With a balance of emerging talent and established brands, this year's edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair fostered meaningful connections, commercial momentum and critical dialogue across the global design community.
Returning to the Javits Center this May, the 2025 edition of the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) brought together over 400 design brands from 35 countries, reinforcing its role as a central meeting point for contemporary design in North America. Spanning residential, commercial and hospitality sectors, the fair attracted more than 13,000 attendees and maintained strong engagement across the board — despite ongoing market volatility and tariff pressures.
With a mix of human-centered, multi-sensory and multicultural approaches, the fair offered a diverse view of today's design landscape. This year's format focused not only on presentation and product but on curation and connection. From tactile craftsmanship to concept-led installations, exhibitors placed a premium on experience.
'We are thrilled with this edition of ICFF', said brand directors Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat. 'The quality of the exhibitors and the effort they put into creating thoughtful, creative, and inspiring presentations truly stood out.'
The synergy between the core ICFF exhibition and the WANTED platform created an energetic dialogue across the show. Debuts like Morpho by Ethnicraft and Tomorrowland, alongside established names such as Juniper, helped define the tone: experimental yet accessible. At the same time, newer voices — many featured in WANTED's Look Book — offered compelling narratives that drew strong interest from specifiers and buyers alike.
The wide range of talks and special events added depth and richness to the show, reinforcing its role as a key platform for design innovation and thought leadership.
One of the fair's defining strengths was its robust programming. Over 80 speakers — from established icons to emerging voices — took to The Main Stage, sponsored by Moroso and Danver and The Oasis, sponsored by Leon Speakers, Turf Design and Vestre in partnership with Architonic to draw a collective audience of over 1,500. Smaller, more intimate discussions unfolded in spaces like the Bespoke Salon and Aqua Atelier by Grohe, offering attendees a chance to engage more deeply around materials, sustainability, craft and commerce.
'This year, the quality and diversity of the programming was stronger than ever before', said Hainaut and Pijoulat. 'The wide range of talks and special events added depth and richness to the show, reinforcing its role as a key platform for design innovation and thought leadership.'
The ICFF Editors Awards once again celebrated design excellence across categories from lighting and craftsmanship to sustainable design. Notable winners included Larose Guyon (Best in Show), Rarify (Sustainable Design), Opiary (American Brand), and Lauren Goodman (Emerging Designer). Launch Pad and student-focused awards continued to showcase new talent, with highlights such as the Pivota Swivel Chair by Zhiwei Xie (Pratt Institute) and work from Rochester Institute of Technology.
With dates set for May 17–19, 2026, ICFF is already looking ahead to its next edition. If 2025 was any indication, the fair remains not only a key destination for contemporary design but also a barometer for where the industry is heading.
