New York Design Week will see five Canadian studios converge at WANTED within ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) to present Soft Structure, an all-female-led collaborative exhibition featuring lighting studio Anony, furniture designer Mary Ratcliffe Studio, industrial design practices Maha Alavi Studio and Simone Ferkul Projects, and glass designer Sylvia Lee.

Together, they present a series of market-ready works shaped through a shared exploration of form, material, and emotion, where subtle gestures of shape and material bring softness to structure—inviting moments of intimacy, vulnerability, and resilience as integral elements of contemporary design.

In a global cultural landscape that often feels increasingly rigid, Soft Structure is an exploration of the importance of an empathetic perspective in design. Acknowledging that physical surroundings directly shape our thoughts and actions, these studios examine the quiet power of the ‘subtle gesture’ – a soft curve, a tactile surface, or a gentle light as an imperative component of the design process.

Bringing together a collective with decades of design and manufacturing expertise—and a proven track record of commercial success—these studios continue to push beyond convention. Working across wood, glass, stone, metal, and textile, they demonstrate that softness is not bound to a single material, but can be expressed in any medium. Grounded in experience, yet driven by exploration, their work reflects a shared commitment to integrity in design and a belief that how something feels is just as important as how it performs.

The five exhibits are:

Sylvia Lee, ‘Geo Sconce’ handblown glass

Mary Ratcliffe, ‘Decker’ side tables

Maha Alavi, ‘Lithic’ Lounge Chair

Simone Ferkul, ‘Attic’ Stools

Christian Lo, ‘Node’ Chandelier