ICFF is an annual fair in New York City for international contemporary furniture. Exhibitors consist of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, small design studios, individual designers, and students. On the bus to Javits Center, a stylish lady kindly guided me to the venue. We started a pleasant conversation to share information on sessions of lectures, and then exchanged contacts in case she needs help with computer or sketch. With decades of experience in interior design, she comments on how younger designers tend to rely on computer modeling over hands-on sketch, without knowing that the ability to draw quickly is critical for on-site communications. ”They always tell the clients to wait so they can bring computer graphics to the meeting next time. The fact is, there won’t be a next time!”

The scale of the exhibition is overwhelming. A two-hour cruise with occasional chats brought me to only one third of the show. The style could be roughly classfied into high-end simplistic modern, vernacular, novel and alternative, and recycled material reuse. High-end modern section stands out with dark interior and focused lighting to present the refined materials and nicely finished details. Vernacular decorative design attracts seekers of exotic furniture. Innovative ideas sprinkle among most booths, one has more than the other. Many of the recycled material reuse prototypes, however, still serve more as a design statement than store-buy products.

Exhibitors are usually willing to talk in the morning when visitors are sparse. Most people are friendly while a few of them just want to get rid of all non-customer visitors. A humorous salesperson of bathroom design introduced their business model. A furniture designer asked to see my sketchbook and told me to email him. A Pratt alumna talked about the difference between furniture pieces made by interior designers and those by architects. Thanks to them, the event has offered a quick immersion into the furniture industry.