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78 who can purchase entire collections and singular pieces to add a final layer to a job. B rightwell's reputation as a resource for distinctive, vintage design objects boils down to his rich knowledge and flawless taste. "My venture is about the idea of reuse," he says. "Most of what I have you can't find in stores, or it's no longer in production." To that end, things needn't be precious to be special; Brightwell also looks for items that were once mass- produced and now nearly impossible to find. Marcel Wanders vases — made years ago for Target, selling for $30 — are virtually unavailable, and now command upwards of $650 each. "'Mass produced' just means they were made in large numbers," he says. "But there's nothing cheap about them. It's the scarcity and rarity that's compelling." When Dutch industrial designer Hella Jongerius, whose work is in the permanent collection at the V&A museum, designed a collection of vases for IKEA, the price was $80 each. Now, Brightwell owns a pair with an asking price of $750. Even Tiffany & Co., he says, creates machine-produced collectibles, including a Frank Gehry–designed bowl and vase, which rarely come up for sale anymore. "I gave the bowl to my mother, and I'm still trying to finagle a way to get it back from her," he says. In a business like this, access is everything — and Brightwell has spent 30 years developing an international network of dealers and sellers to help him land front of line when special items are introduced or when a rare vintage piece becomes available. It's a strategy that has proved fruitful. When Louis Vuitton collaborated with British visual artists the Chapman Brothers on a limited-edition blanket, the U.S. market was set to receive only one. As a VIP client, Brightwell was given first dibs — and the artful piece, with its fantastical creatures and garden flowers, now hangs framed in Lucite on his wall. B rightwell's mix is a visual feast: He is attracted to classical shapes. "I like polished, tailored things," he says. One example is a Regency-inspired walnut and inlaid-sycamore fruit bowl, handcrafted by David Linley, the 2nd Earl of Snowdon. And he is wild for vintage white pottery, including his 1970s handled urns by British potter Hornsea. He snatches up glazed-black Wedgwood when he can find it and currently has a pair of Ravenstone urns, circa 1960. Pieces by the 1980s Milan-based Memphis Group are enjoying a resurgence, and Brightwell has scored a resin Senape vase by the movement's founder, Ettore Sottsass. Hundreds of art, photography, and design books are chosen for their cultural significance, beauty, and rarity. "I have lots of books about David LaChapelle and Mario Testino, and a great selection of Bruce Weber books, including his controversial Abercrombie & Fitch quarterly," he says. "My Windows of Bergdorf Goodman special edition is already out of print." Brightwell started collecting Visionaire publications in the 1990s and he has a handful in stock, including No. 18, which sports a custom Clockwise from top left: Knoll Club Chair from Regeneration, New York. Ettore Sottsass vases for Marutomi. Aluminum torchière, circa 1930s. Gordon Cheung's Jan Davidsz. De Heem II (Small New Order), 2015, from Alan Cristea Gallery, London. Jasper Morrison Glo Ball lamp for Flos. George Nelson Tripod clock for Vitra. Early-20th-century English mantel clock. James Bearden sculpture, circa 2007. Vintage wood-veneer chrome table, wooden box holding Visionaire 60 Religion Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, and Michael Graves wood urns from JC Penney. André Saraiva's limited-edition Yello Mr. A, 2012, from Exhibition A. Persian camel saddle from Iran. Console by Alice Cottrell, manufactured by Murray's Iron Works. Tony Latham's Prada Marfa.