The New York Design Center, New York’s premiere resource for interior design, held its annual “What’s New, What’s Next” event (“WNWN”) at the center’s 16-story building located at 200 Lexington Avenue on September 14th. Thousands of design tastemakers and enthusiasts descended upon the NYDC for over 75 in-person programs following a week of virtual programming.  WNWN celebrated multiple showroom openings, new luxury collection launches, and panels on design, art, culture, wellness, and sustainability, marking a successful return to the event’s one day in-person format with more than 2,600 visitors.

A first for the industry in its all-encompassing cultural relevance, WNWN this year featured conversations and panels with design industry notables Thom Filicia, Kathy Kuo, Caleb Anderson, and more; fashion icon Diane Von Furstenberg at The Rug Company; a discussion on breaking the conventions of creativity in culture led by New York Magazine’s Wendy Goodman featuring six-time Tony Award winner Jordan Roth along with Jeffrey Deitch, Tiana Webb Evans, and Adam Moss; comedy-duo-turned-muralists TikTok artists Very Gay Paint in collaboration with JD Staron showcasing their new collection of rugs and live painting a custom mural for WNWN in the Benjamin Moore color studio; as well as a spotlight on diversity with panels and events including The Kaleidoscope Project, a designer showhouse venture that showcases diverse industry talent, and the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Design Alliance.

WNWN also marked the launch of many new and expanded showrooms in the building, including House of Hackney’s first and only U.S. trade showroom, Oly Studio’s new New York outpost, Jiun Ho, Merida, de Le Cuona, Konekt Studio, and Fenestella at The Gallery at 200 Lex.