1stdibs: Brick and Mortar

The big news in the New York design world this week is the opening of the 1stdibs pavilion at the New York Design Center. As a 1stdibs dealer and a showroom owner at the NYDC-with my own vignette on the new floor--I've been in a unique position to witness the process from conception through negotiation to fruition. Last night's opening event drew somewhere upwards of 2,000 people, possibly the best attended-and also possibly the best-design event I've been to.

What made the event stellar was the space itself-33,000 square feet with over 50 top dealers of antiques and vintage modern design from the U.S. and Europe-the plentiful libations, and of course the turnout itself. Time and again, I heard people enthuse about the energy they were picking up, and indeed the pavilion, occupying the entire 10th floor of the building, has the potential to be a much-needed shot in the arm for the industry, and a game-changer for the NYDC, which will benefit from increased traffic, and will also start courting retail business.

Included in the floor plan is a 1,000 square foot space set aside for special exhibitions and events, and if I know Jim Druckman of the NYDC and Michael Bruno of 1stdibs, last night's party will be but the first of many. The inaugural event showcases highlights from the collection of Roger Prigent, the now-legendary proprietor of Malmaison, whom I remember well and fondly from my flea market days in the early 90's, when he would buy most of the Robsjohn-Gibbings pieces I found, to my years in SOHO with Lin-Weinberg, when he would drop by with his friend Jacques Grange to scoop up what in retrospect were my chicest pieces.

Among my colleagues in the modern design field who have set up shop in the 1stdibs pavilion are Converso, Lost City Arts, Gueridon, Hostler Burrows, Mondo Cane, Deluxe, Pascal Boyer, Caira Mandaglio from London, Metropolis Modern, Stellar Union, Collage, and Modest Designs. More traditional antique dealers include Elizabeth Pash, Milford Antiques, Lisa Laserow, Branca, and Evergreen. All told, a formidable lineup with a wide array of offerings that should turn over regularly, marking 200 Lexington as a regular destination for the design community.