Don’t be fooled by the name: Design Miami—the world’s preeminent fair for collectible design—is going far beyond Florida.
In addition to its iterations in Paris and Switzerland, this May, the fair will open for the first time in Los Angeles. Instead of a sterile convention center or tent, it will instead be held in a historic Holmby Hills Estate designed by late architect Paul Williams. It is the largest private home that Williams ever designed. (During the 1930s and ’40s, he was the go-to architect for the stars of Golden Age Hollywood, designing homes for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnez.)
Showing in a homey setting was important to chairman Jesse Lee, who acquired Design Miami this past December. “Frankly speaking, just as an outsider, when I go to other art fairs they’re typically in a convention center, a tent, or an armory,” says Lee. “It’s not necessarily the best experience in terms of envisioning the pieces in your home or your apartment. We feel like this is a more natural state where collectors can envision what [the artworks] would look like in their home. It’s also equally important for galleries to be able to show in a space that’s a bit more organic.”
He also liked that it’s a lot more, well, fun. (Guests can wander the three-acre grounds and hang out by the pool, for example.) They’re also planning a number of parties and activations, such as a café on the lawn.
The choice of Los Angeles is partially a personal one for Lee, as it’s his hometown: In 2020, he co-founded the experimental marketplace Basic Space in Culver City. Yet he also explains that the collector’s interest is very much there. “If you look at some of our top sellers and influencer types, more and more of those based in L.A. have been purchasing vintage furniture and becoming interested in contemporary design,” he says.
The L.A. edition of Design Miami will be curated by Ashlee Harrison, who previously served as Director of the Americas for Carpenters Workshop Gallery. Los Angelenos: get ready for some very fashionable furniture.
