I write about design and architecture for print and online publications; I contribute to books on design; I edit other people’s work; I offer advice when asked.

 

The flexibility of freelancing.

 

The unpredictability of freelancing.

 

Never be afraid to ask a stupid question.

 

Design journalism is not exactly a growth industry these days, so I’d hesitate to urge anyone to go into it, but it still needs intelligent, informed, opinionated writers.

 

Classic. My basic uniform is tapered pants in cotton, wool or silk, and a jacket or cardigan. I can dress these up or down.

 

A skilled eye; a solid background in your subject; the ability to write clearly and simply so that anyone can understand what you’re saying.

 

I’ve had some amazing opportunities to explore the world of design, for which I’m very grateful. For instance, I got to interview Donald Judd in Marfa, Texas. I interviewed the director Billy Wilder, one of my idols, who was a design fanatic. I supervised the photography of Gio Ponti’s sublime Villa Planchart in Caracas, and I wrote about John and Dominique de Menil’s house in Houston, which was designed by Philip Johnson, decorated by Charles James, and filled with incredible 20th century art—while managing to be completely unpretentious.

It’s one thing to have talent; it’s another to be able to recognize it in others—and then amplify it. “I’ve tried to tell people that design is a way of looking at the world” says the writer Pilar Viladas (a name you’d recognize if you’ve ever picked up an issue of T Magazine or Architectural Digest or Town & Country). And she would know: the veteran journalist has made an entire career through the art of seeing, which is different from just looking. 

 

Viladas, now 64, remembers wanting to share “cool things” with the world as a child, but the naturally-gifted writer developed the eagle eye of an editor while at Harvard. A bedrock of expertise gleaned through Art History classes held in museums and more—underpinned by an encyclopedic knowledge of design and a critical approach—is what arms Viladas’ writing a unique ability to cut through the noise. (Because, as we know, not everything makes for a great story.)  

 

Still, in the age of social media, where everyone has an opinion (so long as it can be expressed in 140 characters or less), her point of view is more relevant—and more respected—than ever. Insiders look to her as a bellwether; one who has the power to launch careers and trends simply by writing about them. Of course, Viladas doesn’t see things that way. “I’ve never felt like a “trend-spotter”, I just find things that are interesting.” 

Doris Day: she was surrounded by children and dogs and always in matching dresses and coats.

 

That I am always surrounded by beauty.

 

When I cannot create new designs fast enough. It takes a lot of time from beginning to end.

 

Focus!

 

Do something you love. It is very difficult to do something well if you are not passionate.

 

With great difficulty! I am constantly going from classic to gypsy and I guess I fall somewhere in between: I alternate between a vintage YSL safari coat and my Figue safari coat. I loved the style of Yves Saint Laurent.

 

I think people get my job but are often surprised that most everything is made in America.

 

Imagination, Patience, Intuition

Were it not for her deep Mississippi drawl, you wouldn't know Lisa Fine hails from the South. Famous for her “bohemian” tastes (find her in a fringe YSL jacket and flares on the morning coffee run to Sant Ambroeus), the fabric designer is a far cry from someone who drinks Mint Juleps and stops wearing white after Labor Day. 

 

Shipped off to boarding school (her father was concerned about the “bad habits” she’d picked up at the local Dairy Queen), Fine eventually wound up in New York working at Condé Nast under the legendary photographer Deborah Turbeville. “You’d be out ‘til 4 or 5 in the morning, and then you’d eat breakfast and change clothes and head into the office” she recalls of those early years in the city. 

After a self-described (and somewhat premature!) “midlife crisis,” she moved to Paris without speaking a word of French, published a cookbook on aphrodisiacs and agreed to join a friend on a trip to India. While in Mumbai, Fine discovered—and completely fell in love with—embroidered fabrics. The rest, as they say, is history. 

 

The Indian-inspired fabrics that form the core of Fine’s textile business are born of her many travels. But it’s the unique way she mixes and matches them that makes her such a bastion of bohemian style: expect paisley and English chintz next to antiques and color pairings plucked straight from Indian palaces. Her knack for seeing the fabulousness in unexpected pairings is also the reason why her dinner parties—mixes of “kooky, crazy” and “old, stuffy” friends—are so fun. Like champagne and french fries, “most people would never think to mix them” she says, “But when you do everyone has a better time.”

I’m pretty much obsessed with animals, so I thought I was going to be a vet until I saw my dog after surgery and realized there was blood involved. 

 

My favorite part of the job is the team! There is nothing better than a day where we figure something out or finish a big sprint. 

 

Dealing with the drama that inevitably occurs when you have a group of millennials working on something quite intense. 

 

Do things that scare you. I am a very shy person so most things scare me, especially in my position leading teams and publicly speaking. Although it’s uncomfortable at the time, you learn that you can do anything and that everything gets easier once you try it.

 

Dive in and go for it. Don’t wait for funding, don’t wait for the right mentor. Just start. Your path will begin to reveal itself naturally. I always tell people looking to start a business to print some business cards and buy a domain. Total cost: under $100. 

 

A little boho, trendy and a touch of grunge.

 

People think it is A LOT more glamorous than it actually is. As a society, we only share our best selves. There’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. 

 

Strategic, organized, focused. 

 

Keeping sane though all the madness!