COLLECTIBLE: How Liv Vaisberg and Clélie Debehault Are Redefining Contemporary Collectible Design
people • MAKERS
Founded by Liv Vaisberg and Clélie Debehault, COLLECTIBLE Design Fair has emerged as one of the leading global platforms for contemporary collectible design. Since its debut in Brussels, the fair has redefined how design, craft, and art intersect—curating works that blur boundaries and spotlight innovation. With its recent expansion to New York, COLLECTIBLE is no longer just a design fair; it is an international stage that fosters cultural dialogue, showcases emerging and established designers, and elevates collectible furniture, objects, and installations.
In this exclusive Designeers interview, co-founders Liv and Clélie share the story behind COLLECTIBLE’s rise, their mission to champion new voices in design, and how the fair continues to push the global conversation on contemporary collectible design forward.
Words: designeers
SEPTEMBER 2025
WEBSITE: collectible.design
INSTAGRAM: @collectiblefair
DESIGNEERS
From Brussels to New York - twice. What makes this city such a fertile ground for Collectible design, and how has the fair evolved in its second edition here?
Liv and Clélie
From the very beginning, our mission with COLLECTIBLE was to create a design fair unlike any other - one dedicated exclusively to contemporary collectible design. We set out to challenge traditional fair formats by curating an environment that feels both innovative and welcoming: a platform where collectors can discover pioneering work and where designers, makers, and studios can present bold, experimental ideas. Launched in Brussels, COLLECTIBLE quickly established itself as a cultural hub as much as a fair, fostering dialogue between design, art, architecture, and craft. Today, with our exciting expansion into New York, that vision continues to grow, introducing new audiences, global perspectives, and a renewed spotlight on the future of contemporary collectible design.
DESIGNEERS
Collectible feel like more than objects now; they’re cultural statements, almost like art. How do you see the boundaries between design, craft, and art shifting?
Liv and Clélie
Sustainability is no longer optional - it has become central to contemporary collectible design. Many of the designers we work with are exploring reclaimed materials, bio-based innovations, and low-impact processes, offering a vision of the future of responsible design. What excites us most is how sustainability sparks creativity: working within limitations often leads to unexpected forms, techniques, and aesthetics. For us, COLLECTIBLE is not only a platform to showcase these pioneering projects but also a space to foster meaningful conversations about how design, craft, and art can contribute to cultural dialogue and environmental change.
DESIGNEERS
COLLECTIBLE is often described as a “curated conversation” rather than just a fair. What is the story you wanted this year’s New York edition to tell?
Liv and Clélie
For us, COLLECTIBLE is never just about booths—it’s a narrative. Each edition is curated around how pieces respond to one another, how designers from different cultural contexts and disciplines connect in unexpected ways. This year in New York, the story was about “in-betweenness”: between cultures, between mediums, and between design, craft, and art. Rather than fixed categories, we focused on porous boundaries. We wanted visitors to move through the fair and feel those echoes, moments where dialogue between works sparks something new.
DESIGNEERS
What’s the boldest or most surprising piece on view this year that you feel really embodies the spirit of COLLECTIBLE?
Liv and Clélie
It’s always difficult to single out one piece, because the fair thrives on the mix rather than a single icon. But one highlight is the collaborative table by Allan Wexler and Michael Yarinsky of Tangible Space. The work presents itself almost like a performance stage, designed to host a constellation of table objects by different designers. During the opening, it will even be activated as a dinner - transforming furniture into a live experience. For us, it perfectly captures the spirit of COLLECTIBLE: design not just as an object to look at, but as something lived, shared, and in dialogue with others.
“We believe fairs like COLLECTIBLE should not only showcase these efforts but also foster critical conversations on how design can contribute positively to cultural and environmental change.”
Liv and Clélie
DESIGNEERS
We hear a lot about sustainability, identity, and heritage in design. How are designers at COLLECTIBLE pushing those conversations forward in ways that feel fresh?
Liv and Clélie
These themes are absolutely central today. What sets contemporary collectible design apart is the freedom it allows: designers are not creating prototypes for mass production, but instead experimenting without compromise. That freedom enables them to explore identity, heritage, and sustainability in deeply personal ways. At COLLECTIBLE, we see this not as a slogan but as something embedded in the material, the process, and the narrative of each piece. What’s most inspiring is how naturally this new generation of designers integrates these values - it has become second nature, shaping works that are both culturally resonant and environmentally responsible.
DESIGNEERS
Beyond Brussels and New York, is there another city you’re eyeing up for COLLECTIBLE in the future?
Liv and Clélie
Growth for us has always been organic. We don’t map out the next ten years in advance—we follow what feels right and authentic. This December, we’re excited to host a special COLLECTIBLE presentation under Maison & Objet in Hong Kong, marking our first step into Asia’s dynamic design scene. At the same time, we’re nurturing connections in other global cities. But our priority is to keep the fair’s focus sharp and allow COLLECTIBLE to evolve at its own rhythm, ensuring each edition feels intentional and meaningful.
LaLune Gallery
LaLune Gallery
DESIGNEERS
If COLLECTIBLE were a person, how would you describe their personality?
Liv and Clélie
COLLECTIBLE is very much a reflection of us - contrasted yet complementary - and of everyone who has shaped this journey alongside us. If she were a person, she’d be bold and independent-minded, not easily defined or confined. She doesn’t quite belong anywhere, but thrives in trying new things. She’s the one sitting at the back of the bus on school trips, slightly rebellious yet still a good pupil. Sometimes reckless, yes, but always landing gracefully back on her paws. That mix of curiosity, daring, and resilience is exactly what gives COLLECTIBLE its spirit within the contemporary collectible design world.
