From significant business changes to noteworthy product launches, there’s always something new happening in the world of design. In this weekly roundup, AD PRO has everything you need to know.
Product Launches
Nicole Fuller Debuts New Collection for The Rug Company
Do you find yourself filled with the urge to travel right now—while left only with interiors projects to work on? If the answer is yes, then designer Nicole Fuller might just have the answer to your decorating prayers. Her new collection of carpets with The Rug Company—named Wanderlust—will transport you (and your clients) to far-off lands. The rugs included are titled Harmony, Jungle, Lamu Sun, and Lamu Sand.
Fairs
Stockholm Design Week Marches On and More
At this point, we’re pretty used to virtual fairs and limited in-person efforts. But a designer beaming him- or herself across national borders, in order to make a virtual appearance at an IRL fair? That’s something entirely new. Renegade Tom Dixon did exactly that, when he appeared as a hologram at Stockholm Design Week to help launch his new collection, Cloud. And SDW was full of additional delights. A new brand, named Veermakers, made its debut—and turned heads in the process thanks to its sleek wooden furniture designs.
On this side of the pond, NY Luxury Design Fair has announced its first annual Editor’s Choice Awards. As the name suggests, the awards will be judged by a jury of editors, including AD PRO’s own Katy Olson. The correlating fair will take place September 9–12, 2021, at the Javits Center in New York City.
Commissions
Snøhetta to Lead Major Dartmouth Project
Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta is officially spearheading the expansion and redesign of the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College. Mary Lou Aleskie, the Howard L. Gilman ’44 director of the center, commented to AD PRO of the news: “As the challenges of our time have us reinventing live arts, film, media, and even higher education itself, it is auspicious that Dartmouth and the Hop will have the chance to collaborate with one of the world’s most innovative design firms, Snøhetta, in creating spaces that will better serve our current and future students, artists, and audiences.”
Preservation
An Art Deco Gem Is On the Brink of Extinction
The lobby of Raymond Hood’s McGraw-Hill building is set to be demolished. Design industry insiders, such as David Netto, have decried the news. The Art Deco gem is a master class in style, and one that makes particularly good use of silvery and emerald tones. Hopefully, it will be saved, but if not, you better go see it soon.
Good Works
Visibility Workshop for Designers of Color Launches February 18 and More
On February 18, Kamille Glenn—founder of Designer’s Workshop, a collective of people of color in the design disciplines—and Felema Yemaneberhan, architectural and interior designer, will host a visibility workshop inviting Black designers and makers “to share your thoughts with each other and the design community. We’ve onboarded fellow Black designers, journalists, and vendors to promote our discussion and blur the lines of hierarchy.”
Kicking off at 7 p.m. EST, the workshop will feature breakout sessions, networking opportunities, a panel discussion, and more, with a roster of speakers and participants that includes Cory Henry, principal of Atelier Cory Henry; Tracy Llewellyn, founder of Llewellyn Design Studio; Kathianna Rousseau, an interior designer with the Rockwell Group, and others. Glenn, herself a Rockwell Group designer, founded the collective for designers of color working in disciplines as diverse as textiles, jewelry, industrial, fashion, and interiors and architecture. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
