Over the last decade, WantedDesign events have featured some great environments, from the brick walls of the Tunnel in Chelsea, Manhattan, to the lively open-air courtyard at Industry City for the opening party of WantedDesign Brooklyn. We want to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the design process for our latest event space.

Our newest trade event, CLOSEUP presented by the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) + WantedDesign Manhattan, may have started with a virtual format in response to the pandemic, but the physical space that serves as our set is integral to the event experience.

We’re designing the stage and set for CLOSEUP with the same eye we’ve always brought to our spaces for WantedDesign Manhattan and WantedDesign Brooklyn in previous years.

It’s also an opportunity for creative, cross-border collaboration, from long-term and previous WantedDesign partners like Moooi and Turf Design to new collaborators like Petite Friture and Georg Jensen.

Here’s a look at the event space before the transformation for CLOSEUP, before we bring in the fixtures from our stage sponsors and our production crew’s camera and audio equipment:

We’re taking over 10,000 square feet on the second floor of Building 5 next to the Makers Guild at Industry City, Brooklyn. The floor-to-ceiling windows boast waterfront and downtown Manhattan views, and the ceilings are nearly 14′ high.

The Main Stage at CLOSEUP

Petite Friture is the Main Stage Sponsor for CLOSEUP 2021, and will be fitting out the set with their mix of playful furniture, lighting and accessories, featuring the latest iteration of the Vertigo lamp, originally designed by Constance Guisset in 2010. The iconic lamp is representative of the independent French brand’s approach to taking a long-term approach to its partnerships with designers and manufacturers.

As artistic director Amélie du Passage says, “Vertigo, Petite Friture’s flagship design, is a perfect illustration of what ‘sustainability’ means to us. Ever since it appeared in our first collection, Vertigo has been a stand-out piece. Its lightness, elegance, graphic lines and large size, all held in a delicate balance, have made it an icon.

In light of its success, our role has been to nurture and support the design. To have it shown in high-quality contexts, to give it just the right exposure to maintain desirability. To maintain its price point to ensure fair compensation of the entire value chain, starting with the designer, Constance Guisset, and all those in France who have meticulously manufactured the design by hand, day in day out, for the past 10 years. To fight against counterfeit designs. To increase production capacity while maintaining the same level of quality. In short, to give the design longevity by simply taking care of it.”

Petite Friture will be embracing the CLOSEUP livestream and Main Stage sponsorship opportunities to launch their products to the US market, including the American debut of the new Vertigo Nova lighting collection.

A Design Challenge

Planning the CLOSEUP set is an interesting design exercise, taking into account camera angles, acoustics, the backstage areas and — new for this second edition — a small in-person audience of VIPs.

For CLOSEUP 2021, we’re lucky to partner with Turf Design, who are experts in addressing the distracting echoes and excessive noise of open spaces. Turf will create a completely custom slatted backdrop in collaboration with the team from WantedDesign. Using recycled PET felt, Chicago-based Turf has the ability to customize any space by using parametric design that balances both high acoustic function and a beautiful aesthetic.

A Welcoming Space

Additional brand partners who will provide a beautiful, welcoming and comfortable setting for our CLOSEUP presenters and guests are Moooi for the Green Room and Georg Jensen for the on-set bar. Georg Jensen will be presenting the Sky collection by French designer Aurélian Barbry, the Danish brand’s first full dining set, at CLOSEUP.

In true Moooi fashion, the Dutch brand’s design for the Green Room on the CLOSEUP set will be a celebration of texture, pattern and play. We’re also proud to be sharing Moooi’s new collections as a returning brand to CLOSEUP.

While we wish everyone could join us for a drink at the Georg Jensen bar on the CLOSEUP set this May 17-18, we hope you’ll join us online from wherever you are in the world. Register for free to tune in to two full days of product launches, trend presentations, virtual studio visits and lively conversations.

CLOSEUP 2021 is presented with the support of:
Clever, Design Milk, Dwell and Hospitality Design
AIA New York, Be Original Americas, Industry City and NYCxDESIGN
Georg Jensen, Moooi, Petite Friture, Turf Design and Ultrafabrics