May 14, 15 and 16, 2005 (10:30am each day)
Three
panel discussions at the 3rd annual Downtown, featuring among
others John Thackara and Jeanne Wikler
Saturday,
May 14
Redefined Basics
A panel discussion featuring Crystal Weaver, Dean of the School
of Building Arts at the Savannah College of Art & Design;
Liselotte Watkins, a fashion illustrator who is debuting her
rug collection; Target Design Team Representative and Shelley
Simpson, designer and owner of Mud Australia.
Sunday,
May 15
The Business of Design
A
panel discussion featuring Jeanne Wikler, General Director for
Cultural Affairs, Consulate General of the Netherlands; John
Thackara, author of In the Bubble: Designing in a Complex World;
and Sina Djafari, partner in Design Public.
Monday,
May 16
The Art of Plastics in Architecture & Design
An AIA accredited seminar by Mary Boone Wellington, artist and
founder of LightBlocks, an innovative plastics fabrication studio.
More
about Downtown:
What
is Downtown?
Downtown—New York City’s largest off-site design
event—is a showcase for select international design companies
and product manufacturers. This three-day trade event provides
a viable, alternative platform for designers to present their
products to the thousands of design professionals who attend
New York Design Week. This year Design Downtown will be held
at Drive-In Studios also in Chelsea. The former parking garage
has been completely renovated into a luxurious, modern event
space, and the ideal "blank canvas" for Downtown's
roster of international designers.
Why
was Downtown established?
When attending the shows in Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo and
Cologne, the most interesting products and presentations are
found at the off-site venues. The “why” became evident—there
was no off-site culture in the U.S., not even in New York. While
there are design events taking place around the ICFF, nothing
has been created to generate business for young companies, hidden
design gems and emerging talent.
Who
attends Downtown?
Over 5,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, press
and savvy consumers attend Downtown to preview over 100 international
product lines, many of which are shown in the U.S. for the first
time.
What
goes on at Downtown?
The relaxed atmosphere of Downtown, where participants temporarily
create specific environments to present their lines, has proven
to be an innovative, enjoyable way to do business in the world’s
largest design market. In addition to promoting and supporting
design talent, Downtown highlights include press previews, trend
forecast seminars and nightly cocktail receptions. Downtown
has become a “must-see” event during New York Design
Week and has garnered extensive media coverage.
What
is New York Design Week?
Each year in May, New York City becomes an exciting and vital
design destination which has lead to an increase in demand for
alternatives to the “convention center” approach
to marketing. Downtown has taken the lead in presenting the
target audience of design leaders, retailers and press with
the opportunity to discover the great design talent. Our goal
is to assist in building an exciting New York Design Week that
rivals the success of the European markets...or even our city’s
own Fashion Week.
Downtown press attendees included:
Wallpaper*, Abitare, The New York Times, INTERIOR DESIGN magazine,
ELLE DECOR, CNN, Interni, New York Magazine, Vogue, Citizen
K, Time Out New York, Associated Press, The New York Sun, Design
Diffusion News, Designboom.com, FFI, I.D., designaddict.com,
Oprah Magazine, usefulandagreeable.com, Loop, idanda.com, Azure,
Big, City Magazine, Connecticut Magazine, Country Living Magazine,
Western Interiors, Dow Jones News Service, Furniture Style,
London Daily Mail, Martha Stewart Living, Metropolis, Metropolitan
Home, America Online, Wire Image, NRC Handelsblad, Nylon, Paper,
Real Simple, Town & Country, Traditional Home, Architectural
Digest.
Here
is what some of them wrote:
"In its second year, Downtown has brought together another
exciting innovative show of design talent and it is fantastic."
—New York Magazine
The first
reason to spend time at Downtown is to hang out at the Chelsea
Hotel. The best reason is to see truly innovative work.
—ID Magazine
“If
the stiflingly, well-carpeted Javits Center starts giving you
the creeps, run like hell to Downtown.”
—The New York Observer
“New
York furniture fair spreads its wings across the city.”
—The New York Times
“Seen
Downtown, a new trend in fixtures: no wire hangers.”
—The New York Times
“Chic
meets cheeky in Chelsea. A roving crowd of hipster artists,
decorators and soigné design mavens scrutinized designs
of every stripe and provenance… the vibe was homey and
relaxed.”
—The New York Sun
"Downtown
was a joy to experience with the variety of conceptual installations
and products on display.”
—Canadian Interiors
“…Trade
shows are notoriously overwhelming and often products can get
lost in the sterile environment of a convention hall, but at
Downtown , designers showed their work in actual rooms, which
made the exhibition extremely relaxed and personal...”
—TrendCentral.com
Contact:
Abe
Gurko
Design Downtown
Office:
Space Downtown
276 West 25th Street, Red Door
New York, NY 10001
Tel.: 212-352-9968
Fax: 212-352-1083
abe@spacedowntown.com
www.designdowntown.com
