Collective Design Fair launch in 2013

Collective Design was launched in 2013 by architect Steven Learner and a visionary group of gallerists, curators, collectors, and interior designers. After identifying a noticeable absence of a serious New York design fair, Learner approached peers such as collector Beth Rudin DeWoody and gallerist Zesty Meyers of R & Company. After months of planning, the inaugural edition of Collective opened that year — a modestly sized fair timed to coincide with Frieze New York and helmed by a collective of local gallerists, curators, and collectors. The fair debuted at Pier 57, a raw, riverside location straddling Manhattan's Meatpacking District and Chelsea. Founded by Learner, the curated fair hosted 25 exhibitors from around the world offering largely limited edition works, and was conceived as a commercial and educational platform appealing to both design veterans and newcomers alike, with an international mix of vintage and contemporary design under its roof. Among the standout presentations, the fair hosted a rare showing of Gaetano Pesce's work — spanning sketches, maquettes, and finished pieces selected from Pesce's studio and personal archives — as a tribute to the veteran designer's creative approach. Other talking points included Sebastian Errazuriz's provocative 2013 piece Blow Me, as well as works from Philadelphia's Wexler Gallery, including the Low Rider chair by Vivien Beer, crafted from steel and cast concrete. The inaugural edition quickly established Collective as a distinctive addition to New York's art and design calendar.