Young designers, affordable buys get a place at Design Miami

As the art world descends on Miami for Art Basel Miami Beach, design will get its own place in the spotlight with the concurrent event Design Miami.

Design Miami this year welcomes 36 galleries, including newcomers from Rome, Beijing, New York, London and Brussels as well as from Sao Paulo -- a testament, say organizers, to a consistent interest in design from Brazil.

The fair focuses on collectible design, and everything from full-sized architectural elements to jewelry, furniture and decor will be shown. Among the trends highlighted by organizers are a burgeoning interest in clay that will be echoed in the many decorative ceramics on display, references to sacred geometry seen in both jewelry and furniture, and a variety of glassworks incorporating innovative techniques and effects.

Young and emerging talent will be spotlighted at the "Unbuilt" pavilion, created through a partnership with the Harvard University Graduate School of Design and situated at the main entrance. The celebration of unrealized design projects features 3D foam models created by students that will form the pavilion's canopy, with information on each available via a companion app.

In another event highlight, Parisian illustrator Pierre Le-Tan -- known for his New Yorker covers -- has been commissioned to create a series of sketches inspired by Miami. The result offers a graphic identity for the fair, with images of flamingos, Art Deco hotels, aquatic creatures and key lime pies, and has also inspired a J.Crew capsule collection to be sold on site and at J.Crew stores in Miami, New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Back from previous editions will be the Design Curio program, showcasing contemporary "cabinets of curiosities" tying in handcrafts, cutting-edge technology and historical phenomena; and Design Talks, hosting installations by Audi, Swarovski, Fendi and Perrier-Jouët.

New in 2015 is Design Miami/ Market, offering a curated selection of retail goods such as ornaments, accessories and gourmet items. Art, design and culture books will be for sale alongside the Pierre Le-Tan/J. Crew collaboration and specialty items from Dean & DeLuca.

Design Miami runs December 2-6.