NYC, 02.09.24

COLLECTIBLE, the international fair dedicated to contemporary collectible design, will make its New York debut this fall, following seven renowned editions held in Brussels, Belgium since 2018.

COLLECTIBLE will take place September 5–8, 2024 at Water Street Associates (WSA) in collaboration with Water Street Projects (WSP), and will feature eight sections highlighting a plethora of galleries, design studios, independent designers, and institutions hailing from around the world.

Below is an interview with the co-founder of the fair: Liv Vaisberg.

How did the decision to bring the fair to New York come about?

Liv Vaisberg, co-founder of COLLECTIBLE: Clélie and I have been traveling regularly to NYC since we started the fair. In fact, one of our first trips together before the fair existed, while we were still setting it up, was to NYC. At the end of 2019, we visited galleries and designers and felt a very warm welcome from everyone who encouraged us to bring the fair to NYC. Fast forward to the post-COVID period, and the scene had completely changed, with new galleries, players, and a vibrant atmosphere. Finding WSA as a venue was a game changer; its resonance with our Brussels vibe and building made us confident in our decision.

There’s a clear focus from the COLLECTIBLE concept on showcasing high-quality pieces that are also unique and experimental. Has it been easy to maintain that balance?

Liv Vaisberg: COLLECTIBLE is all about the now. We really want to showcase what today’s creations are about, how far they can go, but we don’t want to dictate one specific style. Unique and experimental doesn’t necessarily contradict high-quality pieces. On the contrary, our designers are incredibly attentive to detail, material, quality, and process. This is something only the collectible design scene can bring, in contrast to mass-produced works.

What new features does the fair have now that it’s debuting in the city, following its previous editions in Brussels?

Liv Vaisberg: September is also New York Fashion Week, and the whole city is buzzing. Fashion retail has always been an amazing match with our designers—many of them have found collaborations through us. We decided to seize this opportunity and invited Gabriella Karefa-Johnson to curate a new FASHION section. We’re also focusing on our CLUB COLLECTIBLE day, which is dedicated to architects and interior designers, with visits to exceptional shops, tours, and masterclasses at the fair centered around fashion retail.

Have there been any specific challenges in bringing the fair to NewYork?

Liv Vaisberg: Plenty—mainly administrative and practical challenges that come with starting a new business in a new country, from afar, and within a very short time frame. But at the same time, the sense of community and the warm welcome we received was enormous. We had many serendipitous moments that made us believe this was meant to be. We quickly involved people from our existing community who were already living in NYC, which helped us get a good start in the city! It seems the will was strong, and the energy is there to bring us here.

There’s a CURATED section where Sonya Tamaddon acts as a guest curator, and she has significant experience in art. Will we see that art/design relationship particularly in this section?

Liv Vaisberg: COLLECTIBLE has always been about the interaction between art and design. Clélie and I both come from the art world originally. Sonya Tammaddon’s profile immediately appealed to us, and she partnered with Rafael Prieto from Savvy to create a wall photography universe supported by Wallpaper Projects that invites you to linger. The choice of works is very much in the essence of COLLECTIBLE, where only functionality signals that we’re speaking of design and not art.

What do you believe is the importance of holding a fair like this?

Liv Vaisberg: Fairs are crucial because they play a key role in developing a market. Beyond the economic aspects, we need to grow the collectible ecosystem, and no other fair is dedicated solely to what we do: contemporary unique pieces, bespoke work, and limited editions. We created the fair exactly for that reason—to support and grow the market and the scene. We also aim to shift the perspective of design magazines and art collectors, creating more desire to curate with collectible design objects. We want to make people more aware of this scene, and we believe a fair like ours, which is more like a cherished curated platform, is impactful enough to change things. As we once heard in New York: we changed the narrative of collectible design and created the hashtag #collectibledesign. More from COLLECTIBLE