Stay ConnectedDesign 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.
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For decades, photographer Simon Upton has documented just about every home you can imagine, from the ultra-gilded manors of Britain to the contemporary homes in California, for magazines such as Vogue and Architectural Digest. What connects them are his portraits, which capture figures like the Duchess of Devonshire or Jane Fonda, all while they’re perfectly at ease—perhaps signaling something about the rooms and gardens that surround them. On this episode, Dan speaks with Upton about his first big assignment in The World of Interiors, what day-to-day life is like on his farm in Devon, England, his new book, Simon Upton: A-Z Interiors (Rizzoli), and much more.
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One of the most daring chefs of today, Dominique Crenn is a force in the world of food who has pushed the boundaries of innovative cuisine and challenged the industry’s conventions. On this episode, Chef Crenn tells Dan about her upbringing in France, what she learned from chef Jeremiah Tower, breaking the glass ceiling in food, what she looks for in ambitious young chefs, her latest culinary adventure with Les Bateaux Belmond, and much more.
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Interior designer Andre Mellone has become the go-to designer in New York for the well-heeled, known for his fashion-forward blend of raw style and modernist rigor. On this episode, the Brazilian-born talent talks to Dan about memories of his father, the celebrated product designer Oswaldo Mellone, landing his first job with Robert A.M. Stern, making the leap from architecture to interior design, the thinking behind his new collection with Nordic Knots, his advice for the next generation, and more.
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On the 16th season premier, Dan speaks with the beloved designer Dries Van Noten. After presenting his last fashion collection in 2024, the Belgian impresario has begun a thrilling new adventure with his Fondazione Dries Van Noten in Venice. The pair discuss how this new chapter in his life came to pass, why he titled his first show “The Only True Protest Is Beauty,” why teaching appreciation for craft is so important across generations, and more. This interview is also featured in the fall 2026 print issue of The Grand Tourist.
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On the 15th season finale, Dan speaks with a household name in the world of food and dining: Wolfgang Puck. Through his restaurants, celebrity clientele, books, TV appearances, and fresh takes on various cuisine traditions, this chef has made an enormous impact on how we think about cooking and eating out. The pair speak about the chef’s challenging youth and start to the business, how he injected a new sense of style into the LA dining scene (especially with Spago), his plans for the future, and much more.
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In upstate New York, the latest guesthouse from the sought-after Danish brand Vipp perfectly blends nature and design. On this episode, Dan speaks to its designers, Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee of the award winning LA-based firm Johnston Marklee, about their cutting-edge practice, how they approach Modernism, designing the guesthouse, and much more.
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For more than 100 years, Buccellati has been known for combining technical prowess with elegant, timely designs in jewelry, tableware, and accessories. On this episode, Dan speaks with Lucrezia Buccellati about the Italian company’s founder Mario Buccellati, growing up in the family business, tackling her very first designs, the heritage behind every collection, Buccellati’s mastery of silversmithing and goldsmithing, plans for the future of the company, and much more.
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Few individuals have had the impact on the hotel industry like Ian Schrager. On this episode, Dan speaks with the native New Yorker on his life before launching the legendary Studio 54, how working in nightlife spurred him to creating hotels, the birth of the boutique hotel, what his very own hotel, the Public, means to him, his latest West Hollywood outpost for the brand, his concept of “luxury for all,” and more.
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Long overlooked by travelers for places like Marrakech, the city of Casablanca is ready for a transformation. Thanks in part to a new hotel in the commercial capital from the Royal Mansour Collection, this ancient urban center is ready to be explored. On this episode, pulled from the pages of our spring print issue, Dan speaks with Jean-Claude Messant, the group's Managing Director, about how this Frenchman found his way to North Africa, how the country is using five-star luxury to develop lives, economies, and culture, what to do during a weekend in Casablanca, and much more.
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Few designers have the résumé of brand building, product elevating, and balance sheet rejuvenating that American designer, creative director, and collecting connoisseur Reed Krakoff does. On this episode, Dan speaks with the creative leader on his groundbreaking career—from his roles at Coach and Tiffany & Co. to now John Hardy and Gap—what he's collecting now, his various artistic pursuits such as photography and ceramics, and much more.
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