IFDA NY Chapter rings in 2015 with a festive celebration, a new President, and all hosted by our Rising Star Michele Varian.

Ringing in 2015 

with the IFDA NY Chapter

at Michele Varian's Soho store!

 the IFDA NY chapter held their annual transitional meeting, which was the first meeting in 2015 then a kickoff celebration this past Wednesday.  Michele Varian, this year's IFDA NY Rising Star honoree for category of product design, generously hosted the large group in her gorgeous shop at 27 Howard Street in Soho.  The chapter thanked current president Kara Marmion for keeping watch over the helm in 2014 and the celebrations marked the beginning of new president elect Andrea Brodfuehrer's reign.  Andrea created and printed brand new bound booklets for all board members, which set the tone for an engaged conversation.  2015 promises to be a stellar year for the organization as the board navigates a full calendar of events with the community. 

 

Following the meeting, friends of IFDA turned out to celebrate with chapter and board members in Michele's store, which is chock-filled with gorgeous artisan made wares, many of which Michele designs herself. Please stop into  Michele Varian situated on a quiet corner in Soho.  Michele has many programs planned for the new year, including a busy line-up of pop up shops and even a floral exhibit and sale during Valentines Day week.

Su Hilty, New President, Andrea Brodfuehrer, and new 

FIT student liaison member Elaina Hon

 Rose Ott, Jan Girard, Julie Schuster

 a lovely gnome was given away as a raffle prize

 Andrea Algaze, Rose Hittmeyer 

and Michele Varian

Our Dream PR Team,

Lisa McMahon and Sonia Anand 

members managed to sneak in 

a little shopping as well...

Michele Varian

27 Howard Street

New York, NY 10013

The IFDA Rising Stars event is tonight!

We are over the moon for our upcoming  8th Annual IFDA NY Chapter's Rising Stars Award Celebration tonight!  A Sampling of former IFDA NY Chapter Rising Stars of Design (above and below) It's that time again, when The IFDA NY board members put their heads together and hand pick a few stellar talents to honor, you know, the ones whose stars are twinkling and on the rise. Those we feel you should keep watch because they wield great talent, and they are also contributing significantly to the design community.  We choose a select few each year to bestow this honor upon, and we certainly hope you will join us in this celebration.  November 18th promises to turn out a fabulous crowd, and this year we are happy to boast our New York Chapter's Silver Sponsor, Kravet, will host the event in their gorgeous showroom in the D&D Building.  Please join us for the celebration, and register here.    the glamorous Kravet showroom in New York City's D&D Building Tonight, November 18, 2014  from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM  at the Kravet showroom at 979 Third Avenue,  3rd floor, New York, New York  10022  We are certainly in for a treat with Master of Ceremonies (IFDA's own Circle of Excellence honoree)  Charles Pavarini III of Charles Pavarini III Design Associates leading the charge.   This year's honorees include: three designers in the Interior Design category, Caleb Anderson-Caleb Anderson Design Darrin Varden-Darrin Varden Design Neal Beckstedt-Neal Beckstedt Studio and one talent in the Product Design category, Michele Varian-Michele Varian. Let us tell you a little bit  about these folks...  Caleb Anderson Caleb Anderson has boldly stepped in the foreground with his polished sensibility and unique design vision.  Ever the perfectionist, his interiors achieve an artistic balance of luxury, curation, functionality and beauty.  Marked by tasteful eclecticism, a profound stratiform of texture and graceful color palettes, Caleb's style forges an understanding between timelessness and today.  "Design should be alluring without giving up function, and every statement in a space should give weight to both." With each design, he authors an environment that blends elements of the past and present alongside his own custom pieces. Darrin Varden Darrin Varden creates timeless interiors without limitations to style, trend or period.  Darrin gathers inspiration from fashion, art, and history and uses juxtaposition as a tool to create an intriguing dynamic between furnishings, textiles, art, lighting and architecture.  He provides clients with homes that fit their needs and fulfills their dreams.  A pillar of his practice is his deep respect for fine hand craftsmanship and devotion to partnering with artists and artisans to incorporate superb custom elements.   Neal Beckstedt Neal Beckstedt balances rich textures and tailored details, creating modern, comfortable and inviting spaces infused with warmth and ease.  In addition to his warm brand of modernism, the studio crafts every project with a restrained luxury achieved through a mix of vintage, contemporary and custom elements resulting in timeless, elegant environments.  Michele Varian Michele Varian is a product designer with a background in fashion.  Her home accessory designs are influenced by the most recent trends in fashion.  Even so, there is nothing fast moving or disposable about Michele's designs.  Structural details and quality materials are all part of what makes anything from her collections timeless.   Michele's downtown shop stocks items from all over the world, including her own collections of decorative pillows and recently launched collections of lamps, furniture, wallpapers and fabrics, which are all proudly made in the USA.  She also represents other local artists and designers to help encourage product design and manufacturing in the US.   A little bit about us: The International Furnishings & Design Association (IFDA), founded in New York City in 1947 and now with 15 chapters worldwide, provides a professional forum for communication and interaction among its high-profile members. The IFDA, a not-for-profit volunteer-run association, also promotes career advancement and educational opportunities and is structured to increase public awareness of the furnishings and design industry through specialized programming, networking and service to the community. We hope you will join us  in this special celebration!