Description
Welcome to the 20th print issue of DSCENE Magazine, which celebrates the art of design and the ongoing relationship between design, fashion, and art. Whatever the medium – whether paper, online, or social media – these elements have always been at the heart of DSCENE, as suggested by the name of our publication. Design Scene, now in its 17th year, was inspired by my student days trip to Milan’s Design Week to create the magazine. This time, we return to this most important week of design to speak at Salone del Mobile with luminaries such as Patricia Urquiola, Konstantin Grcic, Samuel Ross, Nendo and Diesel Living’s Andrea Rosso.
When we return to paper twice a year, and we receive the first copies of DSCENE from the printer, it reminds us that in an era of ceaseless digital communication, sometimes it helps to pause for a moment and opt for more leisurely enjoyments.
Certainly, the 20th edition of DSCENE, titled “Line, Form, Space,” tends to be one in which we allow ourselves to escape within our dreams; and this issue remains true to that habit of ours. Thus, the new-season furniture collections are celebrated in inspiring interviews with the greatest in design. We’ve also taken the time to contemplate the world around us: from the work of Klaus Busse, Maserati’s Chief Design Officer, who, along with DSCENE’s NYC contributor Eliza Jordan, gives us an inside look at the brand’s newest car, to more traditional forms of architecture with our cover star James Goldstein, the iconic lover of fashion and sports photographed in a house as legendary as he is – the Sheats-Goldstein Residence in Los Angeles. Goldstein talks about living within a true landmark with Katarina Doric, but also the respect for the art of architecture behind the house which he is to donate to LACMA. The new issue also includes a retracing of Diesel Living’s design process with Andrea Rosso, and a chat about Diesel’s boundary-pushing fashion line with Glenn Martens.
Elsewhere in the issue, we explore several other paths to celebrate design; Jordan also sits down for an interview with the prolific young furniture designer Djivan Schapira, while DSCENE’s Katarina Doric opens the issue with an inspiring conversation with Tom Fereday.
When it comes to fashion in the magazine, our cover star, Eliot Sumner, has been shot by one of my favorite photographers, Ice Pong, who brings a natural artistry to the pages of DSCENE. Sumner is as thoughtful as he is encouraging, and remarkably lacking in vanity – qualities that combine to make him such a compelling presence on stage and screen. We also feature a story on Julius Juul, the shining star of Denmark’s fashion scene who founded Heliot Emil with his brother Victor Juul eight years ago; and an interview with Alex Israel, the presiding genius of Los Angeles’ art scene, who truly understands the fine art of the contemporary. Alex has an innate understanding of art’s role in today’s society, and we were hugely privileged to be given access to his L.A. studio, kick-starting the work on this 20th issue and taking you along on an exclusive studio visit. It was hard not to find inspiration after this visit to Alex’s workspace.
As it happens, I’ve been writing this piece on a day when I have no internet connection, enclosed on a 9-hour flight from NYC, without Instagram updates, X chatter, cell phone alerts, or distractions. Looking at the final pages featuring a fragrance story, scents you can almost sense from the image, masterfully shot by Ingmar Chen with styling from DSCENE’s NYC Beauty Director Damien Vaughan Shippe, to the final pages reminding us of a trip to The Edition hotel in Rome. It feels strange looking back at the now wrapped-up issue without an internet connection, but not unwelcome; and a reminder that reflection should be a quiet moment of contemplation, rather than an endless scroll.
