The Collectible design fair is returning to the WSA building in the Financial District this Armory Week for its second New York edition (4-7 September). Established in Brussels in 2018 by Clélie Debehault and Liv Vaisberg, the fair brings together an international group of galleries, designers and architects for a curated showcase of 21st-century design.
Similar to the fair’s Brussels edition, Collectible New York brings a traditional fair format to a non-traditional setting. This year’s edition is housed on the 39th floor of WSA (last year, it covered three lower floors), spanning more than 30,000 sq. ft across the raw, concrete space. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls offer views of the neighbourhood while the space’s south side has sweeping views toward Brooklyn.
Following an open call, Debehault and Vaisberg are showcasing a wave of emerging talent. Around 60% of participating exhibitors are from the United States, while European exhibitors make up a large share of the remaining 40%. “There’s a real desire for the European vibe in New York,” Debehault says, noting an expanded roster that includes designers from Slovenia, Greece, Georgia, the Netherlands and Russia. Beyond the US and Europe, exhibitors this year come from Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, South Korea and Turkey.
Rather than individual stands, Collectible is organised into six sections, each curated by an authority in the design industry. “We’ve maintained this structure since the start to keep a clear identity,” Debehault says.
Pleasure principle
The fair’s main section featuring a range of leading contemporary talents, including a newcomer Debehault discovered through the open call: Marcela Cure, a sculptor and interior designer from Barranquilla, Colombia, who creates objects and spaces inspired by her Latin heritage. Another highlight of the main section is the popular Milan-based contemporary rug gallery CC-Tapis, which will be showcasing a rug by the Korean industrial designer Kwangho Lee.
Other sections of the fair include Fashion, which explores the intersection of clothing and furniture; Vignette, curated by the California-based designer Michael Hilal and featuring miniature installations built from objects; New Garde, which spotlights galleries and design collectives launched within the past three years; and Bespoke, which is dedicated to supporting experimental practices that made custom-commissioned works for the fair.
The section generating the most buzz, however, is titled In Praise of Folly and curated by Architectural Digest’s senior design editor Hannah Martin. The term “folly”, rooted in 18th-century European design, refers to spaces and objects built for pleasure rather than practicality. Martin revisits the concept through a 21st-century lens via a range of contemporary pieces that are functionally ambiguous but aesthetically inspiring. Participants include the Kansas-based ceramicist Maura Wright, whose sculptures draw on French Rococo, Italian Majolica and American folk art. Also featured is the Athens-based designer Haritini Gritzali, whose fantastical designs explore storytelling through sculpture. “There’s such a need for dreaming right now,” Debehault says.
Furniture tax
While whimsy and imagination define the fair’s ethos, current economic challenges still loom, with rising tariffs posing a challenge for international exhibitors. Unlike fine art, collectible furniture is not exempt from import duties under the US Harmonised Tariff Schedule, putting further pressure on small galleries, many of which already operate on narrow margins.
“Everybody is worried about what the long-term impact will be, particularly for young exhibitors,” Debehault says. “But because everyone still wants to show in the US, it didn’t stop participation for us.” To help ease the transport process, Collectible worked with Cadogan Tate, a shipping company that assisted all participants.
Despite the broader art market slump, Collectible’s co-founders are optimistic about sales, buoyed by the success of their Brussels edition in March. “The design market seems to be more resilient,” Debehault says. “There isn’t as much speculation as in art. People still need furniture.”
After Collectible’s New York edition closes, Debehault and Vaisberg will focus on their Hong Kong debut at Maison&Objet’s Design Factory, where they will curate an exhibition titled East Meets West.
- Collectible, 3-7 September, Water Street Projects WSA, 180 Maiden Lane, New York
