Art Markets - Focus on the Collectible Design Market

What does “Collectible Design” mean? What are this market’s features and trends? What’s the collector profile? How do you go about purchasing such pieces? Sabrina Dolla, Head of the Artcurial Design Department, interviewed by Laurent Issaurat, Head of Art Banking Services at Societe Generale Private Banking.

Sabrina Dolla, Head of the Artcurial Design Department.

Laurent Issaurat: What does “Collectible Design” mean?

Sabrina Dolla: “Collectible Design” means contemporary design pieces (of the 21st-century) , of which a limited number of copies were made, but it can also encompass postwar design (the ‘50s to the ‘80s), and even “20th-century decorative arts” (Art Nouveau and Art Deco) – which are in essence just as rare themselves, and therefore also “collectible”. “Collectible Design” refers to rare design pieces that are limited-edition or that have a historical or aesthetical interest, as opposed to mass design, which is only utilitarian and has little genuine value.

Laurent Issaurat: What’s the value of a beautiful design piece? What are today’s collectors looking for?

Sabrina Dolla: The value of a piece depends on many factors, including aesthetics – how it innovates or breaks away from previous designs, or simply how appealing it is; quality – the quality of materials used, and the skill required to produce it; and, when it comes to an antique, its history – who owned it? Was it made for a specific place? Today’s collectors are looking at retreiving one, two or all three of these factors in a piece that they collect - depending on their knowledge, financial options and tastes.

A stone sheep purchased in 1993 for the equivalent of €18,000 was sold by Artcurial in 2022 for €400,000!

Laurent Issaurat: What are the Collectible Design market trends?

Sabrina Dolla: The market of design is doing really well because it is a sound, non-speculative market. In truth, few people “collect” design, in the original sense of the word – that is, stockpile it or put it in storage. Most collectors live on a daily basis alongside the pieces they purchase, and love being surrounded by beautiful things. Design has also become synonymous with status and identity, and is a reflection of one’s personality, taste and eye. For centuries, France was the undisputed leader in decorative arts, and it remains one of the top contenders, due to its expertise, galleries and museums. Eileen Gray, Jean Royère, Jean Prouvé and Charlotte Perriand have been leading the way for over 20 years. Paris is still the stronghold of design auctions and lots of major sales are made there every season. The sellers are mostly European, whereas buyers come from all over the world. They’re getting younger all the time, and they have an increasingly sophisticated knowledge of design. The United States is a major operator. New York is a huge market in terms of collectors, and it’s also where the collections created in the ‘80s in the US are sold. London, post-Brexit, has lost its appeal.

Laurent Issaurat: Are there any design schools or designers who are especially trendy right now?

Sabrina Dolla: When it comes to ‘60s design, Italian design is still the benchmark. The Italians invented modern design, thanks to their industrial production facilities and visionary designers. Production is substantial, but diverse. There’s still a lot to rediscover, including designs by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Nanda Vigo, Vico Magistretti, Franco Albini and Ico Parisi. As for contemporary design, Dutch creators, most of whom come out of Design Academy of Eindhoven, like Droog Design, Studio Job, Joris Laarman and Hella Jongerius, are really taking off. French designers aren’t to be outdone – Pierre Charpin, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Martin Szekely and Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance are household names.

Laurent Issaurat: What’s your advice for choosing or buying the right piece? What are the price ranges?

Sabrina Dolla: Today, information on design has become more widely available, especially online. The same goes for auction houses – their catalogues are online, and their exhibits are free and accessible to all. I think attending these is one of the best ways to train your eye. Before making any purchases, if you can’t get there yourself, you can ask for a condition report, which is a detailed description of the item’s condition. In addition, auction houses offer five-year liability on the item’s authenticity. In terms of what to choose, you have to trust yourself. Go with what you like and then get more information. If you find the same piece for sale on several websites, at different prices, that’s when you should be wary. The advantage of design is that some pieces are available for just a few hundred euros. Of course, the exceptional items go for extremely high prices, but not always; the best example is the Lalanne pieces published and sold by the Artcurial gallery. A stone sheep purchased in 1993 for the equivalent of €18,000 was sold by Artcurial in 2022 for €400,000! Same for the pigeon lamps that sold for about €1,500 in 1993 – we sell them now for an average of €50,000! It’s the perfect storm: talented artists, collected by the biggest tastemakers of their time, who splurged somewhat initially and then held onto the pieces for 30 years.

Biography of Sabrina Dolla

After completing her DEA in business law, Sabrina Dolla defended a thesis on the end of the auctioneers’ monopoly in European competition law, which led her to discover this fascinating world.

In 2000, she started with Maîtres Jacques and François Tajan, then the leading study in France, where she organized the first specialist sales of Design in 2002.

She then followed François Tajan at Artcurial where she handled Art Deco sales with Félix Marcilhac, a world-renowned expert, before taking over the direction of the entire Art Deco / Design department in 2020. Her expertise and experience enabled her to cover the whole century and sell important furniture by Pierre Chareau, Eckart Muthesius, Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand or Jean Royère, achieving remarkable results.

Thanks to a multidisciplinary team, the Design department now covers all areas of expertise in French and international design.

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