Miami Design Week: Inside Maison&Objet, Neon Jungle Pop-Up, and Design Summit

This week, Maison&Objet returned to the Miami Beach Convention Center for its second annual trade show in America. The famed interior design show, which exhibits twice yearly in Paris, has recently expanded to both Asia and the Americas for more accessibility to interior designers, architects, retailers, product designers, property developers, and design connoisseurs worldwide.

As to be expected, there is a very prominent European presence among the 300 plus exhibitors, which makes it easy to find unique decor from different corners of Europe, including Italy, Germany, France and England. In addition, there was a running seminar set up in the back of the show that visitors could drop in on, featuring notable speakers like Humberto Campana, Eugeni Quitllet, Alan Faena, and this year’s Maison & Objet Americas Designer of the Year – Rafael de Càrdenas discussing design trends in residential, hospitality and more.

Although the Miami Beach Convention Center is undergoing renovations, and is partially demolished on the east side of the building, the west side was able to host the event with aplomb. The event also offers shuttles to the Miami Design District for attendees to check out design showrooms over there, as well as de Cardenas’ Neon Jungle exhibit.

M&O’s popularity abroad can’t be overstated. The show has always attracted a lot of fans to the original Paris show from all over Europe, not just because they can see visually stunning displays of the latest design, but also because non-professionals can buy chic, everyday housewares too like tablecloths, trays, throw rugs and even handbags (shown above).

On Friday May 13^th, Internum and Design will be hosting a viewing of the entire collection featuring Baxter, Gallotti & Radice, Giorgetti, Riva 1920, Missoni home, and more giving rise to a district-wide celebration that hints at an unofficial “Miami Art Week.” Even fashion and jewelry boutiques are getting in on the action. For example, Panerai is leaving up an exhibition of paintings and sculptures in their Design Distirct showroom by New York artist Eng Tay during the fair.

Also on the 13th, Haute Living will be hosting panel discussions at their Haute Residence Real Estate and Design Summit. It will be taking place at the 1 Hotel South Beach, with three different heavy-hitting panels on the subject of development, design and real estate.

Although M&O runs only through the 13th, Neon Jungle, a pop-up by Rafael de Càrdenas, runs through the 15th.  Every day it opens at 12pm and features a 6pm happy hour with PopLab, a Miami-based popsicle company, along with bands. This pop-up was created as “an immersive tropical pop-up lounge” and is a nod to M&O Paris 2016’s theme.

photos by Hadley Henriette written along with Emily Wilson