Returning for its 21st edition, Design Miami showcased its largest curation to date. ICON explores some of this year’s top highlights.
Courtesy of Design Miami, Design Miami returned for its 21st edition in early December with a theme of Make.Believe
Words by Roddy Clarke
Marking its 20th anniversary year, Design Miami returned to its flagship Miami Beach location for its 21st edition, bringing together it’s largest selection of exhibitors yet. Curated around a theme of Make. Believe., it once again put the spotlight onto collectible design from around the globe and the narratives that lie behind each piece.
With the event exploring the intersection between design, art and craft, the vivid displays from over 80 international galleries reemphasised the joy found in design and the making behind the works on display. ‘It celebrates the process of how a designer goes about the visceral experience of creating each and every piece,’ says April Magen, the VP of Global Partnerships for the fair, when discussing the fair’s ongoing mission.
Guided by a strict curatorial approach that upholds the quality and standard of the pieces on show with vetting from a third-party committee, the fair finds a seamless balance between heritage and modernity, with traditional crafts placed alongside contemporary design pieces. And, in a world of AI and digital media, it offered a welcome reminder of the beauty found in such physical creations where artisanal craft is front and centre. ‘One part of our mission is to reconnect us with the craft behind the pieces that we see, while also reconnecting us emotionally to the works that we’re investing in,’ continues Magen.
Image courtesy of Jeanne Canto, The fair’s impressive Design Talks Theatre was conceived in partnership with Architectonica with the talks curated and hosted by Glenn Adamson
One of the key returning partners was Maison Perrier-Jouët, who announced the first recipient of its Design for Nature Award:Iris van Herpen. Inviting designers to explore sustainability through the flair and spirit of the Art Nouveau movement, the Award is part of a wider mission of both organisations to further conversation around design as a meaningful tool for environmental change. With the fair centred on the value of longevity through the art of collecting, it again reiterates the importance of upholding such values in the design process. With the acclaimed fashion designer’s work directly inspired by the poetic intricacies of natural ecosystems, she will be presenting a unique work at Design Miami 2026 that will continue to explore the symbiotic relationship between her practice and the environment. ‘I am deeply honoured to receive the Perrier-Jouët Design for Nature Award,’ she says. ‘My work has long explored the symbiosis between fashion and art. The opportunity to create a design-led experience at Design Miami 2026 is really inspiring and allows me to deepen my exploration of the ever-shifting relationship between our body and the living forces of nature.’
Maison Perrier-Jouët partnered with designer Marcin Rusak for this year’s show, with an experiential project titled ‘Plant Pulses’. The project is outlined below alongside four other highlights from this year’s edition.
Plant Pulses by Marcin Rusak x Maison Perrier-Jouët
Courtesy of Maison Perrier-Jouët, Plant Pulses by Marcin Rusak and Maison Perrier-Jouët offered an immersive sensorial experience examining the ecosystems behind the plants found in the champagne vineyards, set against the striking backdrop of the Miami coastline
Polish designer Marcin Rusak created an immersive installation in partnership with Maison Perrier-Jouët at Faena beach as part of Feana Art programming. Titled ‘Plant Pulses’, the project examined the ecosystem of the Perrier-Jouët terroir while also exploring the work of Bartek Chojnacki and Klara Choknacka, two PhD researchers at AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. Resulting in a sculptural herbarium that encased three hero plants Rusak had collected from the vineyards, it was placed in front of a large-scale media screen depicting an animated soundscape inspired by three different states of the plant. While the real plants were preserved inside the resin herbarium, the striking visual display brought the concept to life, allowing us to observe and become immersed in the evolving ecologies that often lie beneath the surface. The seats within the installation were also designed by Rusak and 3D-printed in his studio, based on the plants he had collected. While a temporary installation, the project draws attention to Perrier-Jouët’s ongoing regenerative viticulture programme. To celebrate the project, the champagne house also hosted the ‘Banquet of Nature’, an immersive dinner conceived in partnership with 3 Michelin star Chef Pierre Gagnaire and the Dutch design duo Steinbeisser.
Fonderia Fendi by Conie Vallese
Image courtesy of Jeanne Canto, Fonderia Fendi was conceived by Argentinian designer and artist Conie Vallese, bringing together Italian craft with a manifestation of feminine strength
FENDI presented Fonderia Fendi to celebrate its 100-year anniversary, conceived by the Argentinian designer and artist Conie Vallese and curated by Dan Thawley. Located within the fair, the striking colour-blocked installation captured the attention of visitors, while showcasing five one-of-a-kind pieces that had been handcrafted by local Italian ateliers. With Vallese recreating an intimate Salotto (living room) to display the collection, it presented a manifestation of feminine strength coupled with Italian craft. From a delicately framed bronze bench and screen to decorative tiled podiums and a handwoven carpet, this fair highlight paid homage to FENDI’s legacy through the contemporary vision and sensitivity of Vallese.
Lithic Bloom by Sten Studio
Courtesy of Sten Studio, Using the permanence of stone to address the fragility of botanical life, the Mexican studio offered a sensorial experience within the fair using scent and sound to immerse visitors within an ‘eternal garden’
From sculptural furniture to modular lamps and scent diffusers handcrafted from stone, Mexican design laboratory Sten Studio displayed their creations in an ‘eternal garden’. Translating the fragility of botanical life into permanent stone structures, the display told a deeper story while being set to subtle bird soundscapes offering another sensorial layer. Each piece was inspired by a specific variety of flora while also showcasing the inherent beauty found within the different minerals used.
‘Keep It Curious’ by Tuleste Factory
Courtesy of Tuleste Factory, This visual feast from New York based gallery Tuleste Factory was a stand-out highlight at the fair showcasing the power of curation in creating evocative installations that draw visitors into another world
With its bold graphic colour palette, avantgarde materiality and whimsical curation, this vivid installation felt like stepping inside a surreal fantasy world. Featuring works from artists and designers such as Marina Abramovic, Pilar Zeta, Bert Furnari and Brandi Howe, Tuleste Factory set a high benchmark in transforming a standardised exhibition stand into such a visual feast. Led by Satu and Celeste Greenberg, the New York gallery is one to watch, with it becoming a destination for those who seek the extraordinary. It was a welcome reminder of how design can transcend function through materiality, strong narrative and an unconventional approach resulting in an evocative and emotive experience.
R O O T S by Roham Shamekh
Photography ©Ferdy Wallace, The R O O T S Sofa by artist Roham Shamekh where visitors could indulge in a moment of escapism amidst the busy environment of the fair
Also located inside the fair, Shamekh’s booth offered a moment of escapism through a multisensory, meditative experience that reconnected visitors with the wonder of nature. The centrepiece of the stand was a hand-carved white sofa made from ceramic and resin with its form resembling root-like vines that coiled together around the back of the seat. As you took a seat, headphones were provided allowing you to listen to a soundtrack inspired by forest ecosystems and elemental rhythms helping to regulate your nervous system within a busy environment: an intentional design experience bringing us back to ourselves.
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