Still in its infancy, the Launch Pad portion of Wanted – which is now part…
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Wanted: Launch Pad Highlights Emerging Designers
Still in its infancy, the Launch Pad portion of Wanted – which is now part of ICFF – is a showcase for up-and-coming designers to display their prototypes of furniture, home accessories, and lighting.
While the “Launch Pad” portion of Wanted is relatively new – established in 2024 – its roots are deep. Founded in 2011 in New York City, WantedDesign was an annual event that featured the work of up-and-coming furniture designers and coincided with the timing of ICFF in Manhattan but was held at a different location and was not affiliated with ICFF per se.
As a lighting editor covering a bustling ICFF show at the Javits Center, it was difficult to carve out time to take a detour to check out WantedDesign back in those days. Things have changed, however.
According to ICFF’s website, the last edition of WantedDesign was in 2019. By 2020, the exhibition transitioned to a new format when it was acquired by Emerald Exhibitions, which owns ICFF. In 2021, it was renamed WantedDesign Manhattan and became a show-within-a-show at ICFF. In 2024. Although that name was shortened to Wanted, it has stayed true to its origins of showcasing recent design school graduates and those just starting out in their design careers.
To be clear, WantedDesign still exists on its own and continues to encourage participation from young designers globally. Led by a multi generational, multicultural team of women, the WantedDesign organization serves as a crossroad for the international design community across the Americas and Europe. WantedDesign organizers state, “Through our different programs – including residencies, design awards, destination travels, and a membership program for emerging designers – WantedDesign is a hub for the design community with a special focus on emerging talent.”
Now, what’s the difference between Wanted and WantedDesign? The ICFF site offers this clarification from WantedDesign:
“WantedDesign, the organization, is independently owned and run. It hosts programs like the International Residency in partnership with Industry City [in Brooklyn].
“We wanted to clearly differentiate Wanted, the ICFF feature, from WantedDesign, the organization. Wanted is a main feature of ICFF. Our vision is that ICFF can grow with features like Wanted, The Oasis, and Bespoke.”
Wanted’s relatively new Launch Pad platform for emerging designers focuses on new concepts and prototypes of furniture, home accessories, and lighting. It is designed to serve as a convenient setting where manufacturers can meet new designers and discuss potential products to develop.
Each of the two categories within Launch Pad – Furniture/Home Accessories and Lighting – feature pre-selected design studios and independent designers from all over the world. That selection was made by a jury of renowned industry professionals who chose the participating artists for this year’s edition from a large pool of applicants. In this article, Lighting News Now takes a look at some of the lighting designs that debuted as part of the Wanted: Launch Pad showcase.
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