Eat your heart out, Manhattan designers.
The third annual "Brooklyn Designs" is back, and it’s
bigger and better than ever. In fact, this home furnishings designer
showcase has become such a phenomenon that some sneaky artists
who don’t hail from the Borough of Kings have tried to infiltrate
the application process, according to "Brooklyn Designs"
event manager and producer Karen Auster.
But Brooklynites, fear not: this year’s edition of "Brooklyn
Designs" will exclusively showcase the best of Brooklyn’s
up-and-coming furniture designers in a three-day extravaganza
– May 6-8 in DUMBO – that will also include speakers, seminars
and hands-on demonstrations. The public is welcome to view the
exhibits, too – even if they’re from Manhattan.
A few years ago, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President Kenneth
Adams embarked on a mission to give talented, but struggling,
designers from this borough a chance. The result was "Brooklyn
Designs," presented by the chamber.
"It’s very hard for designers to market and sell their work,"
Auster told GO Brooklyn. "These exhibitors are all real
people; they’re not arrogant. They’re trying to grow their businesses,
and they have great designs."
Amy Helfand, a Red Hook mom and one of the artists new to "Brooklyn
Designs," will be debuting her custom-made rugs, which are
hand-knotted in Nepal as part of her involvement in the Rugmark
Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to end illegal child
labor.
"I feel very lucky to be able to do this," said Helfand.
Boerum Hill native Bill Gray of Here There Designs will be showing
off his 100-percent recyclable lighting pieces, all made from
non-toxic, fully sustainable, archival material that won’t degrade
or wear out. When Gray first began designing in a cramped Williamsburg
loft, he didn’t want to work with materials that were hazardous
to his health.
"My work grew out of enlightened self-interest," Gray
said. "As I hired people, I didn’t want to ask them to work
with materials I wasn’t willing to work with myself." Gray
described his aesthetic as more "organic sculptural forms"
rather than "reminiscent of potatoes," like other natural
designs he’s seen.
"Nontoxic is sort of a side note for us – it’s a process
that allows us to make shapes and designs that aren’t available
otherwise," he said. "I’m surprised that more companies
haven’t taken this position, because it’s so easy."
Helfand and Gray are just two of 47 designers that will be featured
in the "Brooklyn Designs" showrooms in DUMBO; St. Ann’s
Warehouse has 8,600 square feet of exhibition space while the
Brooklyn Designs gallery has another 7,200 square feet.
"All of the designers are amazing this year," said
Auster. "We had a record number of applications, and these
are the best designers in Brooklyn."
The overwhelming success of previous "Brooklyn Designs"
showcases has attracted competition from other boroughs.
"A lot of people have tried to sneak in from Manhattan,"
said Auster. "They did things like use their grandmother’s
address. But to qualify, the exhibitors must either design or
build their products in Brooklyn."
David Liatti, of DUMBO’s Glide Inc., will be featuring his signature
fusion of furniture and lighting products with technology integration.
Customers can set their own wheels of creativity in motion with
his twist-together lamp, a collection of resin blocks in sets
of four or six which allows you to "build your own decorative
luminary."
And couples might be drawn to his desktop cabinet for the security-conscious,
which features two drawers in a high-gloss stain, each with its
own independently controlled, fingerprint-recognition lock pad.
Only the user’s recognized fingerprint will open the drawers.
"It’s very discreet," said Liatti. "Plus, it’s
realistic."
Other exhibitors will offer glamour and glitz. Returning Zia-Priven
Design of the Brooklyn Navy Yard will show off its 1940s-inspired
Lucite and crystal lamps with tall shades and sensual glass finials,
and Aviva Stanoff Design Inc. of DUMBO will showcase its sophisticated
and colorful handcrafted, luxury home collection.
Attendees will also be able to check out the modern elegance
of Niche Modern’s hand-blown light fixtures which are manufactured
in the Brooklyn Navy Yard (although Niche Modern is an East Village
company); Igloo children’s furniture, by Park Sloper Lisa Albin,
featuring organic, natural shapes with contemporary sensibility;
and the architectural line of stainless steel and aluminum panel
doors by Greenpoint-based Material Process Systems.
Other exhibitors will be available to commission personal designs,
such as Williamsburg’s Decoradar, a decorative service that produces
murals and installations for interior spaces, and furniture-maker
Michael Puryear, based in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, who designs
and builds pieces for his clients using the concept of "shibui"
(Japanese for "simple elegance").
One of the event sponsors, Pratt Institute, will feature innovative
new student work from its industrial design department.
The weekend’s highlights include a variety of special seminars,
including "Breakthrough Design Ideas: From Brooklyn To Beyond,"
a presentation by Metropolis magazine editor-in-chief Susan Szenasy,
and a panel discussion, "The Big Apple Goes Design-Build,"
with Virginia Gardiner of Dwell magazine.
DUMBO-based, world-renowned public sculptor Tom Otterness and
various interior designers and architects will also give talks
throughout the weekend.
"Brooklyn Designs" gives the public a unique chance
to meet the artists in person.
"The designers are approachable, and they love to share
their stories," said Auster. "You don’t have to go
to some Web site. It’s more personal. You can find someone to
build something just for you."
"Brooklyn Designs" will be
held at the St. Ann’s Warehouse (38 Water St. at Dock Street
in DUMBO) and the Brooklyn Designs gallery (37 Main St. at Front
Street in DUMBO) on May 6, from 10 am to 8 pm; May 7, from 10
am to 7 pm; and May 8, from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets: $10 (includes
admission to both exhibit venues as well as design seminars).
Trade members can pre-register for free tickets to May 6 events
online-only at www.brooklyndesigns.net.
For more information, contact Karen Auster at (718) 243-1414.
