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The Grand Tourist with Dan Rubinstein

The Grand Tourist with Dan Rubinstein
Author: Dan Rubinstein
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Design journalist Dan Rubinstein introduces listeners to the leading tastemakers of the creative world, from master chefs to experimental architects. Join Dan on a virtual journey through the worlds of fashion, interior design, art, food, and travel—all the elements of a well-lived life.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
149 Episodes
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As one of the most lauded American architects practicing today, Tom Kundig and his 350-person-strong firm Olson Kundig has created inventive spaces around the globe. But Kundig himself is perhaps best known for his truly envious houses that seamlessly blend into their natural surroundings. Not only that, but these homes are case studies in the power of kinetic architecture, where expertly crafted machinery can move walls, or even entire structures. On this episode, Dan speaks with the legendary designer on growing up with a Swiss modernist father, how the so-called “gizmos” in his works came to be, his latest book from Monacelli, Tom Kundig: Complete Houses, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the world of publishing, the name Assouline is synonymous with glamour. Run from New York by French couple Prosper and Martine Assouline, along with their son Alexandre, the company has produced thousands of coveted books on everything from fashion and travel to fine art and design. On this popular episode from 2022, Dan speaks with this trendsetting trio on how their business began, why money has nothing to do with style, and whether the metaverse might be the next hot destination for the fashionable set. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For more than 40 years, Bunny Williams has helped define the look of the American home through a thriving interior design business, a successful and longstanding furnishings collection, as well as eight bestselling books to her name. On this episode, Dan speaks with the living legend about learning her craft from the late icons Sister Parish and Albert Hadley, how she likes to plan a room, her advice for the next generation of designers, how she met her husband the lauded antiques dealer John Rosselli, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
From grunge style to the preppy look, one fashion designer helped define the wildly creative 1990s, New York’s Anna Sui. In her latest book “The Nineties x Anna Sui” (Rizzoli), the beloved designer catalogs this momentous decade in her life and career through photographs, memories, and runway-fabulous illustrations. On this episode, she speaks to Dan about growing up as a music-obsessed teen in the Midwest, getting her start as an ambitious creative in Manhattan, meeting and working with a young Marc Jacobs, how the world of vintage shopping impacted her process, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you have a friend who loves interior design, then you’ve likely seen a coffee table book by a certain photographer in their personal collection. On this episode, Dan meets a beloved photographer known for his keen eye and unparalleled access: Francois Halard. The pairs speak about how he got his start in the world of magazines, including his many years at various Condé Nast, the success of his eponymous first three books with Rizzoli, and his latest, “Francois Halard: Art & Flowers” that moves his art from the photographic documentation of spaces to unique works of fine art. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Singer, activist, pop legend. Annie Lennox has left an indelible mark on music and visual culture for decades. In her new book “Annie Lennox: Retrospective” (Rizzoli), she takes a trip down memory lane from a photographic and image-making perspective. On this Season 14 premiere, Dan speaks with Lennox about the origins of her musical talents, the story behind the genesis of Eurythmics, how a trip to a pawn shop spurred an era of iconic visual creations, the time she performed live with David Bowie, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As the partner running the New York outpost of Rem Koolhaas’s legendary firm OMA, this architect has done that rarest of things: established himself as a cultural figure in his own right. On this Season 13 finale, Dan speaks with Shigematsu about growing up in the heyday of 1980s Japan, how his love of filmmaking inspired his career in architecture, how he nailed his job interview with Koolhaas, his soon-to-be-completed expansion of Manhattan’s New Museum, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Through her books and products, this 21st-century domestic goddess is truly a part of the classic American style firmament. On this episode, Dan speaks with Lauder about growing up with her grandmother, the beauty revolutionary Estée Lauder, what she learned about the industry from her years in the business, the launch of her own lifestyle brand Aerin, her latest book Aerin Lauder: Living with Flowers, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The two brilliant halves of this London-based creative couple are examples of how one family can shine greater than the sum of its parts. On this episode, Dan speaks with interior designer Sophie Ashby and her husband, menswear designer Charlie Casely-Hayford, about their unique and booming businesses, Ashby’s involvement in the nonprofit United in Design, Casely-Hayford’s own lineage in impactful British culture, how the two met, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This master of luxurious, classical interiors has created some of the best hotels around the world, including the St. Regis in Rome, The Savoy in London, and the Four Seasons George V in Paris. On this episode, Dan speaks with Rochon about his global upbringing, how the cinema inspired him as a child, his latest work restoring New York’s Waldorf Astoria, his installation extolling classic design at this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
New York architect Lee Mindel, of firm SheltonMindel, is one of those designers who seems to have done it all, and in style. On this episode, Dan speaks with the award-winning designer about his residential projects for the world's well-heeled, what it was like getting his start in the heyday of Manhattan’s nightlife scene, opening his design gallery called Galerie56, his time studying at Harvard, and his own impressive collection of covetable objects. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One of the most consequential theatrical directors ever, American artist Robert Wilson has helped to revolutionize the medium. On this episode, Dan speaks with the Texas-born talent about the hyper-conservative world in which he was raised; how he studied architecture as a young man in New York; how contemporary Broadway and opera rubbed him the wrong way; one of his latest works, Mary Said What She Said, which stars French actress Isabelle Huppert; his lauded Watermill Center and what it means to him; and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For decades, the Chicago-based architect Jeanne Gang has captured the imaginations of critics and the public alike with her environmentally aware projects. Her latest, an expansion of New York’s American Museum of Natural History, has turned heads and inspired leagues of visitors. On this episode, Dan speaks with the visionary talent on her upbringing in the American Midwest, studying abroad in Paris and how those experiences helped shape her career, what actionable idealism is, why she loves birding, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For decades, one chef has helped to redefine our expectations of dining out while modernizing French cuisine for a global clientele. On this first episode of Season 13, Dan speaks with chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten about his humble beginnings, how he learned from some of the world’s most legendary chefs, his experiences making a splash in the New York scene, his latest residential and culinary concept (Miami Tropic, in the city’s Design District), and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
For nearly 20 years, this London-based Canadian native has independently created womenswear collections that celebrate craftsmanship and femininity deeply rooted in research and a vibrant narrative. On this season finale of The Grand Tourist, Dan speaks with the designer about his upbringing that blended various cultures, traveling to London to pursue his dreams, his creative process that’s fueled by inventive narratives and iconic women, his quirky collection of busts, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It wasn’t that long ago that it was impossible to purchase any bit of luxury fashion online, but times have truly changed. On the front lines of this remarkable transition is Alison Loehnis, the head of the YOOX Net-A-Porter Group that includes the massively successful e-commerce platforms Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter. On this episode, Dan speaks with the executive on how both her career and the fashion industry have evolved, the impact of the pandemic on how we dress, how the web is affecting global tastes in fashion, what’s really selling today, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Combining fantastic taste, incredible clients, and a patient, curious, and measured aesthetic that absorbs its surroundings, Olivier Marty and Karl Fournier of the Paris-based architecture and design firm Studio KO are one of the most exciting outfits today. With plenty of high-profile projects under their belt, from the YSL Museum in Marrakech to London’s Chiltern Firehouse, they’ve brought a self-professed “KO attitude” to the industry. On this episode, Dan speaks with the duo about how they met, their experience working alongside the likes of Gae Aulenti, their advice for young talent today, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Some designers push boundaries, but Italy’s leading design thinker is known for breaking them. As a daring practitioner, urban planner, and architectural theorist, as well as the president of the Triennale Milano, Boeri brings big ideas to design that bridge the gap between man and the environment. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the tree-covered Bosco Verticale in Milan, he speaks with Dan about his once-radical ideas; what it was like growing up in the shadow of his renowned mother, Cini Boeri; his next major project in Nepal; and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
One of the most successful American luxury brands started when two young artists fell in love, going on to create a jewelry brand that has stood the test of time. Now celebrating a new book with Phaidon on their impressive artistry, Sybil and David Yurman take a look back at their incredible careers that span multiple decades of design, craft, and art. On this episode, Dan speaks with the duo about their rebellious youth, how their son is carrying on the family torch, the time Sybil ran into Jack Kerouac, what Kate Moss is really like, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Known for her stunning and photorealistic paintings, artist Calida Rawles creates works laden with societal commentary and stunning beauty. On this podcast, Dan speaks with the rising star about her first solo museum show, the bumps along the road to finding her stride in the contemporary art world, her meditative process, the legacy of racism that informs her artworks, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.