Design Miami celebrated its twentieth anniversary with a vibrant showcase that honored the power of design to inspire, transform, and challenge expectations. Pride Park became a thriving destination of creativity as collectors, curators, designers, and visitors arrived to experience an edition shaped by imagination and craft. The fair’s theme “Make. Believe.” embraced the limitless potential of inventive thinking and encouraged exploration across materials, narratives, and aesthetic traditions.
Design Miami CEO Jen Roberts described the character of the fair with clarity and enthusiasm.
“Miami is fun, sunny, bright, tropical and energetic and it all materializes at the fair,” Roberts told The Monocle Minute.
“We see design as a tool for betterment and positive change in the world. It has been an extraordinary trajectory. Twenty years ago, there was not a clear path for young designers coming out of school. Now you can be part of incubator shows, get picked up by a gallery, come to Design Miami and be commissioned for industrial projects.”
Her statement set the tone for an anniversary edition that celebrated the evolution of the industry and its growing influence on global culture.
Kohler Debuts a Luminous Innovation with Underlight
One of the most celebrated presentations at the fair was Underlight, created by artist Harry Nuriev, founder and creative director of Crosby Studios. The installation invited guests into a meditative environment where an iridescent school of ceramic fish circled above four KOHLER Pearlized Derring sinks. These sinks glowed with soft light and shifting color, creating a tranquil, immersive atmosphere.
Kohler introduced its new Pearlized finish within this installation. The finish represents a major design breakthrough that merges visual artistry with technical surface engineering. Artist David Franklin developed the initial effect during his residency in the Kohler MakerSpace and the Arts/Industry program. He experimented with applying PVD technology, typically used on metal fixtures, to ceramic surfaces. That innovation emerged while working on his sculpture Once and Forever Lake Michigan, a monumental installation composed of 1,600 ceramic fish now on display at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.
Laura Kohler, Chief Sustainable Living Officer, described the collaborative process behind the innovation. “Providing artists with the freedom to create in our factories has inspired some of our greatest design innovations. This latest creative endeavor, initiated by David during his residency in Kohler MakerSpace and brought to life through his collaboration with our associates, has resulted in a luminescent product that not only serves a functional purpose but also tells a beautiful story about experimentation and the evolution of how we think about design.”
Franklin reflected on the partnership with appreciation. “My work with Kohler has always been about discovery, finding new ways to express light, texture, and form through materials. Seeing that moment of experimentation evolve into a design innovation for Kohler’s products is both rewarding and a perfect example of what can happen when artists and engineers create side by side.”
Nuriev transformed the finish into a living, breathing landscape for the fair. “The Pearlized finish is more than a surface, it is a living canvas, continually changing as we interact with it,” he shared. His space demonstrated how surface technology can become an emotional and sensory experience.
Kohler also hosted the official Design Talk “The Alchemy of Making.” The discussion featured Nuriev, Franklin, and Kohler’s Vice President of Industrial Design, Michael Seum, who explored how artists and designers transform imagination into tangible, awe-inspiring objects.
“Make. Believe.” – A Theme That Ignited Creative Exploration
Curator Glenn Adamson led the twentieth anniversary edition with the theme “Make. Believe.” His vision emphasized the meeting of skilled craft and unrestrained imagination.
Adamson explained the intention clearly. “We are creating a conversation about skilled craft and unfettered imagination and the way those two things continually inform each other.”
The fair brought that idea to life. Pride Park buzzed with collectors, gallerists, curators, and design enthusiasts, as well as the curious crowd drawn from Art Basel Miami Beach next door.
Material experimentation appeared everywhere. Milan’s Delvis (Un)Limited presented Rich Aybar’s compact rubber armchair, inspired by the soft tactility of slugs. David Klein Gallery exhibited Jack Craig’s sculptural carpet works, which reshaped synthetic fibers into expressive forms.
Narratives played a strong role in design presentations. London’s Charles Burnand Gallery exhibited intricate works with deep backstories. Moderne Gallery honored the pioneering woodwork of George Nakashima. Superhouse paid tribute to avant-garde American furniture makers of the 1980s.
Katie Stout’s Carousels, and an Atmosphere of Delight
The fair opened with a burst of joyful spectacle. Visitors were welcomed by Katie Stout’s carousel, which featured mermaids, walruses, seagulls, and other whimsical characters. The installation embodied the carnival spirit that flowed throughout the event.
Stout also unveiled “Gargantua’s Thumb”, a collection of sculptural benches installed throughout the Miami Design District. These pieces began as miniature clay animals that she sculpted by hand. They were digitally scanned, enlarged, and milled from durable outdoor materials. The benches encourage public interaction and will remain on view through spring 2026.
Highlights from Around the Fair
Immersive seating continued as a theme. Dubai-based designer Roham Shamekh introduced a biomorphic sofa from his “Roots” collection that featured resin forms, metallic textures, and a guided audio meditation experience. ATRA from Mexico City created a serene futuristic zone anchored by the Solaris sofa, upholstered in Hermès MÉTAPHORES textile and enhanced by Morphus sensory technology.
Fendi and Conie Vallese Return to the Roots of Italian Craft
Fendi partnered with Argentinian artist Conie Vallese to create a salotto environment inspired by the legacy of Italian applied arts. Vallese drew inspiration from the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris, a formative moment in the rise of Art Deco. The installation featured brass flowers on chair legs, a sculptural folding screen, and leather panels in soft baby blue and warm banana yellow.
Objects of Common Interest: Temporal Reflections
The duo Objects of Common Interest presented Temporal Reflections, an installation where white curtains, pedestals, and carpet blended seamlessly. Translucent objects floated like suspended apparitions. The pieces captured, refracted, and released light as visitors moved through the space. The installation functioned as an optical instrument that explored resonance, immateriality, and the fluid relationship between perception and material. It demonstrated how light can become a medium for sculptural thought.
Wexler Gallery’s New Voices in Craft and Innovation
Wexler Gallery introduced a new group of artists and designers whose work aligned with the “Make. Believe.” theme. Each piece celebrated imagination and the unmistakable trace of the maker’s hand. The gallery reinforced its commitment to advancing contemporary design that merges storytelling with technical experimentation.
A Market That Continues to Rise
The global market for collectible design showed strong momentum. Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips reported a collective year-on-year increase of more than 60 percent in design sales. Institutions expanded their acquisitions and collectors demonstrated a growing interest in one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces.
Design Miami also announced a multi-year partnership with Alserkal, which will bring a new flagship fair to Dubai in 2027. This expansion reflects the influence of Gulf markets and the international demand for craft-driven design.
Miami Is the Home of Collectible Design
Design Miami 2025 affirmed Miami’s role as a leader in global design culture. Adamson’s curatorial direction, Roberts’s leadership, and the energy of the exhibitors demonstrated how Design Miami has shaped the landscape of contemporary design for two decades.
The city’s joyful spirit, tropical atmosphere, and creative freedom continue to inspire designers and visitors. The twentieth anniversary celebrated not only the past but also a vibrant future where design continues to evolve, expand, and transform the way we live.