The global meeting point for the furniture and interior design ecosystem, Furnishings & Design Istanbul (FDI), is opening its doors for the third time from 24–26 September 2026. This year, the fair will be held under the motto "Where Design Leads," bringing together design vision, a selective platform structure, a qualified trade network, and global visibility on the same ground. 

Positioning design not merely as an aesthetic element but as a leadership domain that shapes the industry, FDI aims to connect Türkiye's growing production and design capacity with the international trade ecosystem. Having hosted more than 100 brands and over 26,000 visitors from 38 countries in its previous edition, the fair is preparing to become one of the key meeting points of the global design world once again this year.

Bringing together the competitive production power of the Turkish furniture and interior industry with a strong design vision, Furnishings & Design Istanbul (FDI) stands out this year as a platform that will contribute to the transformation of the industry. Organized by the Furniture Associations Federation (MOSFED) from 24–26 September 2026 at the Istanbul Expo Center, FDI Istanbul will bring the global design ecosystem together in Istanbul with its selective platform structure, qualified trade approach, and international design focus. Aiming to connect Türkiye's design and production capacity with the leading buyers of the global trade network, the fair will once again bring the determining role of design in the industry into focus this year under the motto "Where Design Leads."

In addition to product exhibition areas featuring design products, the fair will highlight FDI Stage & Talks, the Designer-to-Business (D2B) Program, Design Circle, New Horizon, the FDI Lounge, as well as exhibition and installation areas. Through these multi-layered experience spaces, brands will have the opportunity to tell their stories in different formats in a strong, effective, and design-oriented way. 

FDI Istanbul is shaped this year around five design-oriented strategic axes

Stating that FDI Istanbul is positioned as a multi-layered platform of ideas and business that goes beyond the traditional understanding of a fair, where design leads the future, MOSFED President Ahmet Güleç evaluated this year's motto, "Where Design Leads," with the following words:

"We believe that design is not only a language of form; it is also a culture of living, a way of thinking, and a strategic approach. The motto 'Where Design Leads,' which we have adopted this year, emphasizes design's guiding, transforming, and leading quality. This approach, which gives meaning to spaces, strengthens the identities of brands while also offering them the capacity to differentiate.

At FDI, it is not only products that are exhibited; ideas are discussed, brands are positioned, new collaborations are established, and market dynamics are reshaped. In line with this understanding, we are structuring our fair around five strategic axes: 'a qualified brand ecosystem,' 'intellectual leadership in design,' 'collaboration and connection,' 'regional reference,' and 'global visibility.'"

The design ecosystem of the future is taking shape under the roof of FDI

Focusing on sustainability, innovation, design, and contemporary production models, FDI Istanbul is preparing to take its multi-layered structure even further in its third year. The fair stands out not only as a trade area where products are exhibited, but also as a platform where ideas are produced, the design agenda is discussed, and perspectives on the future of the industry are developed.

In this context, the FDI Stage & Talks program will host prominent speakers from Türkiye and around the world with sessions focusing on design, creative economies, sustainability, digitalization, and the transformation of the industry. Over three days of programming, better production, stronger marketing models, next-generation collaborations, and the future of networking culture will be addressed from a multidimensional perspective. In this way, FDI will go beyond commercial interaction and acquire the quality of a strong knowledge platform where intellectual production takes place.

While the Designer-to-Business (D2B) Program brings designers and manufacturers together in qualified collaborations, paving the way for new partnerships, the New Horizon Exhibition will offer visibility to independent designers and next-generation creative ideas. Design Circle, which takes shape around a different theme each year, will make the multi-layered nature of design visible by placing a curatorial approach and spatial experience at its center.

Special exhibition and installation areas are among the important elements that strengthen the cultural and intellectual dimension of FDI Istanbul, while selected brand, project, and design narratives will reveal the relationship between design and art from new perspectives in these areas. The FDI Lounge, meanwhile, will offer a special meeting space at the intersection of all these structures, strengthening communication among stakeholders and supporting the exchange of ideas and natural interaction.

The selective mind of FDI: The Design Committee

One of the strongest building blocks of FDI Istanbul is the Design Committee, composed of respected names in their fields. Taking into account the fair's curatorial filter, content framework, and the motto "Where Design Leads," the committee transforms the industry's qualified gathering into a strong programmatic integrity. Chaired by academic and industrial designer Alpay Er, the Design Committee consists of interior architect and designer Ahmet Raşit Karaaslan, architect Aynur Yılmaz, master interior architect Cem Cemal Çobanoğlu, strategic content consultant Cengiz Ayyıldız, industrial designer and interior architect Ece Yalım, designer, curator, and educator Erdem Akan, and industrial designer Şule Koç.