In March, right as the coronavirus pandemic was taking hold, NYCxDesign announced that it would postpone this year’s festivities, which were originally scheduled for May. The citywide design festival, headlined by tentpole trade shows such as ICFF and WantedDesign, planned to delay programming until October to align with like-minded events such as the Cooper Hewitt’s National Design Week, Archtober, Open House New York, and the Architecture and Design Film Festival.

Those plans were optimistic at best—the coronavirus continues to cancel in-person events, forcing organizers to explore virtual alternatives. Responding to the needs of an industry upended by these cancellations and that thrives on in-person interaction, ICFF and WantedDesign have joined forces to develop a virtual platform to showcase this year’s latest design offerings with CLOSEUP, a two-day trade event inspired by a TV show format. Across two dynamic days of programming, scheduled for October 28 and 29, more than 20 North American designers and manufacturers will share new product launches, insights on the latest design trends, and virtual networking experiences through pre-recorded videos that will be available for streaming.

Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, the co-founders of WantedDesign, hope that CLOSEUP brings North American design to those who couldn’t attend the show in years past. “Since we launched WantedDesign in 2011, we’ve always been interested in rethinking the trade show format,” the duo said in a joint statement. “This year forces us to make this happen in a big and exciting new way, and hopefully add a zest of entertainment to the mix!” So far, participants include established brands Ligne Roset, Moooi, and Juniper, as well as emerging designers like James Dieter, Rosie Li, and Lorekform. Don’t forget to pre-register; it’s mandatory.

Have a news story our readers need to see? Submit it here.

Reach the design world every morning. Find out more about advertising in the Design Dispatch.

The Colombian textile studio VERDI often pairs local craft traditions with elevated materials to create stylish homewares and fashion accessories resplendent in local lore. Lately, the founder and creative director, Tomas Vera, has been captivated by the Cauca region’s rich history of raising silkworms, also known as sericulture. "We’re constantly experimenting with new techniques and material combinations from the vast Colombian repertoire," Vera says.

Putting these material fascinations on full display is their latest offering—a capsule of aureate handbags featuring an eye-catching fusion of silver-plated metal threads with organic silk sourced from Cauca. Perhaps the lineup’s most exceptional item is the Seashell Weave Handbag. A romantic ode to Colombia’s picturesque beaches, the marine shell motif intricately fuses the two fibers—a process that can take up to ten days—to create a glimmering interplay between materials.

While the world has been in lockdown, Susan Spiranovich and Adam Holtzinger, founders of Brooklyn glassmaking studio KEEP, devised a new way to continue working without a physical space. “We needed to not only keep our minds busy, but give ourselves something to look forward to when we could regather in the studio,” says Spiranovich. To establish a sense of collaboration, KEEP worked remotely with fellow Urban Glass fabricator, Anders Rydstedt, on a platform, called Re:Gather, that combines the intimate process of glassblowing with our inherent need for social connection. The name also references the act of “gathering” molten glass at the end of a blowpipe.

“We wanted to create something hopeful, optimistic, and representative of social connection,” says Spiranovich. This emotional hankering led to Cupples, a pair of interlocking glasses with a Gestalt-like composition: one features an inverted central band, while the other is equipped with a concave loop (both double as ergonomic grips). Offered in five colors, including aqua, amber, and blush, the first product is made and shipped from the artisan’s Brooklyn studio.

When: Until Oct. 28

Where: New York, New York

What: In the 1920s, the Irish architect and designer Eileen Gray oversaw the construction of E-1027, a bracingly modern seaside villa that overlooks the turquoise waters of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the south of France. Neglected during and after World War II, and often misattributed to Jean Badovici and Le Corbusier, E-1027 has come to be regarded as a masterpiece, and Gray’s most famous work, but her many other achievements continue to be overlooked. “Eileen Gray,” a newly opened retrospective at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery in New York, aims to change that.

The show, which reopened after Covid-induced closures and now runs through October 28, includes more than 200 pieces, including never-before-exhibited furniture, lacquer works, drawings, and excerpts from a video interview recorded in 1973—three years before Gray’s death, at 98.

Conveying movement and intuition, the Brooklyn artist Stefan Rurak’s one-of-a-kind sculptural furnishings serve as a wildly expressive canvas for pigmented concrete. They’re equally refined yet rough-around-the-edges, adorned with hand-applied splashes, gilded etchings, and glowing patinas to ultimately transcend utilitarian boundaries and become artworks.

Eyevan 7285’s concept is “Eyewear as a fashion item.” The collection is known for its timeless design, Japanese craftsmanship, and creativity, employing vintage elements and today’s foremost technologies. Subtle details such as titanium nose pads, arabesque details, and striking flat lenses define the collection.

Surface Says: Eyevan 7285 produces eyewear that brings many sources of inspiration—from old-school spectacles to architectural structures—into a single, timeless design. The classic silhouettes double as instant wardrobe staples.

Michael McCluskey’s eerie photographs of the Midwest evoke sci-fi stills.

Bang & Olufsen reissues surviving models of their classic 1972 turntable.

Lenny Kravitz’s piano for Steinway & Sons might be suited for an art museum.

Vincent Leroy suspends a cluster of conceptual bubbles in Bryce Canyon.