As founder of his eponymous New York firm, visionary architect Morris Adjmi's work is deeply rooted in a respect for heritage while embracing innovation. With a career shaped by early experiences working alongside Pritzker Prize-winning architect Aldo Rossi, Adjmi developed a distinct approach that balances modern aesthetics anchored in a deep understanding of architectural and cultural history. 

His projects, spanning adaptive reuse to new construction, reflect a meticulous attention to detail. Take the recently opened Forth Atlanta, which is revitalizing the Georgia city’s Old Fourth Ward with Adjmi’s signature refined yet curated style. 

Adjmi’s forthcoming projects—including the renovation of the Swan Hotel at Disney World in Orlando, Florida and the Four Seasons Hotel Charleston in South Carolina—maintain a dialogue between past and future to honor each city’s identity while reimagining its possibilities.

This episode is brought to you by American Leather. For more information, go to americanleather.com.

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From her childhood in Larchmont, New York to leading a renowned wellness company, Cathy O'Brien’s wide-ranging career spans the music industry as well as the beauty and wellness sectors, where she helped rethink brand strategies at luxury companies like Jo Malone.

Driven by her vision for holistic wellness and inspired by her own health challenges, O'Brien came to Naturopathica in 2022 with the goal of revolutionizing the way people approach self-care. Recognizing the powerful connection between nature, science, and wellbeing, she sought to create products and experiences that were both effective and innovative. 

Under her leadership, the company has become a pioneer in natural health, offering therapeutic solutions that emphasize balance, sustainability, and the importance of nurturing the mind, body, and spirit. Through Naturopathica, O'Brien continues to redefine what it means to live a truly healthy and harmonious life.

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When Jason Brown and Brad Guidi joined forces to create hospitality real estate private equity firm Blue Flag Capital, they weren’t just building hotels—they were crafting experiences rooted in storytelling, design, and a sense of place.

Their journey began with a bold vision on Nantucket and has since expanded to destinations from Martha’s Vineyard to Jackson Hole.

With a philosophy of hospitality as theater, Blue Flag Capital, with Brown and Guidi at the helm, continues to redefine hospitality, one immersive stay at a time.

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Growing up  in Brooklyn, lifelong friends Matthew Sears and Darius Davie started their entrepreneurial journey thanks to a shared passion for design, grooming, and community. Enter Groom Guy, their take on a luxury salon concept that blends wellness with hospitality.

Davie, a former hairstylist, envisioned Groom Guy as a resource hub for men’s self care, while Sears—who has a background in finance—helped shape that vision into a thriving business.

In 2020, the duo launched the inaugural Groom Guy inside Yours Truly DC, with locations in the PGA National Resort in Florida and Salamander DC to follow. Designed as a self-care sanctuary, the intimate barbershop prioritizes thoughtful design, sensory details, and an elevated approach to grooming, elevating the barbershop into an essential hospitality experience.

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A driving force behind the evolution of Las Vegas dining scene and beyond, Elizabeth Blau began her F&B journey under the legendary Sirio Maccioni at Le Cirque in New York. 

That foundation propelled her to Las Vegas in the late ‘90s, where she played a crucial role in transforming the city into a culinary powerhouse.

Today, as founder and CEO of Blau Associates, she continues to shape the future of hospitality alongside her husband, chef Kim Canteenwalla, blending her passion for design with culinary excellence.

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Icelandic hotelier Sigurlaug Sverrisdóttir has built a reputation for her innovative approach to creating immersive guest experiences.

Growing up in a small town near Reykjavik, she developed a deep connection to Iceland’s rugged natural beauty, a bond that would later shape her career.

After nearly two decades with Icelandic Airline, Sigurlaug returned to Iceland in 2013, where she transformed a former geothermal power plant staff building into the ION Adventure Hotel—a boutique property that  blends with the surrounding volcanic landscape.

Her collection of properties, including a second hotel in Reykjavik, embodies her dedication to connecting guests with Iceland’s vibrant culture and authentic spirit.

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From working in a butcher shop as a child to immersing himself in the world of art and architecture, Vincent Celano’s upbringing in Brooklyn, New York instilled in him a love of storytelling and a deep appreciation for the power of design.

After graduating from Pratt Institute, he cut his teeth at design giants like Rockwell Group, Jeffrey Beers International, and ICRAVE, where he honed his craft in experiential and hospitality design.

In 2005, he founded Celano Design Studio, a multidisciplinary firm dedicated to creating dynamic, guest-centered environments. Today, the studio has expanded to include furniture and industrial design, reflecting Celano’s unwavering commitment to human-centered experiences.

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Matt Goodrich, principal of his New York-based design studio Goodrich, has cultivated an approach that is rooted in collaboration, curiosity, and pursuing the unexpected. With a career that spans more than two decades, including stints at Rockwell Group and AvroKO, Goodrich’s perspective champions the art of storytelling.

Since founding his eponymous firm in 2017, Goodrich, who was recently named Boutique Design's 2024 Designer of the Year, has leaned into projects that push boundaries, taking on challenges that stretch the team’s capabilities, from Ci Siamo, his collaboration with restaurateur Danny Meyer to the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. The latter, home to the New York Islanders hockey team, challenged the studio, which had little prior experience in either live entertainment or sports venues, to create a unique, hospitality-driven project. It became a defining moment for the firm, reinforcing Goodrich’s ethos: learning by doing and embracing the unfamiliar to create something extraordinary.

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Revisit our conversation with prolific designer Tara Bernerd, founder of  her eponymous London-based firm Tara Bernerd & Partners. Back in 2020, as the world was facing an unprecedented pandemic, Tara shared how her team was navigating Covid, as well as detailed her work on projects including the Hari Hong Kong.

This year, Tara was guest editor of our November 2024 issue, where she and her team highlighted the New Dolce Vita, a celebration of all things Milan, from its people, places, and projects. Read the issue here.

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Having lived across continents—from Hong Kong to Houston and Singapore to Pakistan—Aliya Khan’s upbringing instilled a appreciation for culture, architecture, and art.

After studying architecture at Pratt Institute in New York, Khan began her career in residential design before transitioning to the hospitality industry, working for Starwood Hotels & Resorts (now Marriott), helping launch brands like W Hotels, Aloft, and Le Méridien.

Today, as vice president of global design strategies for Marriott International's lifestyle brands, Khan has redefined the design language for Aloft, Moxy, AC Hotels, and Westin.

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Born and raised in Los Angeles, Tom Ito, a third-generation Japanese-American, was destined to be in the hospitality industry. He worked at his grandparents’ restaurant when he was young, and he was also inspired by his parents—his father was a bartender-turned-restaurant GM and his mother worked as a hostess. He joined Gensler nearly 40 years ago, launching the firm’s hospitality practice in the late 1990s with the renovation of the Beverly Hills Hotel. He has since expanded the practice to an international scale, with projects including Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Resort & Residences in Guanacaste, Costa Rica; the Six Senses Grand Bahama; and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Athens in Greece. Now, as the firmwide leader of the hospitality practice and principal in Gensler’s Los Angeles office, Ito is also integral to the firm’s climate change initiative, which aims to make all Gensler projects carbon neutral by 2030.

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