You Can Now Shop the Private Collections of Europe's Interior Designers and Architects Online
There is nothing quite like owning a limited edition or bespoke design that encapsulates the luxury of exclusivity. Arguably no one makes a piece feel one-of-a-kind more than the French, with their use of precious materials, like marble and brass, and old world craftsmanship, where the slightest imperfections assure that it’s handmade. Previously, that level of artistry was only available to a select few who were fortunate enough to collaborate with an esteemed designer on the interiors of their home. That all changed when two friends, Anna Zaoui and Isabelle Dubern, decided to shake up the design scene with a website that brought the offerings from the best names in French design all under one roof. Enter: The Invisible Collection.
Founders Anna Zaoui and Isabelle Dubern.
“A few years ago, Pierre Yovanovitch designed my New York apartment,” says co-founder Zaoui. “Isabelle had been dreaming about owning his iconic Papa Bear armchair for quite some time and asked me to order it for her. If he weren’t already working on a project for me, there would be no other way for her to purchase it. That’s what triggered our idea to create The Invisible Collection. We wanted everyone to have the opportunity to buy designer pieces, even if they aren’t available to the public.”
Last fall, The Invisible Collection officially made its debut, revealing a roster of designs, crafted by world-renowned French interior designers and architects, carefully curated by Zaoui and Dubern, including India Mahdavi, Thierry Lemarie, and Jean-Louis Deniot. “We wanted to assemble a tribe of impeccable talents,” says Dubern. “All the interior designers whose furniture we sell on the site are the heirs to the French and European decorative arts, yet none of their works are exactly alike. But they all have a common eye and a similar cosmopolitan eclecticism.”
Pierre Yovanovitch's Baby and Papa Bear chairs.
Though the French may have that certain savoir-faire that captivates a true sense of lavishness, Zaoui and Dubern are looking to expand their reach to other international talents. Recently, they added Italian designer Federica Tondato, whose striking hand-knotted embroidered rugs match the site’s mission. “Anna and Isabelle are selling something very specific to a high-end market,” says Tondato. “Luxury is their focus; they aren’t selling mass-produced products like a Cassina chair—it’s all limited edition, and I think that’s what the world is really looking for in design right now.”
Whether it’s Tondato’s decorative rugs or a curvaceous coffee table made from Macassar ebony by Thierry Lemarie, Zaoui and Dubern would agree that every piece they offer is truly unique. “Everything rests on the alchemy between the wonderful rare work of the craftsman and the creative breath of the interior design,” says Zaoui. “None of our pieces can be replicated indefinitely—each one takes time. That is the essence of real luxury, like a Hermès Birkin crocodile bag or haute couture dress.”
