Next month, Design Miami will make its auspicious debut in Los Angeles, a city that is positively abuzz with design happenings of late. We’re amped up to contribute to such a vibrant design scene through our first DESIGN MIAMI.LA, which will be elegantly installed within a historic Holmby Hills estate designed in 1938 by the great 20th-century American architect Paul R. Williams.

“2024 is a year of evolution for Design Miami, as we continue to expand our offering and creative network to reach wider audiences,” Design Miami CEO Jen Roberts says. “It feels perfectly fitting to kick off the year with our inaugural LA exhibition, which promises a dynamic and thoughtful line-up of gallery presentations deeply rooted in the city’s cultural and creative ecosystem.”

As we put the finishing touches on our LA plans, here are six new and rare collectible designs that you’ll find at DESIGN MIAMI.LA.

Charles Burnand Gallery (London) will present new, architectural cast-glass sculptures from American artist Dawn Bendick. About her show-stopping piece, Pipe and Rock Stack Rubble, Bendick says, “This work melds together new color combinations in addition to using a bespoke lighting system that shifts the glass color, bringing more depth as it is experienced.” The play of light and color is spectacular.

Los Angeles-based multi-hyphenate Darren Romanelli, aka DRx, continues his much-lauded collaboration with Friedman Benda (New York / Los Angeles) through a new series of one-of-a-kind lounge chairs upholstered in spirited patchworks of vintage textiles. “Inspired by his dedication to sustainability,” the gallery explains, “Romanelli is releasing a set of new lounges that further expand on the visual language of his signature quilted seating.” Romanelli’s lounges are always a hit with Design Miami audiences. We can’t wait to see the latest production in person.

A renowned specialist in the Studio Craft movement that emerged and thrived in the US in the second half of the 20th century, Moderne Gallery (Philadelphia) will showcase a selection of rare and important works by iconic 20th-century architect-woodworker George Nakashima. Exemplifying the enduring allure of fine hand-craftsmanship, these never-before-seen, highly collectible treasures were sourced from the estate that originally commissioned them in the postwar era. Nakashima fans, take note!

The Future Perfect (New York / Los Angeles / San Francisco) will unveil an exciting collaboration between two New York rising stars, sculptor Genesis Belanger and multidisciplinary Bower Studios. This partnership—the latest edition of Bower's evolving series of artist collaborations—married the two studios' talents to create a collection of acid-etched bronze mirrors embellished with delicate, enchanting hands. According to the gallery: “The mirrors present a deeply evocative image and perfectly capture Belanger’s larger project, which examines ‘psychologically charged mise-en-scènes of idiosyncratic everyday objects,’ as well as the simultaneous presence and absence of subjectivities within liminal spaces.” The project is sure to get fair visitors talking.

Twentieth-century French ceramics are having quite a moment, and Lebreton (Monaco) is stoking the renaissance. Among the historic ceramics that the gallery will be presenting in LA are works by André Aleth Masson, who was represented by at the legendary Galerie MAI in Paris in the 1950s and ’60s. Featuring architectural forms, intriguing color palettes, and touchable surfaces, Masson’s ceramics are ripe for rediscovery—just like the work his contemporaries Suzanne Ramié and André Borderie.

For DESIGN MIAMI.LA, Southern Guild (Cape Town / Los Angeles) will explore narratives of nostalgia, ecology, and social consciousness in contemporary craft. One highlight of the gallery’s presentation will be the latest body of work from super cool South African fashion and furniture designer Rich Mnisi. Entitled Dzuvula (Shedding Skin), the collection draws inspiration from snakes as symbols of both fear and beauty. “A hiss resounds through this collection,” the gallery notes, “a sensuous whisper hinting at something deviant.” We can’t help but mention that Mnisi was spotted at Beyoncé’s CÉCRED launch in Los Angeles a few weeks back. He is definitely one-to-watch in the collectible design market.