Collectors and their unique collections through the lens of James Mollison (21 photos)

In an effort to explore the intriguing world of collectors, James Mollison invited passionate collectors to join his project. The keen eye of the photographer captures the harmony, the amazing balance between collectors and their favorite things. He introduces us to such famous personalities as Iris Apfel, Luciano Benetton, Roberto Baggio and many others.

1. Luciano Benetton





The founder of the fashion empire has amassed nearly 10,000 miniature paintings in his growing collection.

The photographer explained how he chose the subjects for his project: "Christie's wanted to represent certain collectors, but I could also suggest collectors that I had read about or thought might be visually interesting. An example would be Roberto Baggio with his an incredible collection of hunting equipment, Rino Ferro, a former butcher who has a collection of tools, or my friend Cristiano Spiller, a DJ who collects Lego figures."

2. Iris Apfel



The New York style icon owns a stunning collection of suits.

"I was most attracted to collectors who did it for the love of the item, not for status or investment. In Germany, I photographed Jens Weerbeck and his vintage toasters. He bought the first one at a flea market when he was in college. Then another toaster through several months... At the time of filming, he had hundreds of them, and it was truly beautiful."

3. Paul Smith

Fashion designer and his rich collection of cycling T-shirts.

4. Roberto Baggio



The football player, who played for Fiorentina, Juventus and the Italian national team, collects hunting paraphernalia.

5. Perry Margouleff



The musician and producer collects American guitars of the 20th century.

6. Kim Hastreiter



The publisher and editor of indie magazine Paper collects objects that tell the story of her life.

7. David Gainsborough Roberts



David collects memorabilia dedicated to famous people of the 20th century.

8. Rino Ferro



A former butcher and his homemade tools.

9. Friedrich Wilhelm Prinz von Sachsen-Hessaff



The interior designer is passionate about miniature furniture.

10. Christiano Spiller



The DJ and producer collects Lego figures.

11. Liz West



The sculptor began collecting Spice Girl memorabilia at the age of 11. Her collection ranges from pencil cases to gifts from Mel B, a member of the legendary group.

12. Anne Dell Prevost



Anne has a passion for art and 18th century French furniture. She inherited her love from her grandmother in South Carolina.

13. Harald Falkenberg



Author of articles on contemporary art, lawyer, professor of art theory at the Hamburg Academy of Fine Arts and his works.

14. Liu Lan



The entrepreneur collects works of contemporary art.

15. Ute and Rudolf Scharpff



The family's collection includes about 200 works by 35 artists.

16. Inti Ligaby



In addition to managing the restaurant business, Inti promust add to the collection of tribal art started by his father.

17. Gail Cook



The enduring passion began as a gift for my daughter.

18. Simon Costin



Art director and set designer and his rarities from flea markets.

19. Karina Dubner



The clothing and interior designer is interested in fabrics from Central Asia.

20. Wolfgang Ruf and Martin Kamer



Rivals turned into companions, creating an unrivaled collection of costumes.

21. Gerald Ford



The entrepreneur has collected an original collection of piggy banks.