Exhibitors at WantedDesign this year represented nationalities near and far, from just across the East River to across the pond and further afield. Now in its third year, Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat's hugely successful satellite to the nearby ICFF has all but outgrown the Terminal Stores building at the northwest corner of Chelsea. If the jam-packed atrium proved to be a bit overwhelming at times, the peripheral galleries offered the luxury of space at the expense of foot traffic—making for an altogether more manageable viewing experience, as in the case of the Carrot Concept, presented by Bernhardt Design.

Led by a collective of savvy Salvadoran designers—Harry and Claudia Washington, Guillermo Altamirano, Josefina Alvarez, Jose Roberto Paredes and Roberto Dumont—the Carrot Concept is a platform to bring their country's creative efforts to the rest of the world, and expand both the domestic and global audience for design from El Salvador.A grassroots movement is afoot to bring the country's burgeoning creative scene to the forefront. In 2012, a band of progressive and socially conscious architects, designers and entrepreneurs launched The Carrot Concept with the belief that celebrating and promoting creative industries in El Salvador will help fuel their economic and cultural growth.

"Canasto" collection

"Canasto" collection

The Carrot Concept consists of retail and exhibition space to showcase contemporary Salvadoran design products; co-working spaces to incubate new ideas in architecture, design and commercial production; programming to engage the community in design; and an organic café to fuel creative endeavors.

By sharing ideas and pooling resources at The Carrot Concept, a cohesive local design and production community is creating the critical mass necessary for El Salvadoran industry to compete in a global market.

Fireworks Shawl

The debut collection of furniture, housewares and various soft goods (some of which were available for sale) at WantedDesign certainly marks a good start for the Carrot Concept. We'll definitely be on the lookout for more Salvadoran design at design events (and hopefully stores as well) around the world.

C&H Washington

Marka Moderna - "Lami" chairs

Ernesto Pastore - Fiberglass Bench

C&H Washington

Josefina Alvarez / Pipa

Joseph R. Paredes - Maleta

Emma Schonenberg - Kings & Queens

Marka Moderna - "Stingo" tables

C&H Washington