A Design Conversation in New York

After eight years of leading design conversations on the west coast, Dwell is partnering with New York magazine to do the same for Brooklyn and Manhattan.

From Sept. 27 through Oct. 4, the two magazines are hosting their second annual series of panel discussions and home tours in New York, Dwell’s new hometown.

Tagged City Modern, it’s an ambitious week of events.

“The sheer power of the collaboration sets us apart,” says Amanda Dameron, editor-in-chief at Dwell. “New York magazine hasn’t partnered with anyone since 1972, when it teamed up with MS magazine.”

The entire weeklong affair is an egalitarian one aimed at stimulating thought and talk about design and architecture, based on what readers say they want.

“I pay close attention to the feedback that comes to me at Dwell, from the letters to the editor to all the social media channels,” she says.

Topics like intellectual property, workspace evolution and authentic design hit a nerve with Dwell’s readers, as well as New York’s. To talk about them once or in only one venue – print, digital or face-to-face – would be to do that sophisticated audience a disservice, she reasons.

“Dwell and New York have such great energy and passion for the project,” she says. “And we’ve got positive, smart voices at the table.”

She’s interested in spotlighting the people who demonstrate a firm understanding of the basic tenets of design – and she won’t hesitate to use her position to identify them and invite them to share their knowledge with City Modern’s audience.

“It’s not only the topics, but the speakers doing interesting work that we want to talk to,” she says.  “When we talk about things that affect all these people, it resonates,” she says.

And that’s what good design – and good magazines – are meant to do.

For more information, go to http://www.citymodernnyc.com/

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