Opening of Design Miami

Design Miami got off to a good start yesterday, taking a one-day lead over its big sister, Art Basel Miami Beach. Although this year’s fair had fewer exhibitors than the 2008 edition, the floor space was the same so the booths were bigger. Aranda\Lasch designed a new outer skin for the temporary structure, Arik Levy created a sleek HSBC VIP Lounge, and Greg Linn brought the Swarovski Crystal Palace into the digital age with a biomorphic, sail-like structure made from crystal-encrusted fabric. Response was good from a steady stream of visitors all day long. There were few celebrity spottings, but curators and collectors turned out in droves, and a performance by OK Go, who collaborated with designer Moritz Waldemeyer, added a new dimension to the stylish event. – Paul Laster