The Invisible Collection Sees 37 Percent Growth in 2023 Driven by U.S.
London-based platform Invisible Collection said it expects sales to rise 37 percent by the end of 2023 to $26 million, driven by the growing appetite worldwide for upscale, niche furnishings and decor.
The company, which was founded in 2016 by Isabelle Dubern-Mallevays, a former journalist and former creative director of Dior Home and Diptyque Home; reinsurance risk specialist and art collector Anna Zaoui, and luxury in-client strategy specialist Lily Froehlicher, is turning its focus to the American market in the near term.
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The company is gearing up to open a showroom in Los Angeles, Froehlicher told WWD. “The U.S. has always been our first market. I think American clients understand design. They love craft, they love European designers.”
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Invisible Collection mobilized and it opened three showrooms in 2022 in key cities: Mews House in the Marylebone neighborhood of London, The Townhouse in New York’s Upper East Side and Rive Gauche in Paris in the 7th arrondissement.
“The U.S. and the U.K. have been our most important markets since Day One — because our clients there have had a passion for European and French touch since the Gilded Age. Also, the American media has an incredible knowledge of contemporary furniture creation in France and the workshops that serve it,” Dubern-Mallevays said.
Froehlicher pointed out that Gwyneth Paltrow is one of their celebrity clients. The actress and Goop founder stumbled upon their site in a quest to design her own home before turning to L.A.-based interior designer Brigette Romanek, she explained.
Featuring an edit of famous designs, as well as exclusive capsules and collections that convey a distinct French aesthetic, the platform boasts more than 200 architects and interior designers with a global reach. From new talents and established masters, its roster of names includes architectural designer Laura Gonzalez, France-based interior and product designer Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, architect and interior decorator Charles Zana and Portuguese multidisciplinary design brand Garcé & Dimofski, to name a few.
Paltrow, the company said, has publicly stated that she loves Invisible Collection, and her case is an example of the idea behind the company: the sofa featured in photo shoots of her home in Montecito is the famojs Alexandra Sofa. The piece was designed by Charles Zana for a private project in Paris and Invisible Collection convinced him to present it on its platform.
Products available for sale come from creatives all over the world — from Italy’s Dimore Milano, Osanna Visconti and Vincent Darre’ to Mumbai-based Ashiesh Shah and Riyadh-Madrid based architect Shahad Alazzaz, the founder of Azaz Architects.
Additional names include Aline Asmar d’Amman and the collective House of Today from Lebanon, Elliot Barnes and Kelly Behun from the U.S. and, recently, interior designer to Hollywood’s A-list Courtney Applebaum. “Our focus is on the best of French designers who represent a distinct aesthetic idea, but nationality is not a requirement, talent is. What sets us apart is a strong curation aligned with our taste, so whenever we see talent we don’t look at the passport — we showcase creatives from all over the world,” Zaoui said.
For Paris Design Week last September, Invisible Collection presented a selection of pieces from interior designer and Applebaum’s first namesake furniture collection, including her signature Terracotta Lamp and Raffia Sconce.
Invisible Collection is also a partner of Le19M, Chanel’s hub for specialty workshops located on the outskirts of Paris. Chanel entrusted Invisible Collection with showcasing and promoting their Métier d’Art in interior design, cementing Invisible Collection’s status as an ambassador of Chanel’s savoir-faire to clients worldwide. At Paris Design Week, Invisible Collection showcased pieces by embroiderer Lesage, gold- and silversmith Goossens, feather and flower expert Lemarié and Studio MTX, an offshoot of embroiderer Montex.
The firm also has an ongoing partnership with Mobilier National, whose mission is managing and preserving historical furniture and furnishings within public buildings — the Elysée, the presidential palace, among them. Invisible Collection helps the organization to promote French design by adding to its permanent collection of contemporary pieces, a selection of which is available on Invisible Collection’s platform.
Last June, Invisible Collection also launched ClubRoom, a concept boutique for all things design. Bridging the worlds of style, design, vintage and curiosities, ClubRoom provides access to select pieces, including one-off collaborations and exclusive drops, each piece immediately shoppable.
“I like to say that we touch 100 percent of our 1 percent niche. In other words, in the niche market of ‘quiet luxury’ furniture, we reach all the potential clients, who are excited to finally have access to the ultra-talented designers we represent and buy their furniture that might have been featured in a magazine but was not available for purchase,” Mallevays added.
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