Design trade show Shelter has been organised to bring the “razzle dazzle” of Milan to New York during NYCxDesign, according to this exclusive interview with showrunners Deirdre Maloney and Minya Quirk.
Founded under the umbrella of online design marketplace Afternoon Light, Shelter is set to occupy most of the third floor of the 1931 Starrett-Lehigh Building in New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood.
Shelter emphasises its focus on novelty – its first iteration is operating under the name Mart Nouveau.
A “strong anchor” for New York design
The founders said they wanted to create a “strong anchor” for the city’s annual design week, which now takes up at least two weeks in the middle of May.
“New York design week felt scattered,” Maloney told Dezeen.
“There are a lot of smaller, exciting things happening, but it didn’t feel like there was another strong anchor that was fresh and new and could capture the audience that we usually look to capture.”
They said that Shelter will be geared towards both trade professionals and the “design enthusiast public”.
For Shelter, the pair outlined points of differentiation from standard trade shows during the planning. Among these was a focus on a “democratic” layout for Shelter by mixing upcoming and established brands.
Shelter’s lineup shows a diversity of participants, from business-forward brands such as Humanscale to designer Chris Held’s long-running avant-garde group show Jonald Dudd.
Maloney and Quirk bring extensive trade show experience to the endeavour. The pair cut their teeth in the fashion world, founding global fashion trade show Capsule in 2007, before selling it in 2014.
With design curator Jesse James, they also helped found decor show Shoppe Object.
Maloney and Quirk acknowledged the difficulties of selling space on the floor for a new fair, noting that many brands had not set aside a budget for an extra fair.
“We have no proof of concept,” said Quirk. “We’re selling it with a deck and a dream.”
Even so, more than 100 brands have signed up, including some notable American and international brands. Danish furniture company Carl Hansen & Søn, Dutch design brand Moooi and American modular furniture brand USM are all on the list of participants.
Maloney and Quirk believe that what’s attractive about their model is the sense of collaboration and fun they’ve imbued into the programming and briefs.
The pair noted that they encouraged participants to “not bring the usual trade show booth” in an attempt to cultivate a sense of “surprise” from guests.
“From the most jaded designers to somebody who might just be interested in design, or a student, we want them to be able to come away from the show and say ‘wow, I really saw something unexpected.'”
They said that so far, brands have planned foosball tournaments, piercing stations, and live rattan caning. No large-scale installations and activations are being organised by Shelter directly, according to Maloney, who said they wanted to “put on a great first show, and then build it from there”.
“The goal isn’t to be Milan in New York”
Shelter will also feature a talk programme, including a panel on transgender design.
Beyond the democratic floor plan and departure from typical booth setups, the founders mentioned another key element aimed at setting the fair apart – shopping.
Areas will be set up for guests to shop for small objects, and Shelter is encouraging brands to include QR codes for easy purchase.
Maloney and Quirk said the streamlined shopping element provokes visitors to “interact and ask questions”.
The overall idea, according to the duo, was to create a place where visitors “want to be, versus a place where you have to be” and hope to capture the dynamism they’ve seen during Milan’s design week.
“The goal isn’t to be Milan in New York,” said Maloney. “But it’s definitely to have some of that razzle dazzle.”
The fair joins ICFF, which takes place at the Javitts Center, the current highest-volume design trade show during NYCxDesign as well as multiple different programmes, many of which are organized by neighbourhoods such as Chelsea and DUMBO.
The photography is courtesy of Afternoon Light.
Shelter is running from 17 to 19 May in New York. Visit our dedicated NYCxDesign 2025 guide to keep up with all the design events in the city from 15 to 21 May and the general Dezeen Events Guide for international fairs, showcases and panels in architecture and design.
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