NYCxDesign 2017: US designers shine thanks to entrepreneurship

Editor’s Note: Max Fraser is a design expert, curator and special correspondent for CNN Style.

New York CNN  — 

Now in its fifth year, NYCxDesign has firmly established itself as a must-do on the design circuit, offering up three whole weeks of design-related exhibitions, events, installations, talks and parties right across city.

On my last day, I took in a few of the key shows with CNN Style, exploring the large, trade-focused events like Wanted Design, the talent-magnet that is Site Unseen Offsite, as well as smaller exhibitions within permanent design stores Design Within Reach and The Future Perfect.

I’ve been visiting New York City during its design week in May for more than fifteen years. Recently, I’ve certainly noticed an increase in the energy levels and confidence coming from the US designers in particular. For a long time, it seemed they were living in the shadow of their great 20th century predecessors like Charles and Ray Eames, and cowering under the might of their European peers – it’s no longer the case.

The American designers seem to have embraced an entrepreneurial approach to their practice, designing and producing their own pieces and launching and selling them directly into the market with confidence. It’s exciting to watch.