On the heels of two of the season’s most influential trade shows — where PROjECT. had cutie booties on the ground — founder + visionary Aimee Wertepny shares her fave makers and the design narratives that are moving the needle.

ICFF

It’s nearly impossible to distill the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) down to a shortlist of discoveries. That said, these eight businesses deserve to be put on blast for their artistry, innovation and all around clout — and the majority of them are female-owned! 

Luminaire Authentik: PROjECT. is really into Luminaire Authentik’s lighting for its simplicity and versatility. All of their pendant, wall-mount and freestanding lights are handmade, and they’re doing some really cool things with natural stone. (Check out the gentle curves on the brand’s Onyx Nopal sconces.) Better still, all of their lighting is fully customizable with every color under the rainbow.

Ariel Zuckerman: Another lighting house that we’re pinning is Ariel Zuckerman. Their Knitted collection really caught our eye at ICFF. A collaboration between Ariel and Israeli designer Oded Sapir, this series of light fixtures combines technology with tradition to show-stopping results. The dangling knit pendants (if you can even call them that) blur the line between art and function in a gorgeously groovy way.

Opiary: At PROjECT., we love a mod mashup. Opiary, a bespoke furniture, planters and sculpture maker out of Brooklyn, is incorporating plants into its furniture designs — and we just can’t get enough. Call it biophilic design or bringing the outdoors in… Either way, their take on the integration is elemental, unpretentious and polished, and an artful way to commune with nature in the great indoors. 

Baril: That moment when you connect with a product is a beautiful thing. The second we spied Baril’s kitchen and bath fixtures, we were all up in our feelings — and knew we’d be dance partners. This female-owned, Montreal-based plumbing company has a discreet way of combining style and function. Check out their bulbous valves and shower heads in brass. They’re so fierce! And oh-so PROjECT.

JD Staron: It only takes one look to see that the designers at JD Staron are total dream weavers. Imaginative and truly bespoke — literally any color, pattern and shape you can come up with, they can accommodate — every rug and carpet is handcrafted with intention and stands as a unique work of art. They are also committed to reducing their carbon footprint, which is always aces in our book. 

Illulian: In case you haven’t noticed, PROjECT. loves weirdo rugs that aren’t confined to any specific shape — and Illulian has them in abundance. This Milan-based brand has a way with unique color combinations that delight and surprise. Currently, we’re flirting with their Orbis rug, a collab with Mc + Design Studio, for its fantastical shape and fluffy tufts. 

Dupenny: If it’s cheeky, we’re likely to take her for a spin — which is why we like the naughty wallcoverings from UK designer Emily Dupen. This bespoke, illustration-led design house has a thing for pinups and sexy sirens, and embracing the female form in all of its glory. With nipple covers or without (the choice is yours), Dupenny’s wallpapers are fun, colorful and unabashedly chic.

Apparatus: At PROjECT., we have big love for Apparatus’ creative director Gabriel Hendifar. And the avant-garde lighting brand revealed a major showroom glow up during ICFF that left us swooning (think a sexy saturation of oxblood, blushes and animal prints). Plus, we’re still unpacking how to incorporate their hand-wrapped leather or suede Reprise pendants into an upcoming project. Stay tuned.

NEOCON

NeoCon, the world’s leading platform and most important event of the year for the commercial interior design industry, never disappoints. While it was amazing to peep all of the new products this year at The Mart — here’s lookin’ at you Ann Sacks and Brizo — it’s the keynote discussions that have us dreamin’ up fresh design moves. Here are some takeaways from two of our faves… 

Simplicity and Reduction: Cindy Allen, Editor-In-Chief of Interior Design, In Conversation with Designer and Author, Barbara Barry

Hosted in Interior Design's DesignScene lounge during NeoCon, Cindy Allen, the mag’s EIC, spoke to iconic American designer Barbara Barry about her life and her legacy, her lines and collaborations, and best practices for pairing things down for simplicity. Known for crafting elegant forms that marry clean lines and sensual curves, Barry reminded attendees that there’s confidence in quiet moments. From the way light streams through a glass of water to dappled fall leaves, Barry gravitates to forms that elicit a feeling and, therefore, become ingrained in memory. 

Takeaways: While boldness will always make a statement, there’s also confidence in quieter design. “The eye is so sophisticated, it sees everything,” Barry said. “The trick, though, is to notice — to lean into a pause.” And we couldn’t agree more.

The Power of Affirmation: Yinka Ilori In Conversation with ASID’s Khoi Vo and IIDA’s Cheryl Durst 

If you’re not hip to British-Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori yet, you should be. Behind his progressive work lies a philosophy grounded in design’s power to tell stories of identity, culture, and purpose. During an intimate “fireside chat”-style keynote at NeoCon 2024, Ilori discussed how he harnesses diverse mediums of design as a catalyst to tell stories, using creativity as a language to celebrate cultural identities, and how design has the power to elevate the individual while unifying the masses. 

Takeaways: Now more than ever, these tenets — meaningful storytelling and celebrating our diverse identities — should be intimately incorporated in modern design. It’s absolutely incredible to see so many new designers letting the background story behind the design lead the design itself — something we always prioritize at PROjECT. for connection, authenticity, and heart.