On Aline Asmar d'Amman's debut furniture collection.
We are showcasing the collection in a solo exhibition at the revered Féau Boiseries during Paris Design Week. The debut includes an array of exceptional furniture and lighting pieces, alongside a special stone-embroidered, hand-painted wallpaper created in collaboration with de Gournay. The pieces are sensual in form, materials and are infused with a discernibly modern instinct that embodies Aline’s boundless passion for high craft and creative freedom. Highlights include the voluptuously-braided, sensual shapes of the 'Georgia' conversation salon in powder pink mohair (a personal favourite!) and the 'Smoking' lighting collection with a black metal fixture and crowned with white silk cardboard.
The Invisible Collection's New York townhouse
@seandavidson // Instagram
On five years of The Invisible Collection.
We are a digital brand but the launch of The Invisible Collection in September 2016 coupled with a physical pop up at Le Bon Marché in Paris was a big moment. I saw how intrigued and interested clients were when they saw our pieces that do have the appeal of instant classics despite never having been showcased or sold outside of private projects before.
In the spring, we opened our first permanent London HQ. It is a collaborative space where our team can meet with clients. When we first found the mews nestled on a quiet, leafy street in Marylebone it appeared like a wonderful oasis. Co-founders Isabelle (Dubern-Mallevays), Anna (Zaoui) and I all love to host so it’s wonderful to have a place to do so!
As a mirror, we will be opening a showroom and HQ in an Upper East Side townhouse in New York this autumn. Weirdly, the building was on our ‘dream’ mood board and to think that we are moving into it feels surreal.
On the name 'The Invisible Collection.'
The company’s namesake is taken from Stefan Zweig’s novel The Invisible Collection. Zweig’s writing encapsulates cosmopolitan culture and civilisation - exactly what The Invisible Collection as a brand represents. The pieces we select are in-keeping with the European decorative arts; they are collectibles. "Invisible" because they have never been sold anywhere else before.
On ranges to swoon over.
Alongside Aline’s collection, I especially love Studioparisien. The debut range was an instant hit with designs that are expressive, elegant and contemporary. Everything is made in France with excellent craftsmen, fabrics and materials.
"All our made-to-order furniture and objects are designed and manufactured to be loved forever, and to be passed down generations."
Lily Froehlicher, General Manager
On made-to-order and customisation.
We value the ultimate luxury of bespoke design so all our pieces are made to order and tailored to clients’ needs and wishes. Often people fall in love with a piece but require different dimensions, fabrics or finishes and we work with designers and craftsmen to make that possible, often at no extra cost.
On conscious luxury.
All our made to order furniture and objects are designed and manufactured to be loved forever, and to be passed down generations. We value the eco-friendly practices of our designers and craftsmen, who create unique designs with noble, recycled materials, certified woods and, importantly, no plastic.
On treasured items.
I had been dreaming about Charlotte Biltgen’s Eileen Sofa for years and she was kind enough to make a smaller custom version for me. With its double back, it’s beautiful from all angles.
I was having trouble finding the right coffee table but when I saw the Mimi table Olivier Garce and Clio Dimofski designed for our exhibition at Sotheby’s in NYC last spring, it was love at first sight. The proportions were totally off for my small living room so they suggested three different shapes and I chose one that I’m very excited about. It has subtle but genius details in the shape and the feet are in glazed ceramic, and I’ve given them free reign for the colour of the glazing. I love the fact that I don’t totally know how it will look.
On inspirational design eras.
French design in the 30s: delicate and elegant, with an intelligent mix of cultures and styles. It's never a total look, is home-y, calm but always artful. It was a period which witnessed a fascinating yet subtle mix of materials, textures and finishes, such as plaster, straw marquetry, brass, leather, natural woods, and paper. Jean-Michel Frank’s work for example will never grow old.
