Baskets”:

• Antoinette Loupe: Donna Summer, The Musical
• BKSK Interiors: Donna Summer: The Musical
• Catskill Provisions: The Secret Life of Bees
• Gensler + Knoll: Kinky Boots
• HunterDouglas + Patrick James Hamilton Designs: Mean Girls
• Jes Gordon: Retro Broadway
• Knoll + Studios Architecture: Wicked
• Kravet: Frozen
• Lo Chen Design: Times Square
• Matouk: Spongebob
• McCory Interiors: Mama Mia
• Michele Alfano Design: Dear Evan Hanson
• Mikel Welch Designs: The Lion King
• NPZ Style & Décor: Chicago
• Peter Valcarcel: A Fishing Affair
• Rockwell Group: Tootsie
• WUNO & Broadway Cares
• Studio TK/Teknion w/Mancini Duffy
• Ted Moudis Associates: Annie
• Tito’s Handmade Vodka:
• Tyler Wisler: Aladdin
• Vanessa Deleon Associates: Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Check out some of these picnic baskets below:

Vanessa Deleon Associates: Breakfast at Tiffany’s Photography by Erik Bardin.

Knoll + Studios Architecture: Wicked

Michele Alfano Design: Dear Evan Hanson

Matouk: Spongebob

McCory Interiors: Mama Mia

About DIFFA:

DIFFA was founded over 3 decades ago with the mission to raise awareness and grant funds to organizations that “provide treatment, direct care services, preventive education programs and advocacy for individuals impacted by HIV/ AIDs”. Over the past 30 years, it has grown from a grassroots organization to a national foundation based in New York City with chapters and community partners all over the United States. Over the years, these associations, working together, have “provided more than $43 million to hundreds of HIV/AIDS organizations nationwide”.

“I first got involved with DIFFA over 20 years ago… It was this amazing revelation that design could make a difference. To this day, it remains a cathartic tool for designers to see their creations do good in the world.” -Co-Chair David Rockwell

Left: Co-Chair David Rockwell, Center: Executive Director Dawn Roberson, Right: Executive Director of Broadway Cares and Equity Fights AIDS Tom Viola. Photography by Erik Bardin.