FEATURES • DESTINATIONS
Tao Collection:
A Sanctuary of Stories
& Craftsmanship
Tao Collection:
A Sanctuary of Stories
& Craftsmanship
Tao Collection is more than just a shop; it’s a living expression of Sylvia Fairman’s
journey of reinvention and passion for craftsmanship. From her roots in Argentina to her
transformative move to Bali, Sylvia’s career has been defined by creativity, resilience,
and a deep respect for cultural heritage.
Here, each piece tells a unique story, with Sylvia herself guiding visitors through
a carefully curated space filled with rare Indonesian treasures. It’s a sanctuary where
the connection between people and objects is celebrated, and where every item holds the
energy of its past, present, and future. Sylvia’s vision extends beyond Bali, with aspirations
to bring her curated aesthetic to the international stage, all while continuing to honor the
artisans and traditions that shape her world.
Tao Collection is more than just a shop; it’s a living expression of Sylvia Fairman’s journey of reinvention and passion for craftsmanship. From her roots in Argentina to her transformative move to Bali, Sylvia’s career has been defined by creativity, resilience, and a deep respect for cultural heritage.
Here, each piece tells a unique story, with Sylvia herself guiding visitors through a carefully curated space filled with rare Indonesian treasures. It’s a sanctuary where the connection between people and objects is celebrated, and where every item holds the energy of its past, present, and future. Sylvia’s vision extends beyond Bali, with aspirations to bring her curated aesthetic to the international stage, all while continuing to honor the artisans and traditions that shape her world.
December 2024 • Words & Photography by The Punch
A Journey of
Reinvention & Resilience
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sylvia’s life has been a journey of reinvention and creativity, blending architecture, design, travel, and entrepreneurship. Starting her career as an architect, Sylvia’s passion for interiors and curiosity led her to explore beyond Argentina. In 1974, she opened Nouveau, a shop that introduced bamboo imports from India to Buenos Aires. However, the country’s unstable economy forced her to shift focus. Her shop became a reflection of her spirit—filled with handmade items, each telling its own story.
As the economy evolved, Sylvia’s path did too. She stepped away from Nubo to collaborate with an American firm on architecture projects. As life progressed, she became a mother, moved into the corporate world, and discovered marketing. A personal loss inspired her to explore new passions, including studying cuisine. In 1988, she opened Amulén, a teahouse in Buenos Aires that became a cultural hub, offering French patisserie and curated objects. Yet, due to the country’s economic instability, she sold her stake and moved on.
Sylvia’s career took an international turn as she worked with global furniture brands, opening stores and building teams across Buenos Aires and Madrid. After two years, she returned to Buenos Aires to lead a luxury hotel project for an American investment company, combining her skills in architecture, design, and storytelling to position Argentina as a sophisticated destination. Throughout her career, Sylvia often found herself as the only woman in the room, carving space in male-dominated industries. Her nearly decade-long role with the American company was defined by growth, trust, and invaluable lessons in building meaningful ventures.
Everyday is a New Opportunity
Sylvia Fairman carries a quiet wisdom, earned not just through the years but through a life shaped by reinvention. For her, age is not a limit but a gift, each decade offering new perspectives and greater clarity. “Every year gets better,” she says, a sentiment as bold as the choices that have defined her. Never one to follow convention, Sylvia embraced her role as a mother—and later as a grandmother—with the same individuality.
Bali, she believes, made her a better person. Its rhythm and deliberate way of living taught her what truly matters. Born into wealth, Sylvia lost it all in a humbling moment that stripped away illusions and revealed life’s bare necessities. Her journey to Bali was anything but linear. The economies of the East intrigued her, and Shanghai seemed like the natural next step, but fate had other plans. A meeting with an architect living in Bali led to an invitation, and with just a few belongings, Sylvia sold what she could and moved to the tropics. That was more than a decade ago, and she has never looked back.
When asked how she navigates life with such ease, Sylvia’s response is disarmingly simple: don’t overthink it. For her, living is about momentum—trusting the path as it unfolds. Arriving in Bali with little to her name, she threw herself into work, determined to begin a new chapter. She offered her architectural expertise for free, though opportunities didn’t come easily. To sustain herself, she taught tango, turning her passion for movement into a means of survival. Later, she collaborated with a Dutch artist, assisting with an exhibition in Jakarta.
In August 2019, Sylvia opened her gallery, Tao Collection, a venture that became a turning point. It wasn’t just a business but a reflection of her journey, the result of all the risks, lessons, and transformations that brought her here. Today, she calls Bali home. Though she visits her family in Argentina once a year, she has no plans to return. Bali’s magic, she says, has given her a sense of purpose. For Sylvia, every day is an opportunity to begin again, to adapt, to create, and to find beauty in the unknown. Her life is proof of this resilience, reminding us that even in loss, there is the power to rebuild, and in every challenge, the chance to grow.
The Art of Collection
While Tao Collection is not Sylvia’s first shop, it stands apart from anything she’s done before. Here, Sylvia welcomes the refreshing freedom–choosing her clients with intention and focusing on the creative joy of curation, unburdened by the pressures of financial urgency. For Sylvia, this space is deeply personal. Each piece within its walls is like one of her children, cherished and some named, with stories in their being. She engages with customers warmly, answering questions and trusting her intuition when deciding whether an item should leave the store. Selling isn’t just transactional; it’s relational. Sylvia keeps in touch with buyers, following the journey of each piece as if bidding farewell to an old friend. This emotional connection resonates with her clients, drawing them back again and again.
In Bali, collectors span generations. With Tao Collection, she offers something unique: the promise of individuality, especially for private houses, restaurants and hotels seeking to stand out. Most items in her store are bespoke, not mass-produced, and the shop itself defies categorization. It’s neither a traditional gallery nor a typical retail space. There’s no catalog, no endless stock–just carefully chosen pieces, each deeply rooted in Indonesia.
Sylvia’s passion lies in observing visitors as they explore her store. She watches where their eyes land first and takes special delight in children’s reactions, curious to see which pieces of art resonate with them. Every object holds its own energy, with its journey to her store as significant as its presence within it. Sylvia finds joy in constantly reimagining the space, mixing and matching, and creating new stories from old treasures. Tao Collection is a dynamic celebration of craftsmanship, history, and the connections made between people and the pieces they take home.
Preserving Cultural Heritage
When Sylvia Tao first set foot in Bali, it felt like stepping into a dream. The island wrapped her in a sensory hug–the colors, the sounds, theearthy scents–and she couldn’t help but feel as though anything was possible. Here, she discovered a slower, more deliberate way of creating, where artisans could focus on quality over quantity, a rarity in much of the modern world. This wasn’t limited to Bali but also across Indonesia, a land where tradition and artistry run deep.
In her early days, Sylvia taught English at a local school and marveled at the natural talent of Balinese children. She recalls watching them draw with precision that seemed to flow from their connection to the island’s rich heritage. Over time, these young artists grow into master craftsmen, guardians of skills passed down through generations. To Sylvia, this artistry is a gift, one she feels compelled to protect as technology advances and the rush of modernity threatens to overshadow the handmade.
At Tao Collection, Sylvia weaves these stories into the experience. Every piece in her store is original, its uniqueness amplified by the tale it carries. For Sylvia, sharing these stories is as important as the objects themselves–a way to honor the artisans and their cultural roots. Her life in Bali has been shaped by a deep respect for the community and its traditions, where respect for elders remains central to daily life. Through her work, Sylvia reminds us that to protect culture is to celebrate the stories it tells and the hands that bring it to life.
A Fueling Vision
Sylvia Tao’s vision is opening a shop in Spain or Miami, a space that would bring her unique aesthetic onto an international stage. For her, it’s not just about expanding Tao Collection but about creating an opportunity to explore, to move, and to connect with new landscapes and cultures. This vision feels like the next chapter in her story–a blend of her love for travel and her passion for design.
These days, when people reach out to Sylvia, it’s no longer just her architectural expertise they seek; it’s her refined taste, her ability to curate pieces that speak with both elegance and authenticity. This distinct perspective has elevated Tao Collection, turning it into a destination for those who value the rare and the meaningful.
Sylvia credits the women around her–mentors, colleagues, and friends–for constantly pushing her to reach higher. Their support and influence have shaped her journey, fueling her vision for what’s next. For Sylvia, the future isn’t just about growing her brand; it’s about continuing to find inspiration and leaving her unique mark wherever she goes.
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