In 2010, Sight Unseen launched the Noho Design District, a platform for new ideas and talents during New York Design Week. In our inaugural year, we took over the former lumber building at 45 Great Jones, where Areaware celebrated its 5-year anniversary and Roll & Hill launched its first-ever collection. A few doors down, the first-ever Noho Next launched as a platform for emerging talent, including Jonah Takagi, Gregory Buntain of Fort Standard, Jonathan Nesci and Volume Gallery, Uhuru, and more. A packed opening party and a private dinner hosted by Roll & Hill cemented the event’s status as a must-visit on the design circuit.

In 2011, Sight Unseen filled 45 Great Jones with the work of more the 100 up-and-coming American designers, including a showcase by the American Design Club, independent presentations by Lindsey Adelman, Paul Loebach, and Uhuru, and Noho Next exhibitors ROLU, Fort Standard, Brendan Ravenhill, Iacoli & McAllister, and Max Lipsey. Other highlights that year included a pop-up shop curated by Sight Unseen and a launch party at the Bowery Hotel with top New York architect and tastemaker Rafael de Cardenas as our guest of honor.

In 2012, Sight Unseen joined forces with Sonos to take over the Standard East Village hotel, complete with a listening library curated by Kiel Mead, custom “Soundalier” designed by Lindsey Adelman, and a West Coast craft exhibition called Hotel California. In our second space at 22 Bond, we installed the work of two of New York’s hottest up-and-coming design studios — Fort Standard and Bec Brittain — along with an immersive installation by Areaware, a pop-up shop by Chen Chen & Kai Williams, and more. Our exclusive VIP party with Sonos filled the Standard penthouse with 200 tastemakers and was the most talked-about party of the week.

In 2013, Sight Unseen continued its success by partnering with Jawbone to present the work of 13 up-and-coming American designers including Eric Trine, Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Atelier de Troupe, Misha Kahn, Souda, Jason Rens, Karl Zahn, Patrick Kim, and more. The American Design Club hosted a group show at the Standard East Village, while Sight Unseen and Fort Standard co-hosted a blowout celebration at the Bowery Hotel for more than 500 people, featuring a Heineken beer luge custom-made by the designers.

In 2014, we rebranded the event as Sight Unseen OFFSITE.