Phoenix Contemporary Design Fair

Groundbreaking design is never introduced inside a convention center, or in the pages of a catalog.

Groundbreaking design is introduced to the masses at intimate gatherings where aficionados and fans alike can marvel close up. Free from the confines of a pipe and drape affair, participant interaction with both the design and the designers is plentiful.

Introducing the Phoenix Contemporary Design Fair, one of those intimate gatherings.

Now in its third year, the Phoenix Contemporary Design Fair (PCDF) has taken over where contactdesign handed off. Don Crossland, founder of PCDF, said, “We felt the name change necessary to give the show an identity outside the magazine, as well as encourage like-minded businesses to participate. The show is not about just us, it’s about the potential the entire region has to offer.”

This year's group of exhibitors certainly is not lacking in talent. International retailer Roche Bobois will showcase their latest designs directly from France, while Hinkley's Lighting—who brought the house down last year—will display modern light fixtures from their latest business venture, The Studio. Newcomers this year are ThingZ Contemporary, Center of Modern Design and Nyla Simone, while PCDF veteran Antoine Proulx will showcase for the third year in a row. Other notable exhibitors representing sustainable design and green building are AKA Green and Natural Territory. Trenz Group and Gravity Glas plan to display a European kitchen vignette with Italian entertainment center.

New this year is the Independent Furniture Design Competition, which pitted 70 submissions from designers all over the world against one another. No mass-produced lines were permitted; only original designs by independent artists were accepted. The top 15 designs will be displayed at the show, where a panel of local industry professionals will select the winner.

“It was tough to pick even 15,” said Crossland. “The amount of submissions gives us hope, however. Hope that there is a future for contemporary design in Phoenix.”

Attendees can get in on the action by placing a vote to determine the people’s choice winner.

Choosing the Icehouse as the event location was not a tough choice. The industrial appeal and eccentric layout of the Icehouse lend a unique aesthetic, contributing to the overall feel of the show. Just as no room is like the other, attendees should not expect any display to look the same. Exhibitors are bound only by their imagination and the tape on the floor.

"I love attending each year because the show always evolves. It's rare to see such eclectic design in one place," said Chelsea Winkel, local user experience designer.

Crossland is not satiated by the show's past success, however. His plan is for PCDF to be the premier contemporary design show in the western US. "We're looking for this to be a destination show. I want people to come here for reasons other than golf and winter weather," said Crossland. Future plans include school design competitions and discussion panels with renowned local, national and international architects and designers.

Local creative types know that PCDF is building momentum. It’s a feeling, almost tangible, that surrounds every event that features such cutting-edge, contemporary design. PCDF represents a movement toward modern living and a home for everyone to come back to.

“If design lives in Phoenix, it lives at PCDF,” said Winkel. “And if it doesn’t, it should.”