When the Invisible Collection launched six years ago, founders Anna Zaoui, Isabelle Dubern-Mallevays, and Lily Froehlicher dreamed about the design-minded e-commerce marketplace eventually settling into a fanciful physical home. Since then, the platform has evolved into a go-to destination for exceptionally curated furniture and objects designed by today’s foremost creative talents both emerging and established, amassing a stellar roster of collaborators ranging from Elliott Barnes and Martin Brudnizki to Kelly Behun. They set up a permanent shop in London and opened several pop-ups in collector-rich locales like Southampton, Los Angeles, and Aspen, but recently pulled back the curtain on their first permanent bricks-and-mortar outpost stateside: a two-story debonair townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Designed in collaboration with Lisbon-based studio Garcé & Dimofski, former creative directors for Pierre Yovanovitch, the 1,752-square-foot dwelling will house a rotating selection of collectible objects and furniture from the Invisible Collection’s esteemed roster of contemporary designers. “The Townhouse will welcome our clients to discover top designers and young talents into what feels like a beautiful, contemporary collector’s home, ranging from unique craftsmanship to NFTs,” Dubern-Mallevays says. An atmosphere of serenity pervades, starting in the entry, where guests are greeted by a branch-like chandelier by goldsmith Robert Goossens. Ascend a sweeping stone staircase to the Grand Salon, which will host exclusive solo exhibitions. Up first is Garcé & Dimofski, who envision a maison du collectionneur—“house of the collector”—with an assortment of graceful, amorphous pieces, followed with presentations by Aline Asmar d’Amman, Laura Gonzalez, Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, and Charles Zana.
The Townhouse also acts as a salon and gathering spot for the community, featuring a library stocked with titles from 7L—the Parisian bookshop founded by Karl Lagerfeld—that offers curation services for clients seeking to outfit their homes with coffee table books. Inside, discussions with industry leaders, collectors, and creators will ensue. “This is the opening we’ve been working on for the past six years,” Froelicher says. “When we launched the Invisible Collection, our first meetings took place in Anna’s penthouse apartment looking above Central Park, beautifully designed by Pierre Yovanovitch. It was the perfect embodiment of the art de vivre we represent and promote. Having a comfortable and elegant home to host New Yorkers in an intimate way is a dream come true.”
