Every May, New York City’s Javits Center transforms into something between a design studio, a marketplace, and a cultural summit. The aisles at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) are filled with design vignettes, furniture prototypes, experimental materials, emerging studios, established brands, students debuting their first collections, and buyers quietly deciding what the next few years of interiors might look like.
What makes ICFF so compelling is its mix of scale and intimacy. One booth might belong to established brands like Hästens or Fireclay Tile; the next could feature students from Universidad de Monterrey in Mexico, showcasing their hand-built lighting pieces.
Design here feels alive—ideas move quickly between students, independent makers, fabricators, architects, editors, retailers, and interior designers all under one roof.
More than 450 brands and studios from around the world gathered at the fair this year, presenting everything from collectible lighting and artisanal textiles to hospitality-focused furnishings and sustainable material innovations.
The mood throughout the halls felt energetic. Craftsmanship dominated conversation, with one vendor demonstrating traditional Japanese woodcarving techniques live on the floor. At another booth, SVA MFA students spoke passionately about their beautiful handmade lost-wax-cast objects.
The fair also celebrated standout exhibitors through its annual ICFF Editors Awards, which recognize exceptional work across categories including furniture, lighting, textiles, sustainability, and emerging talent. Winners this year reflected the fair’s broad range of creativity, honoring both established studios and younger independent makers whose work pushed material experimentation and craftsmanship in exciting new directions.
The Polish firm Zieta Studio took home Best in Show and Best International Brand, while the family-owned American brand Bernhardt Design received Best Furniture. Furniture maker Joey Aji was awarded Best of Emerging Designers Spotlight for his sculptural furniture pieces, and students from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), the University of Oregon, and Lawrence Technological University were recognized as well, underscoring how the fair celebrates not just established brands but emerging voices.
ICFF is technically a trade fair, but it rarely feels purely commercial. Yes, the halls are filled with store buyers, sourcing teams, architects, and interior designers moving quickly between appointments. Entire retail assortments and hospitality projects quietly begin here. But the event also acts as a public stage for design culture itself, where emerging voices are given space alongside more established names.
One of the most exciting aspects of the fair is its openness to discovery. The student showcases and independent maker sections often draw just as much attention as the larger brands. Visitors come looking for what feels new—not necessarily polished, but original.
And while much of the fair is industry-facing, the final day opens to the public, allowing design enthusiasts a rare chance to step inside a world usually reserved for trade professionals. For anyone passionate about interiors, it’s an unusually immersive experience: a chance to see where trends begin, how products are developed, and what designers are thinking about before those ideas filter into homes.
This year also brought major news for the future of the fair. ICFF announced that beginning in 2027, it will move from its longtime May schedule to a new November edition at the Javits Center, where it will run alongside BDNY, the hospitality design fair. Organizers say the shift will create a more focused moment for the industry within an increasingly crowded design calendar.
Still, what lingers after walking the fair this year is less about scheduling and more about atmosphere. A young maker’s prototype, a lavish Scalamandré-upholstered dog bed, and a major international launch all compete equally for attention. That mix of experimentation, ambition, and creativity is what continues to make ICFF feel so exciting.
