During New York Design Week in May, industry veterans Minya Quirk and Deidre Maloney launched Shelter, a new kind of design fair held at the Starrett-Lehigh Building. The event aimed to reimagine the traditional trade show format with a more inclusive, engaging, and design-led approach.
Open to both professionals and enthusiasts, Shelter delivered a minimalist, approachable alternative to the often formal, insiders-only vibe of legacy fairs. The atmosphere was light and welcoming, with vendors eager to connect and a strong presence of women-led studios and emerging creatives.
Minya Quirk—co-founder of Shoppe Object and Afternoon Light—shared the thinking behind the launch:
“Activating shows is in our DNA. We’ve been doing this for years. When we launched Afternoon Light and began attending design week events, something felt missing—and we knew we could build it.” She added, “We’ve always tried to democratize design. The design world can feel a bit… insular. We wanted to create something joyful, to throw the doors open and truly invite everyone in. That’s what we believe in.”
Check out some of our favorite items from the event below.
NShook By Natalie Shook
