Parallel to the celebration of Art Basel Miami Beach 2015, the new edition of Design Miami has already been announced. This global forum is a meeting place for the most distinguished designers in the fields of furnishings, lighting, and objects d’art, plus gallery owners, curators and critics from all over the world. The event, which after several years has reached full maturity, will take place from December 2nd to the 6th. This year, it is marks by the debut of first time gallerists, which— along with the regular exhibitors—aim to stimulate the interest of enthusiasts and collectors displaying valuable pieces ranging from the 18th century to the present.

Galerie Pascal Cuisinier: Paris.

The list of new participants includes renowned galleries like Firma Casa (São Paulo), which brings a new series of works by the Brazilian brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana–Latin America’s most celebrated industrial designers. Also attending for the first time, the Phillipe Gravier Gallery from Paris—specializing in architecture—will showcase two monumental pavilions by the renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The public will delight in the experimental work presented by Beijing’s ALL Gallery, an institution that aims to establish a dialogue between Eastern and Western design. There will be a display of rare watches from the specialty store Le Collection Heure—from Brussels. And from London, the PHOS ART + DESIGN Gallery (formerly Sarah Myerscough Gallery) will introduce an interesting selection of contemporary works. Let us not forget Secondome, a versatile project from Rome, which commissions handmade editions of emerging designers and innovative projects from different latitudes.

One of the most significant events of the 2015 edition will be the first collaboration of Design Miami with an educational center. Located at the entrance of Design Miami will be UNBUILT, a design concept, winner of a competition held at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) with the participation of more than one hundred students from 32 teams and a jury that consisted of distinguished professors, and representatives of Design Miami. The winning project is by a team of five designers studying for a master’s degree in architecture from Harvard GSD: Joanne Cheung, Jenny Shen, Steven Meyer, Doug Harsevoort and Yiliu Shen-Burke.

1. Erastudio & Apartment-Gallery: Milan.
2. Carpenters Workshop Gallery: London & Paris.
3. Ammann Gallery.
4. Perrier.

As the title suggests, UNBUILT is a tribute to a set of unexecuted design projects that will take shape in three-dimensional models made by the students, and will be integrated into the pavilion`s marquee. The unfinished designs have been collected by the teaching community at Harvard GSD. Eventually, information about each of them can be accessed through an application developed by the digital design firm, Model.

Speaking of this first competition organized by Design Miami, Craig Robins, one of the founders of the forum, said it was “a privilege to work with Harvard GSD, one of the most amazing sources of creativity in the design world.” Robins added it was very encouraging to see how the student’s imagination translated into concrete forms, and stressed the importance of the fair to continue working as a platform “that has always been committed to present the work of new talent alongside works of established designers”.

The location of the project at the entrance to the pavilions will provide buffer zones and areas for socializing, in addition to covered spaces to protect visitors from the sun or rain, and lighting specially conceived to create an attractive nocturnal atmosphere.

1. Fendi presentation.
2. Galerie VIVID: Rotterdam.
3. Joe Sheftel Gallery and Koenig & Clinton.
4. Xxxoe Sheftel Gallery and Koenig & Clinton
5. Marina Abramovic Institute presents: Counting the Rice.

Another milestone in Design Miami 2015 will be the participation of the Franco-Vietnamese artist, writer, cartoonist and designer Pierre Le-Tan (Paris, 1950). The famous illustrator was invited to create a sketchbook inspired by the city that gave birth to the fair. Considered an icon of illustration and graphic humor, Le-Tan is famous for the exquisite covers he designed for The New Yorker, and his artistic vignettes in Vogue, Tatler and The World of Interiors.

For Design Miami, Le-Tan created a series of images that show—in his particular idiom— a fanciful and delicately humorous look at Miami. The sketches not only provide a graphic identity to the show but also integrate an exclusively themed collection produced in collaboration with J. Crew, the renowned US-based clothing and accessories firm. The collection will be available at select J. Crew stores in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Patrick Parrish Gallery.

This year, the Visionary Design Award will be presented for the second time. The prize honors individuals or groups that have contributed significantly to the field of design. The winner is recognized for its continuous, tangible and lasting influence on this aesthetic expression linked to production, architecture and business in contemporary society.

Also returning in 2015 is Curio, a platform that calls on artists to show surprising and innovative proposals that challenge the boundaries of design. Displaying everything from crafts to advanced technology, these showcases filled with curiosities are interspersed with the stands throughout the halls to impart a colorful and dynamic look to the exhibition, while allowing the viewer to admire the result of concepts that make us rethinking recurring design schemes.

R & Company: New York.

Once again, the fair will host the Design Talks series—organized and presented by the Surf Club—an increasingly popular forum for lively conferences, debates and exchanges focusing on the most pressing issues of the world of design. And like in previous events, visitors will be able to tour the facilities of Audi, Swarovski, Fendi and Perrier-Jouet, major sponsors and supporters of Design Miami.

Since its first edition, the event has expanded as a platform to display the most remarkable collectible designs. Beyond being a marketplace, it has become the intersection of initiatives and collaborations. It has grown quantitatively to gather dozens of exhibitors; it has matured in organization, curatorship, and assembly. In other words: the much awaited meeting will do more than putting the visitor in contact with artistic talent; it will show the product of their creativity, which makes Design Miami an event consistent with the great relevance of Art Basel. Review here our selection of luxury hotels for Design Miami 2015. ■