My Five Favorite Things at Collectible 2025

It's back to school in the design world and first up was the Collectible fair

Last Wednesday night was the press preview of Collectible, the second edition of the design fair held at WSA. “Back to school” energy was coursing through the space for the first big design event back after a sleepy summer. I didn’t have a single conversation all night that didn’t address the palpable nervous slash excited energy in the room. Everyone was inquiring about each other’s summers; some of us were wearing clothes we’d procured for a fall wardrobe refresh.

It was charming to feel everyone falling into this childlike rhythm—until, in classic first-day-back fashion, my social battery exhausted itself before I’d departed. There was a lot to see on the 39th floor of 180 Maiden Lane, and stuffed with people, it wasn’t always easy to grab a proper glimpse of everything. After making the rounds, I decided on my five favorite pieces on display.

caption...

Carl Durkow’s Portal Screen

It would happen that many of my favorite pieces at Collectible this year have some kind of metal component, but the first in the category that really grabbed me was Carl Durkow’s stainless steel Portal Screen in the Dudd Haus booth. Dudd Haus designers never disappoint, but this piece really pulled me in as the wired glass filled with light while the sun was setting. I love the way that the severe spikey legs daintily jut out. The detailing around the glass reminded me of one of my favorite artist Naudline Pierre’s flame motif.

Photo by Simon Leung, courtesy of Collectible

Lucas Cambier’s Garriga

Hannah Martin’s FOLLY group show presented a lively assortment of furniture and decorative objects curated around the concept of the architectural folly, i.e. a structure that’s only purpose is what it offers visually. This resulted in a mix of playful pieces, but the piece I was most drawn to was Lucas Cambier’s Garriga. Looking at it straight on, the steel piece looks severe and futuristic, but the terracotta tiles on each side offer a sense of history and warmth.

Image courtesy of The Object Boutique

Yuxuan Huang’s Vessel 1

Yuxuan Huang’s lighting was one of my favorite discoveries of NYCxDesign this year and I was thrilled to see this vase by her, in addition to more lamps in her own booth. Vessel 1 was on display in the Object Boutique, a group show co-curated by Huang herself and artist Mimi He. I’m always impressed by how alive the colors of her painted paper objects look—I love this video from Pale Blue Mag that shows how they’re made.

Image courtesy of The Object Boutique

Maggie Pei’s Amphora

Also seen in The Object Boutique, Maggie Pei’s Amphora vessel felt perfectly diminutive, calling you in to get a closer look. I discovered Pei’s work at Shelter earlier this year. Her pieces feel so poetic to me, and in the case of this piece in particular, quietly beautiful in a way that I find really calming, but not without a distinct attitude.

Photo by Matthew Gordon, courtesy of Playing House

Francesco Rosati’s Silver Tablecloth - Idea for a Table

This year’s Collectible served as my introduction to the art and design collective Playing House. Their booth had a few really strong pieces, including Francesco Rosati’s Silver Tablecloth - Idea for a Table. Glass sits atop a stainless steel base with cutouts that are both decorative and functional, allowing the plates and utensils to click into place on the underside when not resting atop the glass surface. The clamped table legs feel like they suspend the work in the moment of its creation, while providing an interesting counterpoint to the delicate vine motifs on the tabletop.

---

The back to school calendar brought me to the launch of Lila Allen’s Wrong House at the Vitra Showroom last night. I’ve worked with Allen a lot over the years and she’s such a thoughtful, curious editor. She’s always been down to let me explore my weirder ideas—for instance, ”Is Bathroom Carpet Due for a Comeback?” which ended up as a talking point on The Drew Barrymore Show. I couldn’t be more excited about the space she’s opening up for more play within the design media space. The first issue has already brought us several pieces by some of my favorite writers in the industry, including:

• Diana Budds on the use of physical models (with insight from Sophie Collé)

• Jessie Dorris on his Prince–inspired childhood bedroom

• Sarah Archer on Trading Spaces and the rise of DIY TV

I hope you will join me in giving it a read!