The Deal with Design Miami

In 2005, Ambra Medda, now 26, fluent in five languages and the daughter of a well-known London gallerist, confounded Design Miami with NYC decorator and art consultant Amy Lau. Already the preeminent forum for international designers, curators and collectors, the show tours with Art Basel, the blockbuster biannual art fair that ricochets between Miami Beach and Switzerland every December and June. "The decorative art world seemed stagnant to me—something my generation wasn't supposed to be a part of," she says, " We try to keep our events unpretentious because good design touches everyone."

Design Miami
Set in the landmark 1920s Moore Furniture Company building in the Design District, the fair's 27 galleries sell limited-edition works in meticulously curated installations that niftily merge art, architecture and design. Offerings range from rare Wiener Werkstatte chairs to avant-garde cabinets from Milan's Memphis collective.

Design Performance
These showcase the design world's most adventurous, interesting talents—Wieki Somers, Stuart Haygarth and Studio Libertiny among them—in action at the nearby Loft Building (3627 NE 1st Ct.) "You never know what will happen at the performances," Medda says.

Design Talks
Hear legendary architects and artists toss around pressing issues in contemporary design. Even better, they field audience questions and explain their work firsthand. (Chatham Building, 155 NE 40th St.)

Art Loves Design
A sprawling, four-day open house in the District, with events at dozens of stores and exhibition spaces, it's a superhip block party with sidewalk bands and people-watching that rivals the art itself.

The Satellite Exhibitions
Design Miami selects work curated by cultural institutions and design schools not originally affiliated with the fair. This year, Artek will bring a pavilion made of recycled paper by Shigeru Ban to Miami; and Corian will show an installation designed as an exploration of water and light.

For more information, go to designmiami.com