Sarah Andelman. It’s hard to describe her to someone who doesn’t already know her name. Those who do know her as someone recognized throughout the fashion and art worlds for her impeccable taste. Yet Andelman has spent more than 10 years avoiding the limelight, despite naming Chanel, Hermès and Pharrell Williams among her many collaborators. When she started her agency, Just An Idea, in 2018, she told brands that her role was behind the scenes rather than as the face of a project. But “over the years,” she says, “I understood that brands wanted to involve me, to name me, so I became a little more indifferent.” Now she is finally stepping into the limelight.

Releasing a product into the world comes with increased responsibility now that consumers, striving to make more sustainable choices, have begun to examine their consumption habits. Andelman navigates this world with care. Just An Idea works with brands such as Moncler and Sacai to develop “special projects and collaborations that make sense for the brands and their customers”.

Bare-faced, wearing her signature pixie cut and an oversized black Verdy T-shirt, Andelman seems reserved at first over our video call, but she lights up when I ask about her work. She has been busy. Last year, she curated 50 lots from artists around the world to participate in Pharrell’s Just Phriends auction. Lots ranged from niche items to art; a highlight is a sculpture by Pharrell and Takashi Murakami, titled The simple things (2008-2009), which sold for HKD 21.73 million at Christie’s in Hong Kong in 2019. “I didn’t really know the (house) auction world and the markets,” she says candidly. “I tried to curate artists who worked with Pharrell in the past, who (understood) his history.” Whether it was strategic or pure serendipity, the auction took place in Paris the same week that the American musician debuted his first collection for Louis Vuitton as its men’s creative director.

In February, Parisian retailer Le Bon March invited Andelman to create an installation in the store. The store historically invites guests, usually creatives or artists, to take over the windows and retail space. “The difference (between the other guests and me) is that I never (think of myself) as a creative,” Andelman says. She brought a friend, the artist Jean Jullien, and together they created an exhibition entitled “Mise en Page”, with books as the central theme. A powder blue figure engulfed by the reading tower above the display, with an array of books, Jullien-themed merchandise and homewares. Andelman herself makes several cameos – a cartoon version of her appears during the installation, her head buried in a book.

Fresh from the fair in Paris, she goes to Miami in December to finish the year. She bursts out laughing. “Don’t ask me about Hong Kong!”

While we may not see an Andelman special at Art Basel Hong Kong next March, her curatorial prowess can be experienced at Put it together!an interactive installation at Landmark from Thursday until New Year’s Day. Building on the tradition of wrapping presents during the holiday season, Andelman has brought together 10 artists from around the world to create a series of special edition ribbon designs and ornaments. Asian artists Chen Fenwan, Forlee Bean, Kasing Lung and Ribbonesia sit alongside names from further afield, including Nina Chanel Abney, Pieter Ceizer, FriendsWithYou, Gabriela Noelle, Katerina Jebb and André Saraiva (Mr A). Japanese fashion brand Sacai collaborates with chef Richard Ekkebus of Amber on a limited edition cake.