Inside New York’s Ever Moving Design Scene

Words Allison Reiber DiLiegroDate 29 April 2026

We’re back at NYCxDESIGN with The New York Edit—a public exhibition of collectible work by New York-based designers, on view at 11 Howard in SoHo, New York.

Developed in partnership with leading design retailer Lumens, the exhibition brings together a selection of independent New York studios whose work spans lighting, furniture, and objects. The exhibition has been curated by Simple Flair, a Milan-born, internationally rooted creative company that has been connecting the global design community across continents for a decade.

Ahead of NYCxDESIGN 2026, we sat down with Simona Flacco and Riccardo Crenna, founders of Simple Flair, to discuss what makes the New York design scene so special and what we can expect from the show.

This year’s NYCxDESIGN marks one year of Simple Flair in New York. Coming from Milan, what surprised you most about how New York approaches design?

Opening our first New York space last year was a major milestone in a journey that began more than seven years ago. What still strikes us about the city is the speed at which ideas move into reality. That attitude makes New York’s creative scene vibrant, sustainable, and fertile. This mix of cultures, languages, and styles has shaped a true New York identity made of material, light, and energy.

Which neighborhoods have most shaped how you see New York's design culture?

We’re especially inspired by Tribeca, SoHo, the West Village, East Village, and the Lower East Side. We often walk through all of them, discovering new, independent, and authentic places every time. What stands out most is how creatives express strong identities without needing to follow mass-market rules. In New York, we still feel a strong belief in ideas and content.

Do you see hospitality and design speaking to each other differently in New York than they did in Milan?

Without a doubt. In New York, hotels are places for connection, dialogue, and exchange—they are destinations in themselves. In Europe, they are more often seen as places to stay or to access a service. We really love this international idea of hospitality as a cultural platform, able to express the style, energy, and point of view of a city and of the people moving through it.

The New York Edit brings together a group of designers, each doing something distinct within the city’s creative scene. What drew you to the show, and what do you hope people will take away from it?

We’re always drawn to the meeting of different styles, perspectives, and stories. That is what attracted us to this project. We hope the exhibition offers a snapshot of New York’s creative scene today, while also helping people imagine where it may be headed next.

One year in, what does New York still have left to teach you?

A lot. New York teaches everyone something every day. It is a city powered by people, ideas, and real actions that constantly generate new moments, products, projects, and experiences. Its ability to keep renewing itself is what continues to inspire us.