New Curated Design Show Debuts in New York City Next Month

Shelter by Afternoon Light, a new, experiential design show to be held during New York Design Week (NYCxDESIGN), will be held May 17-19 at the iconic Starrett-Lehigh building on Manhattan’s West Side (601 West 26th Street). Organized by Afternoon Light, the online curatorial design destination founded by industry veterans Deirdre Maloney and Minya Quirk, Shelter by Afternoon Light will present a highly curated roster of 100+ companies targeting a global audience of top-tier A&D professionals. In addition, two days of the ticketed event will be open to design enthusiasts looking for a taste of what’s new now, with the chance to shop onsite.

Confirmed participating brands, galleries, and organizations include: USM Modular Furniture, Carl Hansen & Son, BD Barcelona, Tom Dixon, Matter, Colony, Fort Standard, JONALDDUDD, and Yamazaki Home, among others.

Inspired by the spirit of trade shows, art fairs, markets, and collectible design showcases, Shelter will bring to life offerings on Afternoon Light, the e-commerce platform launched in 2022.

“We jumped headfirst into home, furniture, and e-commerce after building our careers in fashion,” said Deirdre Maloney. “After a few years of playing by that rulebook, we are betting on differentiation by doing what we’ve always done: orchestrating industry-changing events that serve as beacons for business, community, and new ideas.”

Afternoon Light’s founders quickly identified a need for a premium, anchor event for New York Design Week.

“The enthusiasm is there, but a large, experiential showcase that can be as thrilling to jaded professionals as it is to young artists is missing,” added Minya Quirk. “We know how to execute an event that feels brand new and prioritizes face-to-face professional  relationships. We’re also excited about the public-facing, shopping aspect of this fair and the opportunities that will bring to brands.”

Maloney and Quirk previously co-founded the apparel show Capsule, a global powerhouse at the time of its acquisition in 2013 that operated 12 shows annually in both men’s and women’s markets across the U.S. and Europe.

In 2018, they launched the home and gift tradeshow Shoppe Object with Jesse James of the Aesthetic Movement showroom. Shoppe Object currently operates in-person shows in New York twice annually (February and August) and offers a year-round wholesale platform called Shoppe Online that serves 700+ brands and thousands of retailers.

Shelter by Afternoon Light will be produced in partnership with ANDMORE, the Blackstone portfolio company, operator of over 20 million square feet of premium trade show and showroom space, hosting markets in Atlanta, High Point, Las Vegas, and New York City.