Lecture tomorrow at the PDC

Tomorrow at 11am, join James Caughman at the PDC for a presentation on The Modern Woman: Style & Taste in Early 20th Century France. The former executive director of the Washington Design Center who is now the Senior Marketing Executive for the Kohler Interiors Group, Caughman will discuss such influential figures as Coco Chanel, Madeleine Vionnet, Elsa Schiaparelli, Charlotte Perriand and Eileen Gray and the changing role of women in art and society during this transformative period. Blue Conference Center, Suite B259. As always, the PDC Design Lecture Series are free, but please RSVP to marketing@pacificdesigncenter.com.

WESTWEEK Buzz: How to Catch an Editor's Eye with Studio Baccarat

If you made it to this year's WESTWEEK, we hope you brought your portfolio along with you and stopped by The Editor at Large’s portfolio review in Studio Baccarat’s pop-up showroom. A stellar panel of top design editors consulted one-on-one with designers and offered advice and feedback on how to pitch their design projects.

The panel included Erika Heet, contributor to 1stdibs and Robb Report; Vanessa Kogevinas, contributor to California Homes; and Alexandra Mott Abrahmian, Editor-in-Chief of Angeleno Interiors.

“The Baccarat event series at WESTWEEK were fantastic," said Bruce Padilla, Director of Stores, Baccarat. "The pop-up showroom looked amazing and the new Baccarat lighting sparkled! The designers who visited the showroom were among the who's who of the L.A. design community.”

“Los Angeles is home to so much amazing design talent and we were absolutely thrilled to launch Studio Baccarat at WESTWEEK," said Fernanda Chandoha, National Manager, Lighting and A&D. "We wanted to reach out and create a relevant and enriching experience for the design community and are thrilled with the turn out, the new people we were able to meet and can’t wait for the next one!”

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo to hear the panel's thoughts on the top three projects that especially caught their eye.

What you missed: Westweek keynote recap

Margaret Russell, Editor-in-Chief of Architectural Digest, kicked off Westweek at the Pacific Design Center with a keynote presentation in the Silver Screen theatre. The standing-room only event, drew over 400 attendees. Here is Russell with Charles Cohen, President of the PDC:







Russell discussed the latest trends in architectural and interior design photography with photographers Roger Davies (below left) and Grey Crawford (below right) offering their expertise and insight into how they capture the "right" images (hint: fresh air, sunlight and beautiful staging).







Here are some takeaways for those of us who missed it:
1. Take multiple photos of the same room from the exact same angle, on a tripod, and combine them to create perfect lighting of various elements, to show how a space looks in reality. Take a photo with the room well lit, and another in the same spot with natural light from the window window and combine in Photoshop to show the true feeling of the space.

2. Make minor changes in styling to change everything. Small changes in floral selection or pillow placement can make or break a photo. Also, books, flowers and a cashmere throw do wonders for a photo.

3. Look at the space from all different angles.

4. Watermark any image you put online. That way, any of your work that gets re-posted on blogs, pinterest, etc., will always have a small watermark in a corner, so people will easily know the image source.



Cowtan & Tout hosted a reception immediately following Russell's keynote speech. Over 200 guests paid tribute to AD's Editor-in-Chief and celebrated the admired the vibrant new Manuel Canovas collection, devoted to L'art de vivre à la francaise. Elegant designs with ravishing color and pattern provide the essence of French decorating chic. Highlights of the collection include the exuberant silk damask Charlotte, the painterly print Dara featuring Mughal warrior princes and the exotic print inspired by an antique Ikat coat called Boheme.

Here are Russell, Davies and Crawford at the reception, with the cotton-print Dara on the right:

WESTWEEK Recap - Stars of Design Awards

A perennial highlight of the Pacific Design Center's WESTWEEK is Stars of Design, which this year included the addition of Stars on the Rise. Established over a decade ago at the PDC, the Stars of Design Awards recognize the contributions and achievements of professionals in various fields of design. Stars on the Rise calls attention to new talent and identifies them as ones to watch in the future. The evening was hosted by Charles Cohen, who presented the awards on behalf of the PDC and himself.





This year's honorees were:

Stars of Design:


Luc Leestemaker ART


Regina Rubino GRAPHIC DESIGN


Roger Davies PHOTOGRAPHY


Molly Wood URBAN DESIGN


Donna Livingston INTERIOR DESIGN


Neil M. Denari ARCHITECTURE


Waldo Fernandez LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Stars on the Rise:


Natasha Baradaran


Tracie Butler


Alexandra von Furstenberg

Wolfgang Puck's Red 7 was the venue for the by-invitation-only dinner for seventy attendees, who enjoyed a three-course dinner of salad, chicken and mushroom risotto and a Meyer lemon tart. A private viewing of "The Total Look: The Creative Collaboration Between Rudi Gernreich, Peggy Moffitt and William Claxton" at the MOCA Pacific Design Center served as the icing on the cake.


von Furstenberg and Fernandez



Livingston and Marc Appleton



John van Hamersveld, Alida Post and Fernandez



Butler and Jason Hoehn



Dinner at Red 7


To see more images from the night, check out the PDC on Facebook.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Stars of Design Light Up the PDC (Part 3)

Tonight, the PDC will be shining brightly with the Stars of Design Award winners together for one special evening. The annual Stars of Design Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2012 WESTWEEK Market will be bestowed upon California-based luminaries in seven design-related fields. We have been introducing you to the PDC's Stars of Design this week, and with just a few more industry leaders to acquaint you with, you're soon to be fully briefed for the awards tonight.

Graphic Design nominee Regina Rubino is an entrepreneur specializing in concept development, organization, and management of Turn-Key operations as well as strategic design and marketing projects created on behalf of leading international investors and businesses.

Having lived in Asia for a decade, she brings a uniquely global understanding to her local perspective—with passion, affinity, and respect for the world and its people, places, and products. The work of Regina, an award-winning designer with more than 25 years’ experience, is included in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress.

Urban Design nominee Molly Wood's earliest childhood memories are sitting by a creek, building rock pools for her dolls to play in. Since then, her interest in creating organic environments has been insatiable. Molly believes that nature is the perfect playground, and it continues to serve as her inspiration.

Molly became more seriously interested in design after high school while traveling and working in Europe, which provided her with a time of awakening and inspiration. She became fascinated with the beauty and simplicity of symmetry, the sense of place and permanence that structure provides, and the concept of creating spaces that evoke emotion.

Molly studied art and design at the Academy of the Arts in San Francisco before moving to Laguna Beach. It was here that Molly got her "practical education," working at a local nursery and venturing out into the field maintaining private gardens—and thus began the evolution of Molly Wood Garden Design.

As Molly Wood Garden Design continues to grow, Molly takes pride in still getting out in the garden to dig in the dirt.

England-born Photography nominee Roger Davies moved to New York in the early 1990s and began a life in photography. Whether they feature interiors, portraits, or travel, Rogers’ images share a clean quality that perfectly portrays his subjects. Although his work takes him all over the world, Roger calls New York and Los Angeles home.

Roger's enormous list of clientele includes Architectural Digest, Art Review, Baker Furniture, Benjamin Moore, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, and many more.

Event Spotlight: Donghia Shares Spring 2012 Textile Collections at WESTWEEK

If the Pacific Design Center's WESTWEEK Market isn't already enough to get you excited, Donghia is adding to the excitement. Andrea Rubelli, Donghia/Rubelli CEO and Carolyn Reed, Donghia Vice President of residential sales invite you to an exclusive preview of the Spring 2012 Collections from Donghia, Rubelli and Sahco.

The event takes place today, from 1-2 p.m. at the PDC's Donghia showroom in Suite G196. A reception in the showroom will follow. For more information and reservations, email Lwinterstein@Donghia.com.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Stars of Design Light Up the PDC (Part 2 of 3)

This year's WESTWEEK Stars of Design Award recipients were selected by a panel composed of industry leaders who are experts in the fields of home furnishings, architecture, and design. This distinguished panel of judges included Rose Tarlow, Wallace E. Cunningham, Jorge Pardo, Ron Flemming, Suzanne Rheinstein, Brandon Morrison, Karyn Millet, and Sean Knibb. Yesterday we began introducing you to the awarded Stars of Design. Here are more sparkling leaders of the industry.

Art nominee Luc Leestemaker was born in the Netherlands, in 1957, where his interests in art, theater, and communication led him to found an Amsterdam-based performing arts center and organize the European art collective Hart Poetry. For a number of years, he headed Leestemaker & Associates, an Amsterdam-based consulting firm specializing in the arts.

Upon moving to the United States in 1990, Luc, continuing a longstanding cultural tradition in his family, committed himself to painting full time, following in the footsteps of other European and Dutch artists—notably Willem de Kooning and Mondrian, for whom living and working in the United States inspired a dramatic creative transition. With Luc’s contemporary landscapes as a solid foundation, recent compositions, such as Voyagers and Map of the Wind, took the viewer into a new generation of abstract expressionism, in which landscape and abstraction increasingly merge.

Luc sees the role of the artist as the shaman, or the Greek priest, translating the message of the gods into worldly understood action and matter. The painter does this visually. The tragic mistake of the romantic idea of the artist is that he has lost half of this message. This has cast the artist in the eternal role of the outsider, whereas Luc believes that the role of the artist is to fill the world with spirituality and make it whole.

Many know Interior Design nominee Donna Livingston as the designer people go to when there's an idea, because she finds a way. The Los Angeles-based designer heads one of the country's top design firms, paving the way in the interior design field for more than 30 years with Donna Livingston Design. Her ability to transform both residential homes and commercial projects by layering rich textures, colors, and fabrics has placed her on Architectural Digest's Top 100 Designer list four times.

Donna’s true expertise lies in understanding the unique vision of each and every client, while carefully listening to his or her exact desires and working very closely with the client throughout the process. She intimately understands her clients and expresses their personalities through the design of their homes, down to the most precise details. To this end, Donna spends a substantial amount of time with each client during the design process—and even upon completion of the project—just to be certain that everything fits with the client and his or her unique lifestyle.

Visit GoDesignGo tomorrow to meet the remaining PDC Stars of Design during WESTWEEK.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Stars of Design Light Up the PDC (Part 1 of 3)

Each year, designers and editors travel from far and wide to attend WESTWEEK, the PDC's annual market event and Stars of Design Awards, taking place this year March 20 through March 22 in West Hollywood. While you make your way west for the exciting week, we're filling you in on the sparkling Stars of Design Award winners to be honored this year.

This year’s Stars of Design include Waldo Fernandez for Lifetime Achievement; Neil M. Denari for Architecture; Luc Leestemaker for Art; Regina Rubino for Graphic Design; Donna Livingston for Interior Design; Molly Wood for Urban Design; and Roger Davies for Photography.

Cuban-born Lifetime Achievement nominee Waldo Fernandez moved to New York City with his family as a teenager and was soon encouraged by his family to explore his passion for design and love of the arts. Soon after his studies in architecture and design and graduating from UCLA, Walter Scott hired Waldo. His set designs included furniture commissions, which caught on immediately, and gave Waldo the recognition that changed his life.

Waldo's Designs opened in 1974 and includes a staff of architectural and interior designers, and the firm sustains a wide range of celebrity clientele. For Waldo, the home is the essence of one's inner self. He believes that creating one's sense of style is very much told by the manner in which one lives.

Texas-born Architecture nominee Neil M. Denari worked as a technical intern in Paris (La Courneuve) for Aerospatiale Helicoptres (now Airbus) after studying at the University of Houston followed by Harvard University. In 1983, Neil moved to New York, where his work explored the technical and formal impact of technology on architecture. He also worked as a senior designer at James Stewart Polshek and Partners and exhibited his speculative work at numerous museums and galleries.

Neil shifted his practice to Los Angeles in 1988 and began Cor-Tex Architecture, which later became Neil M. Denari Architects (NMDA), Inc. In the late 1980s, Denari’s work began to achieve international recognition, most notably through his third-place finish in the Tokyo International Forum Competition. This launched his now 18-year association with Japan, where he has taught and lectured on a regular basis.

Check back with GoDesignGo tomorrow for more about the PDC's Stars of Design during WESTWEEK this week.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Design Loves Art Gallery Openings at the PDC

The Pacific Design Center's WESTWEEK 2012 is only weeks away, so we'll be letting you know all about what you can expect and shouldn't miss during the two-day market.

Beginning Tuesday, March 20, Design Loves Art presents new gallery openings from 5 to 8:30 p.m. throughout the PDC.

Spectrum: Live Performance is a dazzling perforation art piece in which artist orchestrates 343 people wearing dresses from her critically acclaimed yearlong, ongoing project 343 Dresses: The Chromatic Convergence Project. The performance, which incorporates sound and synchronized rhythmic color formations, will be held on Wednesday, March 20, from 6-6:30 p.m. Guests of the PDC are welcome to participate. Dresses (size 8-10) for the event will be made available in a changing room in Suite B239.

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo in the coming days for more WESTWEEK Buzz.

WESTWEEK Buzz: A-List Designer Panel on 'The Rise of the Rock Star Designer'

The Pacific Design Center's WESTWEEK 2012 presents The Rise of the Rock Star Designer, hosted by California Home+Design magazine.

Paparazzi, autograph-seekers and fan mail—these are not things that interior designers of 10 years ago had to deal with. But today, thanks to the proliferation of design-worshiping bloggers, the increased quality and accessibility of shelter magazines, and television programs based around the drama of picking the perfect sofa, interior designers have stepped out from behind the curtain to become rock stars in their own right.

California Home+Design executive editor Erin Feher will sit down with designs’ hottest stars, including David Bromstad (HGTV’s Color Splash), Martyn Lawrence-Bullard (Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators), Antonio Ballatore (HGTV’s The Antonio Treatment) and Kathryn Ireland (Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators), to discuss how fame has affected their lives, helped them build their brand and changed the way the world looks at design.

The event takes place Wednesday, March 21 at 3:30 p.m. at the PDC’s Blue Conference Center in Suite B259. A reception will follow at Andrew Martin in Suite G295. For more information, visit the PDC online.

WESTWEEK Buzz: The PDC & Architectural Digest Take Over WESTWEEK

The Pacific Design Center's WESTWEEK 2012 presents In Focus: Trends in Interiors Photography with Architectural Digest and AD editor in chief Margaret Russell.

In a concise, informative presentation, Margaret will discuss the latest trends in architectural and interior-design photography, covering widely ranging topics from how to prepare your projects for photo shoots to how to effectively promote your work both in print and online.

Celebrated photographers Roger Davies and Grey Crawford, contributors to Architectural Digest, will join Margaret for a brief Q&A, providing exclusive expert insight from the other side of the camera lens.

The event is set for Wednesday, March 21 at 10 a.m. at the PDC’s Silver Screen Theater. A reception will follow at Cowtan & Tout in Suite B647. For more information, visit the PDC online.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Patrick Naggar Preview at Ralph Pucci

Celebrating a nearly 20-year collaboration, Ralph Pucci hosted Patrick Naggar’s first Los Angeles show, featuring Naggar’s limited-edition furniture designs and lighting collection showroom during WESTWEEK.

With his new collection, the French furniture designer seeks to connect areas that are usually kept apart: myth and science; ancient and modern; useful and symbolic; and traditional and industrial. Patrick believes that we are simultaneously ancient, modern and futuristic.

“Patrick looks to cultivate hybrid objects, to create paradoxical, allegorical, metaphorical, poetic designs,” said Ralph.

The party may be over but the new collection is on the floor. Make your way to the PDC’s Ralph Pucci showroom to see Patrick's new limited edition collections.

WESTWEEK Buzz: 'Interiors' Portfolio Review at Atelier Lapchi

The Atelier Lapchi showroom was in full throttle during WESTWEEK, featuring the introduction of new Showroom Director, Edmundo Luna-Ortiz, and a portfolio review with the editors of interiors magazine.

interiors Editorial Director Michael Wollaeger and Editor-in-Chief Arianne Nardo offered one-on-one consultations for portfolio-toting attendees.

"It was a really personal portfolio review of my design work," said a designer who had just finished showing Michael her portfolio. "I learned more about what editors are really looking for today and how to present my work in the best light. Knowing what kind of mistakes to avoid and how to increase my odds of getting published in the design magazines I love most is such priceless information!"

Edmundo brings over 30 years of experience in floor coverings, including 16 years with Floordesign in San Francisco. He looks forward to his role at Atelier Lapchi where he plans to serve his trade clients with expertise and a friendly approach. Edmundo invites designers to "Please stop in and say hello!" so make sure you do!

WESTWEEK Buzz: JANUS et Cie Previews JANUSweave™

The PDC's first floor was pulsing with parties and JANUS et Cie was no exception. The showroom hosted a cocktail reception during WESTWEEK to preview its newest furniture and textiles highlighted by the exquisite JANUSweave™ collection.

The JANUSweave™ collection was executed in a hand-woven, "GENERATION-NEXT” JANUSfiber™—a tour de force of art, craft and technology.

"We've been really committed to providing public and private clients with the “best of the best” in exterior and interior casual furnishings," said a company representative at the party. "Unveiling our most sophisticated lounge and dining collections to date at WESTWEEK has been a total success!"

Highlights of the new JANUSweave™ products include Pacific, a lounge collection with a cool, clean beauty that evokes the ease and glamour of Southern California. European design serves as the inspiration for Zeya, a handsome lounge collection exemplified by the graceful and inviting Recamier. The sculptural Triad bench designed by JANUS et Cie founder Janice Feldman, can serve as the focal point of a space and represents minimal form at its most expressive. An archetype for the 21st century, Amari fabric is inspired by the ancient arts of Crete yet looks vividly modern.

Each collection is executed in hand-woven JANUSfiber™ over a sturdy powder-coated aluminum frame, both 100% recyclable.

Feldman said, “These new pieces have a rare combination of simplicity and sophistication. Each is quite unique, but all create as much comfort and elegance on the terrace or in the garden as any interior space. [They’re] perfect for a home or a hotel where indoors flows into the outdoors.”

WESTWEEK Buzz: Launch Party for Studio Baccarat with Editor TV

Kelly Edward's hosts Editor TV for Studio Baccarat's launch party at the PDC's WESTWEEK.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Kelly Edwards Hosts EditorTV Coverage of Studio Baccarat Champagne Lunch

WESTWEEK certainly wasn't short of star power—from the Million Dollar Decorators to Tacky House co-host Kelly Edwards, who hosted the EditorTV coverage of Studio Baccarat’s champagne lunch with The Editor at Large.

The event drew top designers including David Phoenix, Jay Jeffers, Megan Arquette and Fernando Diaz—each of whom had ideas of custom chandeliers they had created or would like to create.

The event previewed examples of custom chandeliers by designers such as Philippe Starck, Marcel Wanders and Seven Jeans. Baccarat experts were on-hand to provide personalized guidance for design projects, drawing from their extensive selection of existing designs or creating new designs.

“The event was tons of fun and fabulously well attended," said Julia Noran of Editor at Large. "I think everyone who came was grateful to know about Studio Baccarat. It’s a fabulous program that enables designers to live out their wildest lighting fantasies, and create custom designs like the ‘mandelier’!”

Stay tuned to GoDesignGo to learn about Studio Baccarat and The Editor at Large's portfolio review during WESTWEEK and what the panel thought of the portfolios they saw.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Editors’ Picks from Portfolio Review at Studio Baccarat

The designer portfolio review, How to Catch an Editor's Eye, hosted by The Editor at Large at Studio Baccarat’s Limited Engagement showroom, gave designers the chance to sit one on one with editors and writers in the field and tweak their portfolios with the pros.

We talked with the editors and the votes are in. Their top three portfolios picks from the event were by the following designers: Joshua Rose and Rafael Kalichstein of FORM Interior Design; Heather Hilliard of Heather Hilliard Design; and Kristina Paige of Jackson Paige Interiors.

"I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review my portfolio with Editor at Large and the panelists," said Heather. "The critique of my work was invaluable since The Editor at Large team has experience working on the other side, in-house as writers and editors of design magazines. They know exactly what kinds of projects, images and stories are most likely to spark the interest of editors. The review process validated my feeling that I should let the pros concentrate on disseminating my work to the appropriate sources. I would recommend The Editor at Large portfolio review experience to other designers who want to spend more time focused on design and less time on public!"

"The portfolio review was a rare opportunity to sit down face-to-face with top notch editors," said Kristina. "I was thrilled at the chance to not only share our finished work but talk about the scope and breadth of our current projects and get thoughts on where there might be a good editorial fit. The event was great!"

"So frequently design can feel lonely or isolated from a community," said Rafael. "You work with your client and no one else gets to see what you've created. It's usually only in the publishing of work that one feels a sense of community. This event drew together a collective of designers and editors for a unique opportunity to share the world of design, talk about what works and what doesn't, and be in a room with great taste-makers. We can't emphasize enough how pleased we were to present our work to editors who look at great design all day, every day, and have our work recognized and validated!"

The three companies received a free project submission ($500 value) to up to 100 publications through The Editor at Large.

WESTWEEK Buzz: James Perse Celebrates New Home at PDC

James Perse, the Southern California-based purveyor of minimalist, casual and sophisticated apparel, celebrated the opening of their Pacific Design Center furniture showroom during WESTWEEK in March. The showroom-warming event—complete with live music, ping-pong and margaritas—was not one to be missed.

James Perse furniture can be found in the namesake boutiques, but only the PDC showroom showcases the full range of the line. “The PDC showroom gives us the opportunity to tell the complete furniture story to the design community,” says James Perse.

"We are all so excited to have the James Perse showroom here on the ground floor," said Elizabeth Chamberlain, Marketing Director of the PDC. "The James Perse brand is quintessentially Californian, so the new showroom is a perfect match to the PDC!"

James Perse Furniture is a seamless extension of the brand. It embodies the same philosophy as the clothing; classic, simple, and timeless, the essence of a casual way of living. The furniture appeals to a broad cross-section of homes from traditional to modern and includes both indoor and outdoor environments.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Demystifying the Designer

Why do so many people consider designers unapproachable, high-handed, expensive, or worst of all, unnecessary? How have designers come to be regarded by so many potential clients as little more than personal shoppers, granting access to the good stuff? How can designers reach the vast market of sophisticated homeowners too intimated to hire a professional?

Elle Decor Editor-in-Chief Michael Boodro and a panel of design professionals tackled these questions at more during their WESTWEEK panel Demystifying the Designer.

The crowd spilled out into the PDC's hallway, with the audience listening in on the panel from outside the Blue Conference Center.

Elizabeth Chamberlain, Marketing Director of PDC, gave us her thoughts on the packed panel: "It was a thrill to see the standing room only crowd! What an honor to have Michael Boodro and the amazing panel of designers to share their insight and inspiration. There is clearly a lot of need for these questions to be talked about and answered right now."

The panel discussed innovative approaches to reaching out to and securing new clients, establishing the importance, value, time and money saving skills of designers and offer their thoughts on the future of "to the trade." Panelists also talked about how websites, blogs and social media have changed misperceptions about the industry.

Stay tuned for more WESTWEEK Buzz and hear about the fabulous reception for Demystifying the Designer panel in the Brown Jordan showroom on GoDesignGo.

WESTWEEK Buzz: Hopping Party at Giati with California Home + Design

The Giati showroom was humming with energy during the its party, which was themed "Conceptual Insights from Giati, Gloster and California Home + Design Magazine." The PDC's first floor bumping and we stopped by to check out the action.

Complete with cocktails and conversation with industry, design and media friends allowed for the perfect concoction of some of the industry’s most exclusive developments. The showroom’s new inventory featured a rich mix of British innovation, European design and American trends.

"Gloster went all out for this fantastic party in the Giati showroom. Plus, they partnered with California Home + Design magazine which is spreading it’s wings to Southern California for the first time!" Elizabeth Chamberlain, Marketing Director of PDC, told us.

There's still lots more WESTWEEK Buzz, so be sure to keep posted next week when we report on more of the fabulous parties and fact-filled keynotes that made WESTWEEK the best one yet.