MASTER BUILDER sometimes be challenging given their inherent nature. Managing that design philosophy while keeping everyone happy I find most challenging.
Tell us about working on the new CFDA
building!
Tell us about some of your upcoming
projects!
I’m of the mind that it’s important to create a niche for yourself, and I like to engineer and provide a different array of services to clients so that you become more of a need as opposed to just one of many.
The CFDA office is within a building, and it was a great project. I was invited to build this project as a turnkey, and I worked very closely with an architect and the client. The architect wanted to design only the best for the CFDA, and the CFDA, given that they are a non-forprofit foundation, did not have an unlimited budget. The challenge and exciting part was getting the budget to work for the design, and at the same time, satisfy everyone.
For the past 35 seasons, we’ve built the runway set stage for Ralph Lauren and we just completed two stores for a French skincare brand called Caudelie. I’m building the flagship store for Canali, an Italian brand, on Madison Avenue. I’m also currently working for Halston, who’s re-launched their image, and I’ve also built their showroom in SoHo as well as working on the Madison Avenue store.
What is your favorite design aesthetic?
Least favorite?
Which design project are you most proud
of?
I love the Calvin Klein look because it’s very clean and minimal. One would think that minimalism is easier to put together when in fact it actually is more difficult because every single line must have a purpose. The challenge of making that happen is what I find rewarding. I don’t like busy, messy lines or things that don’t make aesthetic sense. Everything should have a reason, and when it doesn’t, I find it a turn off.
The flagship stores for Reiss, a UK brand. I built three in total: two in New York and one in LA. Those were great because they were nice size projects and the client, Reiss, wanted to make an impact. The designers and those involved were very talented and in tune with delivering a great store. For example, the LA store has thousands of silver chain details that look like rainfall and reflect the British climate where Reiss originates.
What do you enjoy most about your niche
of building?
EVERY SINGLE LINE SHOULD HAVE A REASON AND PURPOSE.