Inside Elie Saab’s Atelier in Beirut

The Lebanese fashion designer invites us into his world.

Minding Moncler

How Remo Ruffini got the fashion world to escape its doubts and embrace the puff.

Remo Ruffini is the consummate Italian outdoorsman. He’s more at home on the piste—or at the helm of a sailboat—than in the front row at a fashion show. He leads Moncler, his Milan-based luxury outerwear company, with a similar attitude. He’s exactly what the storied French brand needed.

Despite an illustrious history dating back to 1952, when René Ramillon founded Moncler in the town of Monestier-de-Clermont, in southern France, the company had begun to falter in the ’90s. Squeezed by high fashion outerwear offerings from Prada Sport and Gucci, as well as by more mainstream outfits like The North Face and Patagonia, Moncler struggled to find its niche, and in 2003 saw profits of just $62 million. Enter Ruffini, who brought with him a new sense of urgency and excitement. By 2016, the brand was raking in more than $685 million in revenue.

In part, Moncler’s comeback can be attributed to Ruffini’s push for diversity of aesthetic; not relying on one single vision allows the brand to speak to a wider demographic. Not only are there multiple lines that appeal to twenty-something, hard-core skiers as well as an older couture crowd, there is also a rotating roster of creative talent behind them that keeps the brand fresh and each season’s offerings unexpected. Moncler has expanded to include multiple collections including the classic sportswear line Grenoble; Gamme Rouge by Giambattista Valli; Gamme Bleu by Thom Browne; and Longue Saison, Moncler’s entry into the competitive marketplace for lightweight, season-less jackets. In addition to the ongoing design talents of Valli and Browne, as well as Virgil Abloh, Ruffini has enlisted pop stars like Pharrell Williams to create everything from limited-edition puffy parkas to eyewear and expanding accessory offerings. Ruffini delights in the design talent that he helps identify each season, and believes that constant creativity is key to the brand’s continued success.

Surface recently spoke with Ruffini on topics including his love of a preppy New England aesthetic, Japan’s affection for good backpacks, and global warming. It’s these varied fragments, sprung from Ruffini’s mind, that promise to shape Moncler in the years ahead.

You grew up in the textile industry. How does your background inform your work now?

I was raised in Como, near the Swiss border, and was always surrounded by the textile industry. My grandfather and my parents were both involved with fabrics and the clothing business, so production, runway shows, and marketing were always topics of discussion at home. When my father moved his company, Nik Nik, to the U.S. in the ’70s, I followed him there. But my story—from a design and quality standpoint—was always Italian.

What first attracted you to the ski jacket, and to Moncler specifically?

Skiing was always my passion, and Moncler jackets were popular when I was about 14 or 15 years old. When I was a kid, I traveled to school on the back of a scooter in the freezing cold, so a Moncler jacket was not only fashionable, it was also very practical. Later, in the ’80s in Milan, the paninari—a group of rebel Milanese teens—started wearing colorful, graffitied Moncler puffers, and they became very cool. The brand went into decline in the ’90s, but when I saw that it was for sale in 2002, I was very excited because it had been a part of my life forever.

I’ve read that you were inspired by American prep from your time spent in New England in your college years. What did you take back to Milan?

I briefly went to Boston, and while I didn’t end up studying, I instantly liked the attitude and the understated, classic style I saw there. Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and Hyannis Port were all inspirational; the relaxed sensibility resonated with me. I liked the look of chinos, button-down Oxford shirts, and all of the traditional clothes. Instead of going to college, I returned to Italy and founded the New England Company when I was 21. It fused a Brooks Brothers and Ivy League look with Italian tailoring and details—including a trimmer fit.

Is there a city with particularly interesting street style now?

The style in northern Europe—Stockholm and Copenhagen, in particular—where it’s cold, and the attitude is very sporty, are both very interesting. The way they dress and how they use bright colors is very different than in Milan or New York.

You’ve done interesting collaborations with everyone from Pharrell to Junya Watanabe to Erdem. How were they chosen, and what have they added to your brand?

Pharrell is not a classic clothing designer, but someone from the music world, so it made for a totally different, very interesting collaboration. The ones we did with Japanese designers have been a highlight as well. I love Japanese style and we’ve worked with designers including Chitose Abe and Sacai from 2010 to 2013, Junya Watanabe in 2004, and Visvim, who understood our DNA particularly well. The Japanese always start from the original, from the basics of our brand, but then add incredible twists.

How did Moncler O, the latest collaboration with Virgil Abloh and Off-White, come about? 

Virgil is a creative director and DJ, but he has incredible energy. Using oversized logos and designs inspired by North Sea fishermen, as well as our technology, he married streetwear with skiwear and it was very successful.

Who do you think does fashionable skiwear or outerwear really well?

One of the best companies is the small Swiss skiwear brand Kjus. They do a great job with lightweight, technical jackets, and the quality is excellent. This is one of my preferred companies. Prada Sport was an interesting concept, too.

Tell me about your theatrical New York and Milan Fashion Week presentations.

We never wanted to do a classic catwalk show in New York. We put on spectacular performances that also showcase the technical side of our products. This year’s show was an icy, winter festival. In Milan, for example, Thom Browne for Gamme Rouge has played with the idea of the great outdoors—right down to the tents and sleeping bags.

About your production process, why did you move it from Madagascar to the Veneto region when you acquired the company in 2002?

When I bought Moncler, they were purchasing finished garments from the Far East and the Middle East, but I wanted to control the production and quality 100 percent.  That means we now buy all of the raw materials: the down, the specially designed nylon, the zippers, and the accessories. I’ve structured the company around this process. We cut everything ourselves and oversee the stitching and assembly at our facilities in Piecenza, before the finished pieces are delivered around the world.

How do you see the future of Moncler?

I want to continue keeping to our roots, and to focus on jackets. We don’t have to make everything, we just have to make our products the best. I think the strategy is more or less there, but we will always improve upon what we already have on the table.

What keeps you moving?

I’m inspired by my life: from skiing in St. Moritz, to sailing in the Mediterranean, to spending time with my family. The biggest inspirations, however, are the people in the streets, and people in the mountains. In a mountain village people tend to dress in strange ways because they are on vacation—they try different things because they are more concerned with comfort and functionality. My job is to travel the world to see what normal people love.

And what about non-normal people? Drake, for instance, wears a Moncler jacket in the “Hotline Bling” video.

Celebrities use our jackets for music videos or in life, but we often don’t know about it in advance. I had no idea, for example, about Drake—my friend called to let me know. It’s great advertising.

On the sales side, how does the international marketplace affect your business?

The world is obviously very volatile now. The U.K. market, for example, was quite depressed, but post-Brexit it is very successful. The British pound lost power, and the U.K. attracts customers from Asia and the U.S., so it has become one of our strongest performing markets. Japan is the opposite; the Yen became strong, so Asian tourists are going elsewhere. This is especially true in Tokyo and Ginza—it has been very difficult for us. The best region is still Europe—the U.K., France, Italy—and for anyone in the luxury market, Asia is quite successful now as well. Russia, however, has softened quite a bit over the last two or three years.

Do you ever think about global warming?  In the outerwear business—and as an avid skier—weather must be everything.

We are making jackets that can be used year-round. I am always interested in global weather patterns, especially in colder climates. Our business is winter.

Top Chefs Take Over St. Moritz’s New Norman Foster-Designed Dining Room

The historic Kulm Hotel in the Swiss Alps goes cutting edge.

(Photo: Daniel Martinek)

St. Moritz has long reigned as the European capital of wintertime indulgence, where the stream of private jets carrying business titans, film stars, and royals is as common a sight as the snowy pistes above the Engadine Valley. It’s the kind of place where the atmosphere is described as “champagne” and Cartier sponsors an annual polo match atop a frozen lake. The Kulm Hotel has served as the place to see and be seen for more than 160 years, hosting events at two Olympics and counting everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Alfred Hitchcock to Audrey Hepburn as guests.

But even grande dames need a refresh now and again, and who better to lead the charge than architect and part-time resident Norman Foster, whose firm, Foster + Partners, was commissioned to renovate the landmark. (A wing of guest rooms was recently given a makeover by French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon.) “This project is very close to my heart,” Foster says. “The old building had been abandoned for many decades. I saw a great opportunity to revitalize the hotel and this part of town by bringing it back to life.”

At the center of the restoration lies Kulm Country Club, a pop-up restaurant that hosts a rotating slate of chefs with award-winning pedigrees. Switzerland-bred Daniel Humm, of the Michelin three-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York, kicked things off in January. In February, the kitchen was helmed by Nenad Mlinarevic, the 2016 Gault Millau Chef of the Year, who is turned out unfussy classics like pork belly steamed buns, “just like I eat at home,” he says. In March, Italian-Argentine chef Mauro Colagreco, of the Michelin two-starred Mirazur in Menton, France, will close out the season by serving up his vibrant, produce-centric cuisine. “I try to take out the green of the vegetables and express that on the plate,” Colagreco says. 

Each menu will be served in a space lined with regional materials—such as larch, ash, oak, and walnut—detailed in a contemporary style. St. Moritz’s sporting heritage is referenced by vintage bobsleighs suspended from the ceiling, black-and-white skiing photographs, and assorted winter memorabilia—just enough kitsch to solidify its ski chalet credentials.

Outside, clean-lined wood pavilions with copper-edged curves add strikingly modern structures to the historic grounds. “In winter, parents can have a coffee at the bar and watch their children skate; in summer, terraces offer the perfect vantage point for viewing events such as the Classic Car Meet,” Foster says. “This will become a new gathering place for the community.” New, yes, but for the longtime visitors to St. Moritz, happily familiar.

SURFACE

Missoni's Hands-Off Fashion Executive

CEO Emilio Carbonera Giani sees positive long-term results thanks to a laissez-faire approach.

You’ve spent your career in fashion—at Valentino, Salvatore Ferragamo, and the menswear brand Caruso. What has been your path?

I started in banking and then moved into textiles, which led me to the Marzotto Group, the then-owner of Valentino. From there I went on to Ferragamo, where I worked with my mentor, [former CEO] Michele Norsa. Caruso was completely different because it’s a very small company and focused exclusively on bespoke suiting. The common thread throughout my work has been that in Italy, most of the luxury fashion brands are family-owned. Working with families has major advantages: They tend to make decisions with a longer-term view, rather than being focused on short-term results or dealing with shareholders.

You’ve been COO of Missoni since 2015. What have been the biggest changes under your tenure?

I have focused on e-commerce—an important area for us—as well as next steps for merchandising. In two or three years I hope we’ll be able to add accessories like small bags and leather goods.

Where are the next big markets for Missoni?

China—and there are opportunities in India, but not in the short term. The luxury market is still very small there, and while there are many affluent people, it is just starting to grow for us. The U.S. is a traditionally strong market, so we’ll keep that up while focusing on the Far East—Thailand and Vietnam—and South America.

How would you describe your management style? 

I tend to be very practical: direct and to the point, sometimes too much so. I don’t micromanage. Our offices are set in Varese, in the countryside, and most of the staff lives in and around this area, and the office culture reflects that.

Missoni has an interesting strategy around monobrand boutiques vs. multi-brand stores. How do you select where to sell and why?

We’re a small company and can’t open thousands of stand-alone boutiques—we currently have nine—and the look of the collection works well for multi-brand stores, like Shin Kong Place in Beijing. Major department stores are our biggest point of sale. In terms of stand-alone stores, Paris is our most successful, despite the difficult times there, followed by Rome, Milan, and New York.

Who is your core customer? 

Americans, Germans, the British, and Middle Eastern clients are all very important, and Italians make up 10 percent of our sales. Our customer appreciates our creative process: We dye the yarn, weave the fabrics, and create the color pattern combinations. Our things are artisanal from the start through to the finished product, and this isn’t common in most fashion houses.

What is next for Missoni?

We’ll continue to develop [our less-expensive line] M Missoni, which is very important to the overall business and to our licensees. There aren’t any near-term collaborations like we did with Target, but we’ll continue to partner with other companies that are the top in their category. We’ve had recent successful partnerships with Converse and Havaianas, and we’ll continue to do more of these. On the residential side, we’re doing the Missoni Baia residences in Miami with developer Vladislav Doronin. This project allows us to offer a full image of Missoni to the world. We’ve done previous hotel projects—in Kuwait and Edinburgh, Scotland—and we weren’t particularly happy with them, so now we select partners very carefully and only link our name to super first-class properties.

What is luxury now? 

It’s something very personal. Something you can’t find everywhere. Luxury is scarcity.

Bobbi Brown Makes It Look Easy

After 25 years in the industry, cosmetics titan Bobbi Brown continues to espouse natural beauty.

The name Bobbi Brown is synonymous with effortless beauty. Since she founded her eponymous brand in 1991 with $10,000 and a single nude shade of lipstick, the celebrity makeup artist has sought to empower women to look and feel their best. She must have been doing something right, because four years later the company was acquired by beauty behemoth Estée Lauder for an undisclosed sum, making Bobbi Brown Cosmetics an international powerhouse.

Brown is warm and wickedly funny, and her holistic approach to beauty appeals to women of all ages and ethnicities—throughout more than 70 countries, and in 100 brick-and-mortar stores around the globe. This wide-ranging popularity has led to sales figures that, by some estimates, account for 10 percent of all Estée Lauder revenues.

What began as a reaction to the artificial, excessive, overly contoured makeup that was so popular in the 1980s—think Cyndi Lauper, Madonna, and Debbie Harry with bright red lips, heavy eye shadows, and impasto blush—Bobbi Brown grew quickly from 10 lipsticks to a cosmetics empire that includes products like Foundation Sticks, Creamy Concealer Kits, Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, and Shimmer Bricks. The brand has expanded from makeup and skin care to include fragrances, as well as a range of nail polishes, brushes and tools, and most recently, eyewear. The through line for all of Brown’s products is that they are designed to enhance—rather than to hide—a woman’s best features, and all are conceived with time, efficiency, and ease of use in mind.

Brown’s achievements aren’t limited to the visage: She is the recipient of numerous awards, a bestselling author, and was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the United States government’s senior trade advisory panel.

A visit to Bobbi Brown’s SoHo headquarters paints a clear picture of the brand’s success: It is a loft-like, airy environment where people freely share ideas and where you’re likely to see a dog or a child. Brown sat down with Surface to discuss 25 years of makeup and her other pursuits.

What was your path to the realm of makeup?

I have always loved it; the way it can make you feel instantly prettier, more tanned, glowing. I never loved school and I even considered dropping out at one point. My mom asked me, “If you could do anything, what would it be?” to which I responded, “I’d like to go to Marshall Field’s and play with makeup.” She encouraged me to follow my passion and study theatrical makeup, so I found my way to Emerson College in Boston, where they allowed me to design my own major. This was the first time in my life that I was surrounded by like-minded, creative people who were just passionate about whatever they were doing. It was there that I learned that what you put in is what you get out—this is also known as entrepreneurship.

What was the makeup world like in New York when you were starting out?

I moved to New York in the ’80s and everyone was into contouring, pale skin, and artificial everything, including fuchsia lipsticks and electric blue eye shadow. I was doing shoots featuring models with natural, beautiful, evenly toned skin and I was the only one doing it at the time. This look appealed to photographers like Bruce Weber and Arthur Elgort, who preferred a healthier look. I also worked with photographers like Steven Klein who opted for a more severe look, but this just wasn’t in my comfort zone. I did a Vogue cover with Tatjana Patitz where she appeared strong, but clean and fresh, and this was a breakthrough moment for me.

Are there other breakthrough moments that stand out?

I’ll never forget my first Vogue cover shoot in 1987. It was with Naomi Campbell and Patrick Demarchelier, on a beach at daybreak, and it changed my career. I went on to work with Walter Chin, Victor Skrebneski, and Horst P. Horst, to name but a few.

Tell me about the brand’s beginnings?

It all started with a nude lipstick. Everything on the market at the time was dry or greasy or smelly, so I asked a chemist who I’d met at Kiehl’s to formulate a lipstick for me using a combination of a taupe eye pencil, a pinkish-blue blush, and lip balm. I wanted a lipstick that looked like lips. From that first lipstick, I went on to create 10 Bobbi Brown Essentials: a targeted, edited collection of the most beautiful lip colors that included Salmon, Beige, Raisin, Brown, Rise, Pink, Orange, Blackberry, Burnt Red, and Red.

It’s astounding that you can rattle those colors off from memory? Where and how did the brand launch?

Initially, my husband, Steven Plofker, and I had two partners, Rosalind and John Landis. We joined forces and launched this brand in 1991, all while keeping our day jobs. Shortly thereafter I met the beauty buyer for Bergdorf Goodman at a cocktail party, and I pitched her then and there. Bergdorf’s took our product, and we thought we’d sell 100 lipsticks in the first month—but we sold 100 on the first day. This led to the launch of lip pencils, eye pencils, eye shadow, and so on.

How did the sale to Estée Lauder Companies come about?

When the brand was four years old, Frédéric Fekkai called me and said “Leonard Lauder wants to meet you.” I said yes, of course, although we weren’t interested in selling the company. I went to a dinner at Leonard and Evelyn’s house. I remember the night well because we sat outside overlooking the park, eating grilled fish, steamed broccoli, and brown rice, with the philharmonic playing in the distance. He had done his research and knew that I loved healthy food and good wine, so this won me over right away. He said that I reminded him of his mother when she started her business, and also that we were beating them in all the stores, so they wanted to buy us. He knew that being a wife and a mother was incredibly important to me, and he assured me that I’d have complete autonomy and the ability to balance those big parts of my life. He has never wavered on this.

Speaking of work/life balance, you’re a pro. Teach me.

I learned balance from my husband, Steven. He chose to be a real estate developer so that he could be home at night and have dinner with his kids. We have always supported each other in our work and in our family life. A perfect example of this was early in my career, when I was booked to do a cover shoot with Nikki Taylor in Florida. It was during the kids’ school vacation, and so Steven offered to fly down with them, but someone got an ear infection and couldn’t get on the plane. Instead he took the overnight train so that we could all be together. For both of us, family has always come first, and when I am with them I try to be completely present.

I’d like to think we could all have that kind of discipline. Has this sacred balance led to any missed opportunities?

There were moments early in my career that tested my priorities. When Bruce Weber asked me to do a three-week shoot for Ralph Lauren in Tahiti and I passed, or when I opted to skip a dinner with Francesco Scavullo and Jean-Paul Gaultier in favor of meeting my husband and young son, Dylan, for a planned dinner in SoHo. In these cases, however, when one door closed, another one opened and led to a new product line or an idea for a book.

For a brief time the company was located at Estée Lauder’s Midtown Manhattan offices. Now you’re in SoHo. Why?

Post-acquisition, our sales flattened. I told the CEO at the time that I felt stuck in an uncreative box and that I wanted to move downtown, and have an open-plan work environment, with music, a healthy kitchen, and people wearing jeans. I need to be able to open the windows. They supported me wholeheartedly and our sales went back up.

Just like that? Wow. Let’s talk about advice. What’s the best nugget you’ve ever received in business?

Leonard Lauder told me, “Never ask for permission; ask for forgiveness” and this is how I operate. Mickey Drexler of J. Crew is another role model, and he always says “Just keep doing what you think you should be doing,” instead of focusing on other people or fleeting trends.

Now you. What beauty advice can you offer me?

Healthy looks beautiful, and it comes from the inside. Eating well, getting enough sleep, wearing sunscreen, drinking water, and exercising are all important. Use moisturizer, as it’s the fountain of youth, and resist doing things like seeing the dermatologist too much when you’re having a down moment. At difficult times, put your hair up and don’t look in the mirror—this is when mistakes are made. Also, choose to look your age, and don’t try to erase all of the lines and imperfections.

OK, let’s pivot into broad strokes. What are the best things about your success?

I’ve been exposed to so many incredible things: I’ve seen the world, and I get to help so many different kinds of women feel better about themselves. Then there are the perks: I’ve been to a state dinner at the White House, I’ve danced with [rapper] Flo Rida, spent time with Mick Jagger, I’ve traveled with my family all over the world. I also get to be surrounded by an incredible team at work, and my life is better and fuller because of them.

The company has been around for 25 years now. Is this a major milestone for you?

When I started my business I never imagined that it would grow to be what it is today, and I’m proud that our brand philosophy remains the same as it was 25 years ago. Our products are driven by the needs of our consumers, and we are committed to empowering women. I plan to continue to develop effective products that meet the needs of all different kinds of women.

Are you going to celebrate?

Yes, we are celebrating the brand’s original mission with the launch of our “Be Who You Are” campaign that highlights the individuality of women across different ages and ethnicities and celebrates my lifelong beauty secret: to be who you are. We’ve had so many great moments, but what really stands out to me are the countless women I’ve met over the years who have inspired me with their stories. Beyond makeup, we’ve talked about life-altering events; everything from the joy of being a new mom to dealing with homelessness and divorce.

Now let’s try a little Proust questionnaire. What does the future of beauty look like?

I think it will be a combination of health and wellness—and it will be about beauty from the inside. There will be an emphasis on foods that boost health, and help nourish the skin and nails. I think you’ll see makeup that gives a natural glow—gel bronzers, cream blush—that’s very sheer, light, and clean. A glowing look versus a more matte skin finish will be popular, and good moisturizer will be key.

What’s a little-known fact about you?

I got my Today show guest beauty editor gig—one that I did for 16 years—because I met Jeff Zucker’s grandmother at a party and we hit it off. She recommended me to him, and the rest is history.

Where do you like to spend your down time?

With my kids. Whether that’s in the mountains in Telluride, or on the beach in Bayhead, on the Jersey Shore, or at home in Montclair, I love spending time with my three boys, my husband, and my dog, Biggie.

If you weren’t in the beauty business, what would you like to be doing?

I’m a big believer in foods that heal and in eating things that come from the earth. If I weren’t running this business, I’d like to own wellness cafes and provide nutritional coaching. While I’m not a great cook, I love good food and think it’s tightly tied to beauty. I also love editorial work—I was the editor-in-chief of Yahoo Beauty—and would enjoy being involved in magazine publishing.

You’re a famously healthy, clean eater. What’s your kryptonite?

Casa Dragones tequila, followed by the occasional French fry off of a friend’s plate.

The Many Sides of Marriott's Arne Sorenson

The hotel executive spends around two hundred nights per year traveling to his diverse global holdings.

Following the mega-merger of Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, CEO Arne Sorenson will helm the world’s largest hotel chain—one with a combined 1.1 million rooms, and 400,000 more coming down the pipeline. Here, he tells Surface about everything from sustainability and LBGT rights to the importance of good design and listening to the competition.

You’re the first non-family member to hold the CEO title at Marriott. Tell me about your path to the top.

I never had a clear plan. My father and both of my grandfathers were Lutheran preachers, and I was born in Japan, where my dad had been posted since 1945. I later went to college and law school, and then worked as a lawyer in Washington, D.C., where I began representing Marriott in 1992. Bill Marriott called and asked me to come to the company, and I said I would, but not as a lawyer. So my first job—more than 20 years ago—was to run mergers and acquisitions. I later became the CFO—a slightly weird move on Mr. Marriott’s part, as I didn’t have the background for it, but he said, “You’ve got a great team, use your judgment, and you’ll figure it out.” I actually don’t think he could do that today. I transitioned to the role of president for a few years, and was appointed CEO in 2012. And while I’m not a family member, everyone had a chance to think about this transition over for a few years. By the time it happened, it was easy.

What’s the culture of the company?

Across the board we put our people above our customers. Of course, our customers are important to us, but the 375,000 employees who wear our name badge are on the front line, and we want them to be empowered, motivated, and happy. If they aren’t, they won’t deliver the kind of service expected of all our brands.

Another part of the cultural story at Marriott is that people talk about people, not their pedigree. So often what we hear is “they went to Harvard” or “they’ve worked for McKinsey” or whatever it is—but that has never been the conversation at Marriott. It’s always about looking at the position a person has now compared to where they started within the company—the general manger who came in as a security guard or the woman running international operations who came in as a pool attendant.

How did the Starwood deal play out? 

At first we decided to pass because it was just too expensive and looked like a lot of work. But we changed our minds because of the relative valuations of the companies, and we believe that we can accomplish something by being bigger. There had been rumors about Hyatt buying Starwood, but our announced bid was totally unexpected: It was put together in three weeks and two days.

Then Anbang steps in. They bid 11 or 12 percent more in cash, and in lighting speed, they fully financed that bid. Starwood picked it. We’d done a lot of work, and rather than just walk away, we teed up the best deal that we were prepared to do. Why give up without putting your best foot forward? We announced our revised deal on the Monday I’m in Cuba with President Obama. It then takes a full week before Anbang surfaces again with another bid, which is higher by a billion and a half dollars of financing, which they couldn’t deliver. Why they couldn’t, we don’t know—but we were back to getting our deal done.

Post-merger, will there be enough room for the 30 distinct hotel brands to retain their identities? For example, can Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis co-exist with business as usual?

All of the brands will keep their relative positioning, and the loyalty program serves as the umbrella for all of them. But we’ll try to emphasize swim lanes between the brands: Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis in the luxury segment, Edition and W Hotels in the lifestyle group, and AC Marriott and Aloft. These last two are similar in terms of psychographics, a word that I hate—AC has a European flavor while Aloft is about an American lifestyle. I don’t have all the answers—we’ll figure out what service and design cues, as well as food and beverage cues, we can implement over time to make a brighter distinction between these brands.

How important is design to the overall Marriott brand?  

I’m very interested in design, but I’m a lawyer by training, so I think our owners would shudder if they thought I was going to direct them in this area. The Edition partnership with Ian [Schrager] has been great, and I’ve loved being involved with the development process of the brand. My personal preference is for Midwestern design—Prairie School, Frank Lloyd Wright—and the use of natural woods and windows. I would love to work with Tom Kundig, specifically because of his use of windows and light.

Who do you like working with from a design perspective?

I’ve been very impressed with Yabu Pushelberg, David Rockwell and his team, John Pawson, and while I haven’t worked with her, I like Jeanne Gang’s work quite a lot.

Which competitors do you think are doing interesting things and why?

The whole boutique thing is very powerful. I think a lot of credit goes to Ian Schrager. Some of the independents that have popped up in the last decade—The Bowery Hotel, the Tribeca Grand, The Mercer—are all really compelling.

How much of your time is spent on the road?  

Two hundred nights a year, all over the world. I don’t attend many conferences, but Davos is an exception, because we accomplish so many different things: All of our big customers are there, and we can address travel policy issues more easily. Technology companies that we’re trying to partner with—or that we’re worried about—are also there.

How do you view the sharing economy and the rise of companies like Airbnb?  Do you have plans to compete in this space?

It’s fascinating. I hope we’re not as exposed to this as the taxi industry is right now.  Taxis in many cities are awful and hard to find. So here comes Uber with a better product. In the hotel business, I still think we can deliver better service, so we don’t have quite the same risk. Airbnb is fascinating. Increasingly, it’s less personal, and there are more dedicated units. The more they get into that space, they become a competitor. The story isn’t over, but we’re set up to compete well.

How is the controversial new “bathroom law” that affects LGBT rights impacting your businesses in North Carolina? 

There is already $100 million of business that has run away from North Carolina because of this. I think the thing that is so sad about this legislation is that it doesn’t do justice to the people of North Carolina, who are warm and welcoming. It’s just a law intended to drive a wedge between people. It’s judgmental, bad for business, and just awful. Period.

Starwood and Marriott are the first hotels to obtain U.S. Treasury Department authorization to operate in Cuba. What does this mean for the company, and how will they take shape?  

Cuba is one of those markets that totally captivates us: the history, the politics—we all want to go and experience this extraordinary culture. Starwood will open later this year, and they have three deals signed. Marriott has several deals under discussion. Cuba doesn’t have to compete by simply offering a beach vacation: It has something very powerful and distinct.

What properties and efforts are you most proud of? 

Haiti and Cuba, and the forthcoming Kigali, Rwanda, hotel—these properties are producing jobs that are transformative for people’s lives. In Haiti, we now have 200 associates at the Marriott there. Most of these people never had a job that was predictable before. This affects everything—the way they house their children, education, all the things that we take for granted.

To see the rest of this year’s Power 100, order the August issue of Surface here.

This Kettal Executive Trusts Word of Mouth Above All Else

Alex Alorda's father launched the Barcelona-based outdoor furniture maker over fifty years ago but the young vice president has his eyes fixed on the future.

Your father founded Kettal in 1964 and is still the president. What did he teach you about running a business that has helped you in your role as vice president?

He taught me the enduring values of consistency and common sense, as well the importance of being humble. He also taught me—all of us at the company—how to manage and empower people. He’s no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the company, but he comes often to have lunch.

How has the marketing strategy changed from the 1960s when Kettal threw branded beach balls out of an airplane onto the crowded beach below?

Our marketing strategy today is entirely by word of mouth. The hospitality industry is a smaller world than people think, and one project often leads to the next with hotel groups, and with our other customers as well.

How important is it that Kettal products be made in Spain?

Our company is more of a “project” that’s by people, for people. Everyone who works here feels linked to the product. Our factory is set up to work directly with the designers, and because everything is produced in and around Barcelona, we can control the quality and explain our values—without anything getting lost in translation.

You’ve collaborated with design greats like Patricia Urquiola, Jasper Morrison, and Nanna Ditzel. How do you choose these partners?

We don’t collect designers. We work with people who share our passion and we help make their designs a reality. Patricia Urquiola is a godmother to us all and she helped transform the company from one that made garden furniture to one that makes design furniture for the outdoors. She changed our mentality and that was a great opportunity. Patricia’s a cat with nine lives—always reinventing herself—and we’ve been producing collections with her for more than 12 years.

What other lessons have you learned from your design partners?

One of my favorite Jasper stories happened at the Milan Furniture Fair. He came on a Sunday when five of us were setting up the Kettal booth. We were exhausted and he pointed out that this hands-on approach was actually our strength: We have fewer people doing things, but we do them right. This was a very important insight for me.

What, in your mind, is good design?

Jasper Morrison said it best: “A design that is still in production after 30 years is a good one.” You will never create a good design with only a good designer—you also need a good company to make good things. Good designs involve long-lasting materials and are still being made years after their original production. Chairs by Charles and Ray Eames and Jean Prouvé that are still being made by Vitra are prime examples of this.

Whom would you like to collaborate with?

It’s too bad the Eameses are dead, and Jean Prouvé, too, as I would have loved to collaborate with them. We are always looking for people with long-term vision, original ideas, and who understand our ethos.

What are some of your most notable recent projects? 

It was an honor to be a part of the Fondation Louis Vuitton project [in Paris]: the architecture, the outdoor spaces—everything is stunning. A new project for JW Marriot Los Cabos is another very rational, timeless project, and the Oasia Hotel in Singapore that we recently did with Patricia [Urquiola] is cutting-edge and colorful.

In terms of the perfect outdoor setting, where might it be? 

This is almost impossible to answer, but both Minorca and Formentera have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

In an ideal world, what products might be next? 

The wheel has already been invented, we just need more good wheels.

The Nordic Approach of Index

Kigge Hvid, CEO of Index, promotes sustainable solutions to global challenges.

You’re the head of “Index: Design to Improve Life.” How has it changed since its founding in 2002?
Index set out to be a big award for traditional design, but that wasn’t going to happen with me in the lead. We’ve grown organically and shifted the focus away from aesthetics and toward making life better for people all over the world. We began with the design award and have grown to include education programs for teachers, decision makers, and kids. We are now raising the world’s first venture capital fund to invest in Design to Improve Life. The initiatives were just formed in partnership with the Dansk OTC. Together we’ll identify designers and entrepreneurs who need access to capital and we’ll accelerate their great ideas.

After high school you worked as a visual artist before working in arts and culture. How did your background prepare you for the world of sustainable design?
I believe everything is possible and that you make your opportunities—formal education or not. I worked from a very young age—18 years—and it meant that I could do a  lot of things that my peers couldn’t. I learned by doing, but sometimes I miss that university degree.

What do you look for in an award recipient, besides a great idea?
In the beginning we were looking at form, material, and color, but now impact is the single-biggest factor: How many people will be helped by this product or design? The new venture capital arm is different in that we’ll focus on proof of concept, the management team, and scalability. These awards and investments will be two independent processes.

You spend a lot of time traveling and lecturing around the world, whether as part of the Global Agenda Council for World Economic Forum, where you were a founding member, or keynoting the Service Design Global Conference in Sweden. How important are these engagements to spreading the Index message?
We all spend at least three months talking to other people, whether it be by Skype, at conferences around the world, or at universities. We need to understand what is happening around us, and this is the most effective way to do that.

Where do you see the greatest area of need right now?
We really need law enforcement across the world in places like West Africa, much of South America, and Asia, where people can be raped, murdered, or assaulted and there is no recourse. The refugee situation is also critical now: People are fleeing a life where nothing is good, and it would be amazing to form a think tank to solve the root of this problem. I also think big pharma needs to be rethought now. Often the person who needs the drugs can’t get them due to cost. All of these problems are about inequality.

If you were to host a dinner party with any product designers, artists, scientists, or innovators, living or dead, who would they be?
I’d love to chat with Beryl Markham, the first female to pilot a plane over Africa. I’d also invite architects, entrepreneurs, and artists including Daan Roosegaarde—an Index Award recipient and current jury member—and the curator of design and architecture at MoMA, Paola Antonelli, who is also on the jury. I’d include Reif Larsen, the author of The Selected Works of T.S. Pivet, which is about the adventures of a 12-year-old mapmaker, as well as behavioral economist, Dan Ariely.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever received?
Do not sue! Early in my career we had a business conflict with a sponsor, and my attorney said, “Sit down and find a solution.” We did just that, and I have a great relationship with those people to this day.

How would you describe your management style?
In the beginning, I was quite controlling, but now I try to lead by example, and I also empower people to do things the way they feel is best. My approach is very Scandinavian: There is no discussion of wages, overtime, or holidays, and people take time off when it works for them.

Is there a part of the world or a specific design community that is producing particularly exciting, game-changing products that will improve people’s lives?
Design-savvy Nordic countries continue to lead, and places like Holland and the U.S. are also very interesting in terms of sustainable innovation. In Norway, we’ve seen service innovation at the main Oslo hospital where the diagnostics of breast cancer have been cut from 12 weeks to just four days. Boston, Silicon Valley, and Denver—particularly the University of Colorado’s College of Arts & Media—are doing fascinating work.

You work with CEOs, academics, and innovators. Who is really moving the ball forward right now?
There are companies such as Airbnb that are helping to create a sharing, sustainable economy. This is a great equalizer and very inclusive. I’m finding that the people educated at design schools have been driving the development of the sharing economy; Pinterest and Kickstarter are great examples of this.

You’ve bestowed awards for clean drinking straws, affordable laptops, vertical farming systems, and fetal heart rate monitors. What are the impactful designs and products that really stand out for you?
We now have an archive of 5,000 sustainable designs, and I see exciting new concepts every day, so it’s hard to choose standouts. That said, the development in electrical cars and sustainable transportation as seen in the Tesla Roadster, as well as advances in smart highways, and advances in maternal and children’s health—from apps to educational programs—are all incredible.

Awards are given by category: body, home, work, play, community, and people’s choice. Is there one area that’s most popular now?
Lately we’ve seen an explosion in the play category with games for learning on the rise.

The Ascendance of Joseph Altuzarra

Exquisite tailoring and embellishment are the hallmarks of the young designer's ever-evolving aesthetic.

An acute eye for detail, texture, and color place Joseph Altuzarra in a league of his own. With ready-to-wear collections inspired by everything from 18th-century dandies, to Truman Capote’s stylish “swans,” to circa 1950 American railroad workers, New York–based Altuzarra is the thinking woman’s designer. His refined pieces—in a wide range of fabrics and finishes, including linen, leather, burlap, and velvet—all tell a visual story, and often incorporate parts of the designer’s Franco-American background, as well as his love of literature, film, and dance.

Raised in Paris by a Chinese-American mother and a French father, Altuzarra studied ballet before heading to the U.S. to pursue a degree in art history at Swarthmore College. It was through these studies that his eyes were opened to the world of fashion, one that he went on to learn about from the ground up, working at maisons on both sides of the Atlantic. With early experiences at Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler in New York, followed by an apprenticeship with patternmaker and former Rochas head Nicolas Caito, and after a role as first assistant to Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy, Altuzarra launched his eponymous line in 2008.

In just eight years the brand has become synonymous with feminine tailoring and a sophisticated-yet-playful aesthetic, with expansion continuing beyond the designer’s signature thigh-high slit skirts, vibrant silk blouses, flowy dresses, and fitted jackets. A minority investment by Kering in 2013 helped fuel the addition of a handbag line that includes a mix of casually structured shapes in everything from smooth calf to Sfumato leather to luxurious crocodile. It all culminated in 2014, when he was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s prestigious Womenswear Designer of the Year award.

Altuzarra’s spring/summer 2016 collection marks the next chapter in the designer’s multicultural, artistic exploration. It was the discovery of a book, Wilder Mann by Charles Fréger, featuring photographs of pagan rituals from the Basque region of France, that spurred the creation of this latest assortment of effortless, dip-dyed linen dresses and coats—as well as the exquisite mother of pearl and broderie anglaise embellishments that adorn them. Surface recently met with Altuzarra at his Soho atelier to discuss the influence of his banker parents, whom he credits with his pragmatism; his favorite campy films; and the role his husband, Seth Weissman, as well as friends including Alexander Wang and Vanessa Traina, play in his creative process.

You were born to a Chinese-American mother and French-Basque father. How does your background inform your design aesthetic?

It’s central to how I think about fashion and clothes and also my process. There is a duality between my French and American sides: I grew up in Paris surrounded by film and dance, so I have that French sensibility. On the other side, I’ve always been fascinated by American culture and the pragmatism, ease, and comfort it embodies. The marriage of these two sides of my personality is the Altuzarra brand.

I’ve read that you love film. Are there any movies that have been particularly impactful for you?

My parents love movies, and I grew up surrounded by all genres. One film that was particularly important was Si Versailles m’était conté [Royal Affairs in Versailles (1957)]. I watched this sprawling epic about life at Versailles over and over again, and the campy evolution of the costumes fascinated me. I also loved anything with Audrey Hepburn—Sabrina (1954) was a favorite—and tended toward less mainstream films as a teenager. Orlando (1992) had a huge effect on me because it was more ambiguous in its narrative.

Why did you choose to study at Swarthmore, and why art history?

Growing up bilingual with a Chinese-American mother, I always knew I wanted to study in the U.S. None of my classmates were going abroad for university at that time, and there were no SAT prep classes. I happened to see the film Ten Things I Hate About You (1999) in which the star ends up at Sarah Lawrence College. I looked it up online, and a box popped up saying, “If you like this school, you’ll also like Swarthmore, Amherst, Williams, Brown, and Haverford.” I applied to many of them, and one of my father’s colleagues suggested I go to Swarthmore. It was an incredible experience, as it was the first time I found my community—I was always nerdy in high school, and I finally felt free and surrounded by people like me. I loved studying art history: the analytical side of it, and the subjective way of looking at the world. I wrote an essay linking fashion advertising to classical art iconography, specifically about the influence of Toulouse-Lautrec on the Yves Saint Laurent Opium perfume advertisement with a naked Sophie Dahl. Art history spurred my love for fashion.

You had a very impressive CV prior to starting your own company. Did those experiences have an effect on the way you run your label?

When I worked at Proenza Schouler, there were just six people there, and I had no formal training or technical skills. I also apprenticed at Marc Jacobs just out of college, where I was lucky to be a part of that busy process. I went on to apprentice for Nicolas Caito at Rochas, where I learned the technical side of fashion design—pattern-making, draping—and this boosted my confidence greatly. Nicolas encouraged me to go back to Paris, where I met Riccardo [Tisci, creative director of Givenchy] and became his assistant for two years. I was so young and under-qualified, and he believed in me. He was a great mentor. I’m still incredibly grateful to him.

Your parents were both bankers and have been your biggest supporters. How did their business acumen help to launch the Altuzarra brand?

They made me a business-minded person, and I have always loved that side of the Altuzarra brand. My goal is success in design, but I always strive for financial success as well. Their involvement from the beginning—in the recession of 2008, no less—created a culture of frugality and an awareness of what we were spending. My mother, Karen, was the CEO of the brand for the first four years, before transitioning to our current CEO, Karis Durmer. My mom is still the chairman of the board and is actively involved in all aspects of the brand.

What was the inspiration for your first collection? Did you see a void in the market?

My first collection [spring/summer 2009] was born out of my wanting to create clothes that were sophisticated yet sexy, for a changing consumer. I was seeing women who were aging differently—through different nutrition and exercise—who wanted to be seductive and strong, but in an adult way. I saw women identifying with Meryl Streep, for example, who wanted to be the romantic lead in their own lives. That thought process has been the through-line for every collection since. Bottom line: Women want to be beautiful, not frumpy.

You create sophisticated, sexy clothes that combine a French and American sensibility. Is there a core customer? A muse?

[Stylists] Vanessa Traina and Melanie Huynh have been supporters since the very first season and represent the Altuzarra woman to me. These are women in their 30s, balancing full lives, who have an exacting, sophisticated sensibility. These women continue to inspire me, as do women like Julianne Moore and Nicole Kidman, who possess inherent style and self-confidence.

Who were your earliest champions?

Carine Roitfeld [former editor of Vogue Paris] has been an incredible mentor from the very beginning, even before my first collection. Mark Holgate is a great mentor and friend who set up my first meeting with Anna Wintour [editor of Vogue]. Funny story about my initial meeting with Anna: I was supposed to meet and present my collection to her the day after flying from Paris to New York, but the airline lost everything. She was gracious about rescheduling and has been an incredible supporter ever since. She called and got us into places like Barneys and Dover Street Market and really helped to launch the Altuzarra brand.

You’ve been the recipient of numerous awards: the CFDA Swarovski Award for Womenswear Design in 2012, the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund Award in 2011, the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2014. Which one has been the most meaningful?

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award in 2011 was a huge moment for me because it was a competition: months of work and dedication went into the process, and ultimately, it put us on the map.

You’ve designed costumes for the New York City Ballet. Would you like to do more theatrical design?

That collaboration came about through a summer share in Fire Island several years ago. My husband and I were in a house with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who was working with the New York City Ballet at the time. I’ve always loved ballet and studied dance throughout my childhood, so when he asked if I might be interested in designing costumes I jumped at the chance. I went to all of the rehearsals and saw the choreography in progress, and we came up with a very American, casual look for this piece, one that was all about light, flirty garments that would highlight the movement of the dancers.

You’ve collaborated with Target and J. Crew, among other brands. What makes such projects interesting?

As the winner of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, I was invited to collaborate with J. Crew on a collection of six pieces—a dress, shirts, sweaters, shoes—that were inspired by a preppy American aesthetic, but also by Breton stripes and French gingham. I wanted to play with the codes of prep, and also introduce Brigitte Bardot shapes and 1950s styling to a wider audience.

What made the sale of a minority stake to Kering particularly interesting to you?

I was approached by [Kering CEO François Henri] Pinault, who is a wonderful person and has respect for designers and their process. I felt that he loved our brand and could add value, and the partnership has been hugely beneficial to us. From the logistics of production teams in Italy, to helping with the development of our handbags, to expertise in margins and world geographies, we’re always learning from Kering.

Last fall saw the launch of your first collection of handbags, inspired by bull riding whips from the American Southwest. What do you love about their hand-woven details?

It was our first product extension, so it had to embody the core values of Altuzarra. I wanted the bags to have a French/American duality, and also to be sexy with an easy sensibility. I didn’t want them to be hard or structured, and I was focused on incorporating folkloric craft. I found the braided whips while researching online and fell in love with the handcrafted aesthetic, as well as their sturdiness and practicality.

What was the inspiration for the hardware and the handles? Do these elements fuse your love of things both French and American?

The ends of cigarette lighters were the inspiration for the gold hardware on the bags, and this is definitely the French influence. The closures and handles were inspired by equestrian life, specifically American horse culture. I have incorporated elements of the New Mexican riding whips into everything from hobo bags to cross-body versions.

With a bag, form follows function—what makes your elegant yet utilitarian bags work?

I wanted the bags to be beautiful, but ultimately they have to work for today’s busy, professional, stylish woman. The braiding of the straps needs to be soft and malleable, handles need to fit over bulky coats, and they often need to hold heavy things like laptops, so they need to be sturdy. And I was adamant about them being easy to open and close with one hand. The bags feature inside/outside zips, light linen insides so that finding keys is easy, and covered magnet closures that actually work but also look good.

What bag shapes will we see next and in what leathers?

The first bags were less structured, more casual, while the next version will be a more formal shoulder bag in smooth calf.

What has been the most challenging part of handbag design? Was there something you didn’t know going in?

When designing clothes, you aren’t always thinking about functionality first. With handbags, however, you can’t design unless you know how the person will use it. Will it hold an iPhone? A computer? Papers? I also didn’t know much about attaching handles and the importance of a swivel feature.

Your husband works in property development in New York. How did you meet?

We met 10 years ago, were friends for five years, and we married in 2014. One anecdote that gives insight into his personality is the story of our engagement. Every Saturday morning we walk our dog, Bean, and one of us goes for coffee and the newspapers. On this particular Saturday, Seth went out, changed into a tuxedo, and put a “Will you marry me?” collar on the dog. I said yes, of course, and was greeted by the Swarthmore a cappella group singing “A Whole New World.” From there we went to Soho House for a surprise engagement brunch for 100 friends. The entire day was spectacular.

While you aren’t particularly part of a flashy fashion party set, many of your friends—Alexander Wang, Christopher Turnier, Vanessa Traina—are involved in that world. How were these friendships formed, and why do you choose to lay low?

Part of it comes from knowing that the fashion world is fickle. I want my happiness to be predicated on things outside of the industry. I think it’s important to have deep, real, long-lasting friendships that I don’t have to put on Instagram. I’m lucky to have friends who are true and constant.

If you had to pick three items you would never part with, what would they be?

My platinum engagement ring by James de Givenchy engraved with the lyrics to “Come Rain or Come Shine,” which was our wedding song. Another precious object is a Hermès diary given to me by mother when I was 18. It’s embossed with my initials and is now full of sketches. The last thing isn’t an item or an object, but is Bean, our almost-8-year-old mini-schnauzer.

What’s next for you?

I’m a slow and steady person. I believe you have to be careful and deliberate about what you put out there. That said, our next area of focus would likely be shoes, where I’d like to expand dramatically.

L/Uniform's First Store Is a Sleek and Elegant Minimalist Space

The aesthetic of a popular online retailer’s first brick-and-mortar post takes cues from its fashionable totes.

“I wanted to build a store in a special, authentically Parisian place,” explains Jeanne Signoles, co-founder of the elegant, utilitarian handbag line L/Uniform. Her choice of the Quai Malaquai, a tree-lined street fronting the Seine in stylish Saint-Germain-des-Prés, was a natural one that mirrors her classic but contemporary collections. “There are no big brands here, and locals really do come to shop,” she says of the area that has long been home to artists, architects, and the fashion-forward.

Signoles, along with her husband, Alex, are not new to accessory design—his family owns Goyard—and they worked in the business before launching L/Uniform. Inspired by simple worker, messenger, and tool bags, their versions are handcrafted by artisans in the fortified French town Carcassonne using treated cotton or linen canvas, Spanish calfskin edging, and sculptural gold hardware. And while the business has been largely focused on the web, Signoles wanted this Paris retail environment to be a “cabinet of curiosities,” she says. “Not a museum or precious boutique, but a practical place with a great energy.”

Masamichi Katayama of Japan’s Wonderwall was enlisted to create a sleek, neutral white space that highlights the vibrant colors and forms of the bags to dazzling effect. The architect, whose harmonic and clean-lined style can be found in outlets such as Colette and Uniqlo, “brought a clear vision to the project,” says Signoles. “He looks at everything—space, light, layout—from the consumer’s point of view.”

The result is a 300-square foot jewel box-like setting full of natural finishes and brilliantly lit cubbies that line the walls from floor to ceiling. In keeping with the minimalist vibe, each bag is numbered, not named, and is showcased in backlit cubes that are further highlighted by the designer’s LED glass pendants. “Design is a form of communication. L/Uniform’s products should be the material of this place,” Katayama says. “The flooring is derived from their graphic pattern; the brand’s attention to detail is expressed in here.”

Large school bags—a take on the traditional messenger carryall—backpacks, petite pochettes, not to mention simple computer sleeves and phone charger cases, are all crafted from lightweight, stain-proof fabrics available in-store. They can be further customized by special order in any combination of canvas hues, leathers and cloth edgings. A parquet-lined workshop in the back of the space showcases color-blocked designs as well as silkscreened samples that further personalize the L/Uniform range, one that is already developing a cult-like following on both sides of the Atlantic. “I wanted this space to be full of inspirations, in order to create personalized bags,” Katyama says. “The bags have different stories, and I wish customers to enjoy the journey of the process. I wanted it to be a place where you can imagine your life with a new bag.”

Much like the bags, the shop “has the spirit of Saint Germain, but made modern,” says Signoles. “My favorite waiter at Le Voltaire down the street worries about what he calls the ‘massification’ of the area. He loves the store and when he gave us the nod of approval, I knew we had created something wonderful.”

Deborah Berke's Clean and Simple Spaces

The New York-based architect and soon-to-be Yale University School of Architecture dean discusses Japanese aesthetics, good books, and her interior designs for the new 432 Park Avenue.

You championed “the architecture of the everyday.” What does this mean to you?
I championed this 20 years ago when I was commuting regularly up 1-95 to teach at Yale. This philosophy celebrated the beauty and inspiration in everyday life: from the diners we’d pass on the road, to new materials being used for construction. I still believe in unselfconscious design that we can all learn from, but I’m now most interested in designing buildings that are linked to where they are. So much of what gets built today could be anywhere. I’m arguing for architecture that’s specific to place.

You studied at London’s Architectural Association with Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, and Elia Zenghelis. What impact did this have on your work?
They are all completely fascinating people, but I would have to say that I was the AA that impacted my practice and opened my eyes to a different kind of architecture. There isn’t the same studio culture in the U.K. as in the U.S.—it’s much more about meeting with your critic over there.

How does living in New York inform your preferences for spare spaces and natural materials?
I love New York but because it’s frenetic, dirty, and busy, people want simplicity, clarity, and serenity in their environments. They seek an antidote to the city. In addition to designing minimalist spaces, I tend to gravitate toward natural, clean materials in neutral hues that have integrity to them.

You have said that you have a longitude interest in cities as places where things get made. What cities are particularly interesting and productive today?
Right now we are seeing an explosion in cities where things have traditionally been made or exchanged, and Detroit and Nashville are two prime examples of this. Boutique industries are thriving again—for the creation of musical instruments in Nashville, to the production of everything from belts to chairs to custom bicycles in secondary or tertiary cities. Small-scale production is really thriving again.

Has being a woman in a field dominated by men felt like an impediment? Is the playing field being leveled with time?
For all women architects I know, there is a glass ceiling of a kind. One example: I was recently sitting in business class on an airplane and was asked what I do by the man seated next to me. When I said I was an architect, he immediately asked, “Do you do interiors?” There are lesser expectations for women. In general, there is a lack of diversity in architecture, and women are certainly better represented than many other groups. Architecture is hideously underrepresented of society as a whole.

Your love of boutique hotels has led to an ongoing collaboration with 21c Hotels, a small chain of properties housed in restored historic buildings, in smaller cities. What’s important about these properties?
I came to 21c through an interesting set of circumstances: I had pitched for a project in Louisville that we didn’t get, but one of the principals liked what he heard and asked us to help revitalize that downtown That has led to work on a series of important buildings, from a conversion project in Buffalo that involves an H.H. Richardson building, to an addition to I.M. Pei’s Rockefeller Arts Center at SUNY Fredonia, to a hotel project in a Shreve Lambs & Harmon building in Durham, and an Albert Kahn building in Oklahoma City that were transforming from a Ford plant into a hotel. These are all great buildings that are of a place. We hope to transform them, yet keep them deeply grounded in their sites.

How did being a model influence your design aesthetic? Do you have an appreciation for fashion?
My mother was a lingerie designer and I’ve always had a love of fashion. She was a professor at FIT. Her creative life was an inspiration to me, as was her passion for teaching.

Are you still tied to that world? Narciso Rodriquez is a friend.
Narciso and I had drinks last night, and he gave me a beautiful book on Brazilian modernist architect Lina Bo Bardi. He loves architecture, so we always have that to discuss, as well as art exhibits at the MoMA, Supreme Court decisions, government policies, and politics in general.

Your firm hosts a rotating art program at the studio that showcases work by up-and-coming artists. How is this series curated?
A three-person curatorial committee selects work by older artists, young people, and artwork that runs the gamut from prints for paintings to sculpture and group shows. The common thread is that the art just has to interest us in some way. These exhibitions are good for office morale—very fun for parties, as they add to the studio environment. And they’re a great forum for emerging artists who don’t always have gallery representation.

New York’s Marianna Boesky Gallery, which you designed, is a combination of corrugated metal and concrete, juxtaposed against the High Line. How did the location influence your choice of materials?
The 6,000-square-foot building refers to the industrial, garage like composition of the West Chelsea neighborhood. It is composed of custom concrete blocks and also incorporates glazed white brick and corrugated metal. It was the first building built under the new High Line zoning, and it’s contextual to the surroundings. The interiors of the gallery are austere and muted, all to highlight the art within.

If you were to invite the greats of architecture and design to dinner, whom might you include?
By definition they’d all have to be dead—otherwise I’d just have a dinner party! I’d much rather invite poets, composers, and dancers, as I love talking to people who do things other than what I do. Gertrude Stein and Maria Tallchief would be right at the top of my guest list…

How has your design process evolved from early loft conversions in the 1980s to the collaboration with Rafael Viñoly on 431 Park, currently the tallest building in the western hemisphere?
We are living in cities in very different ways now and the definition of luxury has changed dramatically. Luxury is omnipresent. Much of the work that I do is “whole vision.” We design the building to the furnishings. This project was very different in that way.

Can you elaborate on the exquisite finishes, fabrics, lighting solutions and custom hardware at 432 Park?
Harry Macklowe, the developer, is an old-school modernist and came up to us because he wanted an elegant, understate, spare aesthetic that capitalized on the stunning views in all directions. We took inspiration from the classic apartments of Park Avenue for floor plans and layouts. We looked at the way spaces were traditionally used in terms of general lifestyle and the flow for entertaining in particular. Everything form the herringbone floors, to the baseboards, to the bathrooms with windows that can be seen throughout the half-floor model apartment references the work of historic Park Avenue buildings by the likes of Rosario Candela.

Which artists—and what kind of artwork—would you like to see in these spaces at 432 Park?
The walls here are vast and are designed to take art. In the model apartment there are “Seascape” photographs by Hiroshi Sugimoto, prints by Ellsworth Kelly and Donald Sultan, and the table by Yves Klein. Old Master paintings would work just as well as the light and spaces are so beautiful.

Which building or buildings do you think are the greatest of all time?
It’s hard to narrow it down, but I’m a huge fan of both Eliel and Eero Saarinen, and the First Christian Church in Columbus, Indiana, is among my favorites. The space, light, and materiality all make this sacred building feel not too precious. Louis Kahn’s library at the Phillips Exeter Academy is another great one. The materiality of it has influenced me forever.

What is one place that you’ve traveled to in the past year that really impressed you from a design perspective?
The attention to detail in Japan is incredible. It seems that everything is highly considered, from both a visual and functional perspective. This is true to the architecture, yes, but of every other craft, too. Fabric design, cooking, urban design—they all have a connection to quality and tradition, which is felt even if the idea or expression is new. Naoshima, an art-filled island, is a great example of this.

You famously eschew clutter. What’s an area of your life where you make an exception?
Books. I can’t get rid of them and they line the shelves in both my New York City apartment and at my home in Long Island. From art and architecture tomes, to fiction, to biographies to books about philosophy, I’m an avid collector.

What are the books on your bedside table?
Many at any given time. I’m currently reading the Alexander Hamilton biography by Ron Chernow; Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by New Yorker proofreader Mary Norris; and James Salter’s A Sport and a Pastime. Next up will be 1939, a book about the failure of diplomacy to stop World War II. I always have a stack of magazines, too—everything from Vogue and Allure to The Economist and The Nation.

Around the World with Designer Tara Bernerd

The British designer on her new office in New York and where she'd like to go next.

Tara Bernerd creates cinematic, welcoming spaces with raw materials. That’s her specialty. It’s what has endeared the British designer to a growing international client base that includes the Thompson and Sixty hotel groups, Belgraves, Aspinalls, and as of next year, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. The former film student draws inspiration from a diverse array of sources—from Tim Burton to Luis Barragán—and from her offices in Belgravia, London’s toniest neighborhood, Bernerd oversees a growing staff of architects and designers who help realize the environments she conceives.

Bernerd’s foray into the hospitality space is no happy accident: She is the daughter of international property tycoon Elliott Bernerd, whose own investments have included the Westbury hotels, Wentworth Golf Club, and, most recently, the Philip Johnson-designed AT&T building in New York. Not the type to sail through life on her privilege, Bernerd left school at the age of 16 and worked her way into interior design via stints at British Vogue and in marketing and PR, before connecting with John Hitchcox, the cofounder of global property design firm Yoo. Working with Hitchcox and his partner, Philippe Starck, Bernerd helped to launch its boutique practice, Yoo Too, before moving on to found her eponymous firm in 2002.

Beginning as a small organization focused on private and residential work, Tara Bernerd & Partners has since grown to include hotels, yachts, restaurants, and mixed-use spaces, with projects currently under way from Hong Kong to Hollywood. Bernerd delights in the diversity of her firm’s output, including textile designs for The Rug Company and interior architecture and design for Herzog & de Meuron’s forthcoming 472-unit residential tower in Canary Wharf.

What’s next for the peripatetic Bernerd, who spends more than half the year on the road?  World hotel and residential domination, it seems, with even more aspirational-yet-approachable spaces slated for Central Park South, Shanghai, and Scandinavia in the months ahead. Later this fall she’ll open a New York office to accommodate an increasingly large U.S. market for her serene, slightly edgy environments. Surfacerecently met with Bernerd at her Hans Street headquarters to discuss the need for beautiful art and bold use of color when establishing a special sense of place, and the importance of good food, acoustics, and lighting.

You worked with Philippe Starck and developer John Hitchcox to launch Yoo Too.  How did this come to be?

Early in my career I received some press and the attention of a few people in the industry, including John Hitchcox. I went to work for him and became a partner, collaborating with Philippe on all of the design, but I was also scouting for new locations all over the world. It was an incredible time for me personally, and also in terms of what was happening in global hotel design. The mantra had always been “location, location, location,” and the focus has shifted to “location, location, design.”

You founded your eponymous firm in 2002. What spurred you on? 

It was partly instinctive and partly personal, but I am a full-on, one-way person, so doing my own company after Yoo felt like a natural progression. I didn’t sit down and write a business plan, but I found an office and made sure that I had at least one client so that I could pay the rent. We had two architects and a temp to answer phones when we got our first two projects. The first came from [founder of the Berkeley Group] Tony Pidgley, who’s one of the biggest developers in the U.K. He gave me a job redesigning an old telephone exchange. The second project came from gallerist Jay Jopling. We worked on his first Shoreditch space. I started the firm hoping that what I loved doing would look good enough for others to like it—taste is so subjective, after all. Initially we did more private, residential work, and now we’re very strong in commercial, loft buildings, towers, and projects like the one we’re doing with Herzog & de Meuron at Canary Wharf.

You studied at London Film School. How does that time inform your design practice?

Because of my training, I see everything in shot form. I storyboard all of my projects, and much like making a film, my property design projects require many different, skillful, creative people. Every hotel is a team effort between the architect, the landscaper, the chefs. Like the film business, where you have your directors, producers, and cinematographers, there is just so much to the show. You want a hotel or restaurant to look great, sure, but at the end of the day it’s got to make money. And in our case, the hotel rooms need to be filled.

Who have been your mentors or the people who inspire you?

Richard Rogers has been an amazing driving force of encouragement throughout my career. In terms of others whose work I admire and have had an impact on me: Tadao Ando for his use of raw materials, and Pierre Chareau, particularly his Maison de Verre in Paris. His use of metals, rubber flooring, and glass in the 1930s was just incredible. Tim Burton is another strong influence.

Do you have a signature style? 

People describe our work as “industrial chic,” but I don’t think we have a signature look. We are about what’s appropriate to an environment, though there are common threads throughout our work. I prefer monotone colors, concrete, metals, lacquer, and raw materials that are a bit edgy. I’m about a more handsome design rather than a pretty, girly look. A huge amount of warmth comes from our work because we layer spaces. Our vibe is strong.

Who are your clients? 

Our current projects include the Four Seasons in Fort Lauderdale, which is a combination of a resort, restaurants, and private homes. We’re working on the new Thompson Hotel in Hollywood, as well as the Russell Hotel in London for Barry Sternlicht and Starwood Capital Group, and we’re about to start projects in Hong Kong and Stockholm as well. A new project for Sixty is in the cards. In general, we have a lot of repeats because we get on well with people.

How do you approach restaurant design?

We’ve designed a few stand-alone restaurants and also ones that are part of a hotel, and in either case both acoustics and lighting are hugely important. Beyond aesthetics, however, the most important piece is the cuisine. Ideally, we know who the chef is from the outset so we know the environment we’re trying to create for the type of food to be served. It’s about working with the menus, the essence of the place, and the bar. We can do an amazing design and you can get away with a lot if the food isn’t great, but when the staff clicks, the uniforms are just right, and the music is perfect—that makes for a winning restaurant.

What has been the biggest challenge in terms of a project?

I worked with the stylish Aaron Leyland on Belgraves, and for some reason the builders put up ugly brick walls just before the opening night. I walked in and saw the bricks and declared, “We can’t open like this! It has to be sandblasted!” They were too red, too smooth, and the grout was terrible. Aaron sandblasted every wall, at great expense. Truthfully, I don’t know a project that doesn’t have a challenge.

What trends are you seeing in travel, and in the hotel space in particular? 

People want warmth, a residential feel, from hotels. I love the Edition in South Beach, and Sixty is my home in New York—they take care of me, so the people make the experience. Art is terribly important, and people like Aby Rosen have been able to bring a high level into play. I think people want simple technology. They don’t want to be shown how to use their rooms. Even if something is very modern, they want a sense of association, a lounge area to drink a coffee or have a club sandwich. And this is evolving. Hotels play an enormous role today. They’re not just where we go on holiday, or to visit cities, but they are the homes of tomorrow.

What makes a great hotel a “home of tomorrow?”

Today there are so many nomads—single people, divorcées—that hotels are a home away from home, with many people choosing to leave a case for regular stays. It’s not just about design. A great hotel has to smell good, the concierge has to be top-notch, the uniforms have to be aesthetically pleasing, and the food is important, too. It’s a big melting pot of vulnerability: Hotels are in the mega-challenge league of design because everything has to work perfectly.

Who is nailing it now?

Ilse Crawford with Ett Hem Stockholm. It’s basically a private home we can stay in. The Villa TreVille in Positano is another example of perfection. These are both 12 to 15 rooms done by people who can afford to do them as they would their own residences. Yabu Pushelberg does great hotel design work now, as does David Collins Studio in the restaurant space.

With so many far-flung projects, how do you keep your work and life in balance? 

I travel half the year, so some would say that that isn’t very balanced, but I am passionate about my work. I’m a good traveler, and I don’t get jet lag. I balance my work with nature: I hike in the mountains on the weekends, where the views are epic, and I walk my dogs. When I’m in Miami I get up early, run on the beach, dive in the ocean, and go to work. I have terrific friends and family and this helps a lot. Work trips with my team are a pleasure, so this keeps me in balance.

What’s next for you?

I really enjoy working in the U.S., and it’s why I’ve committed to opening an office in New York. I want to continue working in the U.K., Los Angeles, and Hong Kong. And who wouldn’t want to go to Cuba?