The NY NOW Summer Market, renowned for its celebration of innovation and design across various industries, recently concluded its latest edition, leaving attendees and enthusiasts eagerly anticipating the upcoming trends set to shape the market. This premier event, held in the heart of New York City, attracted a diverse array of exhibitors and attendees from all corners of the globe, showcasing the latest products and concepts in home, lifestyle, and gift sectors. As we delve into the highlights and key takeaways from this year's NY NOW, we will uncover the trends that are poised to make a significant impact on consumer preferences, industry dynamics, and creative inspiration in the near future.

Cleaner Alternatives for Beauty & Beyond

After a lifetime of waxing and shaving, the founder of Sugar Sugar found an alternative that not only gives a miraculous glow, but is both gentle on sensitive skin and the planet. This system of at-home sugaring contains no strips, no spatulas, is natural, and leaves skin glowing, hydrated and smooth!

Most body cleansers you find in the "soap" aisle are not actually soap–they are classified by the FDA as synthetic detergents. To be real soap, saponification must take place (a fancy word for blending fats and oils with lye to make soap). Jukebox’s first four soaps are made using the cold process method with natural ingredients. Each soap has a unique scent and creamy lather that is sure to transform the shower experience. Singing in the shower highly encouraged!

Minori Beauty is makeup for people who don’t wear makeup. A simple self-care ritual of no-fuss, easy-to-use, multipurpose makeup. Their mission is to reinvigorate the beauty journey for makeup beginners by making the experience user-friendly and welcoming while encouraging sustainable and responsible consumption. All their products are clean beauty certified, vegan, cruelty free and made in the USA. Their cream blushes, lip glosses and cream highlighters are for those who seek a natural aesthetic.

Pure Mitti helps enlighten people on ways to build a toxic free lifestyle by exposing them to ancient sustainable methods and products. These 100% natural and organic products use the freshest fair-trade ingredients and bring the essence of Ayurveda to the doorstep with their body care, hair care, lifestyle, and cleaning products.

Women-Based Wellness

Embrace routine without being held back by one’s period, thanks to Marlow’s lubricated tampons, allowing for the smoothest period ever. The Marlow lubricant bottle is designed to perfectly coat the tampon in lubricant with one quick, mess-free dip. The brand starts with clean and comfortable period care, and doubles up with fun and accessible health education.

Inertia is a premium feminine healthcare brand established for the healthy lives of women. Four female scientists gathered together to solve the inconveniences women experience in their daily lives through science and technology.

Lustre Love is on a mission  to help women feel good during their periods. They make products that are good for you and the planet, are easy to use, feel great on the skin, and smell amazing. They offer a product line of 3 Mood Oils that contain their proprietary blend of evening primrose, adaptogens, and essential oils that ease PMS and period symptoms while also supporting a healthy cycle. Absorbed through the skin, the company says the oils enter the bloodstream to support internal systems affected by hormonal changes inherent in a woman’s cycle.

Holief believes in creating a space that prioritizes taking care of ourselves, body and mind. Their products are consciously designed with the best plant-powered ingredients in mind. They believe in the power of plants combined with the brilliance of science to revolutionize health on an emotional, physical and mental level. Holief products are vegan, cruelty free, non-GMO, gluten free, paraben-free, and hypoallergenic. Their women’s line of products takes not only a physical but mindful and emotional approach to holistic healing.  

Self Expression

Loza Tam thoughtfully creates products designed to bring comfort, be a quick and stylish option, and keep the hair in prime conditions (free of frizz and breakage). Their unique blend of fabrics are specifically designed with silk and satin linings. They work with small, family-owned manufacturers and textile mills in Europe to expertly craft their Tam Wraps. Each and every knot and pleat are stitched and inspected by hand. Look and feel good in luxe fabrics and colors to go with every outfit.

Sorbet Island’s creations conjure up an aura of magical vacations and inspire endless summer vibes. Crafted in Greece by a passionate team of artisans and creatives, Sorbet Island takes inspiration from the surrounding Aegean landscape and its serene waters. Driven by good energy, tranquility, and ageless youthfulness, Sorbet Island’s pieces are designed based on the principles we believe in: inclusivity, authenticity and positivity.

Hello Updo is introducing a new way to updo. Their tools protect hair and promote its health. Hello Updo is challenging the idea of one-size-fits-all hair tools. Everyone's hair deserves to fit in their tools. The company knows hair journeys are deeply complex and personal, so instead of creating the same, tired tools, they’re innovating the essentials to give you exactly what you need to live in a crown with pride–no matter what that means to you.

Inspired by eyewear forms from the past with a wandering eye toward the future, Wolfspout’s frames combine unique, high-quality acetate materials and joyful colors that make us feel happy inside. Wolfspout is the creation of three friends who live in three different places (all where forests meet the ocean) with different styles, hopes, dreams and fashion needs and yet all had the same humble challenge—wanting sunglasses that just looked different than those same styles you see everywhere. Bold, but beautiful. Weird, but wearable. Iconic, but still perfect for every day.

After an unsuccessful search for a bandana that wasn’t made with scratchy cotton, in boring patterns, and suspect manufacturing, the idea for BANDITS was born. Building upon Co-Founder’s Nicole’s extensive work in the non-profit sector and Co-Founder’s Connor’s business background, they set out to build a bandana that would spark collaboration, inspire original expression, and create positive change. The bandanas are the perfect blend of sustainably sourced, 100% Organic Cotton. They searched and sampled from countless manufacturers to ultimately find an incredible Fair Trade certified partner in Kolkata, India. 

Positive Substances

Welcome to the world of Drugs for Plants, where plant babies get the organic food they need to live their best lives. The organic fertilizer powder has the macronutrients, micronutrients, and bio-stimulants plants need to grow big and strong. Macronutrients are the essential building blocks for healthy plant growth and their eight micronutrients support things like root system development, nutrient uptake, chlorophyll synthesis, respiration, and so much more. They include bio-stimulants like seaweed extract, betaine, and fulvic acids to help plants grow more resilient to stress and the possible missed day of watering.

Brelixi is the new back pocket buddy for instant highdration, relaxation, and elevation. Brelixi are ready-to-mix, infused elixirs that utilize nano cannabis technology to deliver a rapid onset, meaning no waiting for effects. In addition to their fast-acting CBD or THC, all of Brelixi’s products are powered by better-for-you functionalities: electrolytes, adaptogens + nootropics—intentionally designed to elevate both the body & mind.

Antidote bars are loaded with cacao, boasting with antioxidants and feel-good nutrients that trigger endorphins. The company creates distinctive flavors, using “new-in-chocolate” ingredients. Antidote is fused with cross-cultural influences of ingredients and spices and courageous women entrepreneurship. They focus on high cacao and less sugar, believing food can be medicine and delicious treat. Using real ingredients and direct trade with farmers as well as chocolate made at cacao origin, it is a sustainable life cycle for all involved.

Elevating Every Day

Give the kitchen the aesthetic of a designer space with Bamboozle’s eco-friendly home line. With bowls, cooking accessories and Prep and Serve sets made from one-of-a-kind repurposed materials, Bamboozle prioritizes a cleaner Earth with convenience and quality. Bamboozle rose to popularity for its compost bin. A favorite among foodies, designers, and the eco-conscious, the bin was named in the prestigious Strategist 100. It is the most stylish and functional bin for new and seasoned composters. The brand's kitchenware boasts the same famed durability, ceramic-like look and feel, trendy color schemes, as well as stackable components ideal for every space.  

Selise Studios is the choice for high-end, luxury candles that are made with the purest ingredients. Selise Studios carefully designs its candles using three raw materials (the only candle company to be doing this) and proprietary pouring methods to create luxurious, clean-burning wax blends with optimal scent throws and longer burn times. When lit, these candles emit negative ions, an air-purifying quality. They are setting the standard in quality by using only 100% pure raw materials for their coconut wax, beeswax and aromatherapy grade essential oils.

Bebly is on a mission to give more wine drinkers a reason to choose box wine over bottles as a premium, practical and better solution for the planet, while enjoying the moments that matter most. Bebly allows you to entertain and host loved ones with less stress. You can easily and cost effectively serve boxed wine (or any other pre-batched cocktail or mocktail) in style with the Bebly box that looks chic and is easy to clean up. It comes with interchangeable patterns and colors that suit all entertaining needs!

The Foodie Family is innovating the way we prepare food with its clever Food Crayon and Bar to Cook tools that make cooking natural food easy and fun for the family. The Food Crayon is a 100% natural, vegan and Gluten-Free spice in crayon form that you sharpen on dishes, cocktails and dessert to make them more delicious, truly the first of its kind in the industry. Bar to Cook is a vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free cooking sauce bar that simplifies dishes and helps you prepare delicious, healthy meals quickly and easily.

Bonita Fierce Candles are dedicated to creating a premium home fragrance inspired by Latin heritage, providing a sense of familiarity, home and belonging. Bonita Fierce celebrates and elevates the cultural crossroads of being Latina and American. Explore Latinx heritage through scents like coquito, horchata, elote, marigold, and more!

There’s something special about sitting down together for a meal. It’s a time to connect, to unwind, to catch up, to make memories, and Misette believes in setting the scene for these moments. Misette (pronounced “my set”) creates artful dinnerware to elevate every day, with curated collections you can use as a complete set, collect slowly, or mix and match for a stunning, effortless tablescape. Whether you’re serving filet mignon or fast-food takeout, we see mealtimes as a thing of beauty.

Cute tea towels to elevate any kitchen! Each Lynen tea towel is carefully hand dyed and embroidered with thousands of individual stitches right here in the USA. After inheriting an embroidery machine from her grandmother, Lynen Founder, Sarah turned her pandemic hobby into a full-time successful business. These tea towels are now available in Bergdorf Goodman, Uncommon Goods and Tuckernuck.

Character is innovating the hardware industry by building the most helpful home improvement brand on the planet. By combining digestible education for everyone regardless of skill level, genuinely helpful support from on-call experts, and a hardware store of meticulously manufactured and selected products, it’s now seamless to create ownership of space. The company's beautifully designed tools are meant to be displayed instead of hidden in the back of a closet and are made for DIY-ers to the “handy person” alike.

Kids Crafts believes every girl has the power to change the world. Crafts are more than beads, paint, or jewels—they’re the tools that inspire girls to embrace their creativity and be whoever they want to be. By sharing the stories of female trailblazers, entrepreneurs, and creators, they are showing the next generation of leaders that anything (and everything) is possible. More than just a "girl activity," Kids Crafts blends education, entertainment, creativity, and fun into a lifestyle brand for preteens. They build up girls by teaching them skills, helping them express themselves through art, and encouraging them to think outside of the box. Kids Crafts is crafting the next generation of mighty women.

The NY NOW Tradeshow serves as a compass guiding us through the ever-evolving landscape of design, style, and consumer preferences. As the curtains fall on another successful edition, it's evident that sustainability, craftsmanship, and innovation are still at the forefront of industry minds. From eco-conscious product lines to artisanal craftsmanship, the tradeshow demonstrated the industry's commitment to both preserving the planet and celebrating human creativity. As we move forward, these trends will undoubtedly influence not only the products we buy but also the values we uphold. The NY NOW Tradeshow continues to be a vital source of inspiration and a catalyst for positive change in the world of home, lifestyle, and gifting.

For more trends, read the latest from trendspotter Nancy Trent.