Culture Lounge by ASSOULINE

In this episode of the Culture Lounge podcast interior designer Miles Redd and Editorial Director of ELLE Decor and Editor-in-Chief of Town & Country Stellene Volandes come together for a conversation as layered and considered as the rooms that inspire it. They trace the winding paths that shaped their careers, step inside the world of auction houses, and reflect on the objects we choose to live with, and why we choose them. Along the way, they indulge in a spirited fantasy: the legendary jewelry collections they would most love to call their own. 

There are conversations that inform. And then there are conversations that transform. Season Two of The Culture Lounge Podcast opens with the latter. Returning with a new series called The Decisive Moment, listeners are invited into something rarer than a typical interview: a genuine reckoning. Host Alex Assouline sits down with the visionaries who have shaped culture, art, and ideas, and asks the question that cuts beneath biography and achievement. 

The series opens with Martine Assouline, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Assouline, in a conversation as intimate as it is illuminating. Guided by instinct and a lifelong devotion to beauty, Martine reflects on the photography book that first ignited her ambition to become a publisher, the discipline required to capture the soul of a place rather than simply document it, and the painstaking, deeply personal process of designing each travel book cover by hand.

Tune in to our next episode on April 17. 

Hosted by Alex Assouline, the Culture Lounge podcast by Assouline launching on April 3 opens a new chapter, with new voices, new series, and an even deeper exploration of culture in all its forms.

“It’s so important to dream. And people always say, your life starts when your comfort level ends.” - Aerin Lauder

In this chapter of Assouline’s Culture Lounge, we’re learning about interior design with the founder and creative director of global luxury lifestyle brand AERIN, Aerin Lauder, and former Ralph Lauren designer and current founder and creative director behind his namesake studio, Alfredo Paredes. Aerin and Alfredo share what it was like to leave established companies to start their own brands, explain their design processes, and chronicle finding design inspiration in places from Mexico City to the desert.

1:56 - Childhood memories

2:52 - Taking a leap of faith 

6:06 - Falling in love with interior design

7:53 - Aerin’s design process 

9:55 - Alfredo’s design process 

11:02 - Design choices that didn’t work

12:15 - Teddy bears on mannequin heads

12:59 - Favorite rooms at home

14:10 - Finding inspiration in the desert and Mexico City

15:39 - Advice for the next generation of interior designers

16:34 - Memories of Estée Lauder as a grandmother and mentor

Stick around until the end for a fun bit of trivia about the design tricks practiced by ancient Romans.

This episode concludes our first season of Culture Lounge. Thanks to all of you listeners for joining us as we’ve explored different corners of creativity across art, fashion, travel, cuisine, and more.

Thank you as well to all of our guests who shared their time and expertise throughout the season.

We hope you found inspiration, passion, and hopefully knowledge of something new. 

For more inspiration and a video version of this chapter, head to Assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.

À la prochaine!

“Carbone is the show. It's not the dinner before the show.” - Jeff Zalaznick

In this chapter of Assouline’s Culture Lounge, we’re getting a taste of cuisine with renowned chef Mario Carbone and restaurateur Jeff Zalaznick. Mario and Jeff share how a joint love of Italian-American food led to the creation of Carbone, explain how the word “yes” is at the core of what they do, and describe the first meals that sparked their love of cuisine and the last suppers they dream of having.

1:21 - Kindred spirits become business partners

3:09 - Creating Carbone

6:55 - Paying homage to Italian American restaurants

7:40 - Captain Camp: How to serve a table at Carbone

10:50 - Challenging fine dining trends 

17:41 - The last suppers

20:34 - The first meal that sparked a love of cuisine

24:30 - Advice for wannabe restaurateurs

Stick around until the end for a fun bit of trivia about the history of rainbow cookies.

For more inspiration and a video version of this chapter, head to Assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.

À bientôt!

“What are you passing down? What’s the legacy?” - Young Guru

In this chapter of Assouline’s Culture Lounge, we’re getting lost in the creative minds of one of the most influential radio personalities, Angie Martinez, and one of hip-hop’s most sought-after producers and engineers, Young Guru. Angie and Guru paint a picture of the diversity of the NYC music scene in the ‘90s, describe the curse of making incredible art, and explain why it’s important to learn new tricks.

1:50 - Diversity in ‘90s NYC nightlife 

2:59 - Young Guru’s beginnings

5:13 - The pressure and glare of fame

6:06 - Letting your truth guide your art

7:26 - The curse of making an incredible piece of art

8:16 - How the music business has changed

11:30 - Tastemakers vs. algorithms

12:31 - Schooling the next generation

15:03 - The implosion of the music industry

18:23 - Learning new tricks

Musicians mentioned in this episode include JAY-Z, Lauryn Hill, Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Andre 3000, Questlove, Tracey Lee, Brittany Howard, Nonchalant, Rapsody, Reuben Vincent, Rah Digga, and Memphis Bleek.

Stick around until the end for a fun bit of trivia about how JAY-Z recently made history.

For more inspiration and a video version of this chapter, head to Assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.

À bientôt!

“We tried to bring excitement [at Christie’s], and we could with Contemporary Art because the artists were alive, because the art was challenging.” - Philippe Ségalot

In this chapter of Assouline’s Culture Lounge, we’re dreaming about art with the founder of Ségalot LP and Christie’s former International Head of Contemporary Art, Philippe Ségalot, and the award-winning art critic, journalist, and filmmaker, Judd Tully. Philippe and Judd share what it was like starting in the art business during a market crash, explain how Contemporary Art went from affordable to wildly expensive, and describe a daring, disguised break-in at Art Basel.

2:03 - Who needs Disneyland when there’s a room of Rothkos at MoCA?

5:09 - Entering the art world during a market crash

9:55 - Redefining what Contemporary Art means 

11:35 - Paving the way for younger artists and collectors

16:37 - Why Contemporary Art went from affordable to wildly expensive

19:11 - Breaking into Basel in disguise

22:52 - The next art generation

Artists mentioned in this episode include Mark Rothko, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, Charles Ray, Robert Gober, Maurizio Catalan, Roy Lichtenstein, Bob Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Picasso, Robert Ryman, Jean Dubuffet, Manet, and Jackson Pollock.

Stick around until the end for a fun bit of trivia about Pop Art’s surprising origins.

For more inspiration and a video version of this chapter, head to Assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.

À bientôt!

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“It’s more than a job. It’s like a religion or an obsession.” - Sébastien Labe

In this chapter of Assouline’s Culture Lounge, we’re traveling to Paris to learn the nuances of fine wines with 2004’s Best Sommelier of the World, Enrico Bernardo, and executive head sommelier for Cheval Blanc Courchevel and LVMH Hotel Management, Sébastien Labe. Enrico and Sébastien share their favorite sommelier memories, explain how where we come from changes the way we appreciate wine, and predict what’s next for the wine industry. 

2:16 - How to pair wine with food

3:22 - Finding emotion in wine

5:08 - Creating special moments for guests with the right wine

6:08 - Sébastien’s most memorable day as a sommelier

10:40 - The first time Enrico realized his talent for recognizing aromas

12:05 - Training your palette

13:24 - Where we come from changes the way we appreciate wine

15:05 - The challenge of Vin Jaune and skin-contact wines

17:34 - Current wine trends and what might come next

22:00 - How food and wine have changed over the past few decades

22:57 - Sommeliers never stop learning 

Stick around until the end for a fun bit of trivia about how monks and the British influenced the origins of champagne.

For more inspiration and a video version of this chapter, head to Assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.

À bientôt!

“The right piece of clothing at the right time. It kind of gives you a superpower.” - Linda Fargo

In this chapter of Assouline’s Culture Lounge, we’re immersing ourselves in the fashion industry with Senior Vice President of Women’s Fashion and Store Presentation Director at Bergdorf Goodman, Linda Fargo, and Emmy Award-winning fashion journalist, contributor to CBS Sunday Morning, and host of The Met’s The Atelier series, Alina Cho. Linda and Alina share their gateways into the fashion world, reminisce about legendary fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, transport us to memorable runway shows from Chanel, Dior, and Dries, and describe their favorite looks they’ve ever worn.

2:17 – Creating theater with window displays

7:22 – The impact of Olivia Newton John’s biker jacket in Grease

8:19 – Bringing fashion into the newsroom

11:42 – Most memorable fashion shows

14:03 – Fashion week car-pooling

15:26 – Memories of Bill Cunningham

17:46 – Buzzworthy designers of the moment

19:57 – Personal fashion memories at the Met Gala and the CFDA Awards

Designers mentioned in this episode include Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Dries Van Noten, Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Daniel Roseberry, Elsa Schiaparelli, Thom Browne, and Vivienne Westwood. 

Stick around until the end for a fun bit of trivia about what Coco Chanel found success doing before becoming a couturier.

For more inspiration and a video version of this chapter, head to Assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.

À bientôt!

“Watches don’t just tell time.” – Geoff Hess

In this chapter of Assouline’s Culture Lounge, we’re delving into the world of watches with the Global Head of Watches at Sotheby’s and RollieFest founder, Geoff Hess, and vintage watch specialist, Mike Nouveau. Geoff and Mike take us behind the scenes of auction houses, share stories of their treasure hunting, explain why “investment” used to be a dirty word in watch collecting circles, and discuss how watches don’t just tell time, they bring people together. 

1:37 – Timepiece show-and-tell

2:10 – First obsessions

5:09 – Passion vs. investment

7:37 – Inside the auction room

13:31 – Industry education, from forums to social media

14:53 – Holy Grail watches

21:15 – The next trends in collecting

22:39 – Connecting with people from around the world, like @oldwatchlady

Watches featured in this episode include Les Folies du Ciel by Hermès, Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 96 in steel from 1941, Rolex GMT-Master Reference 1675, a, 6263 vintage Paul Newman Dial Daytona, a bamboo Cartier Coussin, and a Rolex 5508 from 1958. 

Stick around until the end for a fun bit of trivia about how Cartier and the Wright brothers were part of the advent of the wristwatch.

For more inspiration and a video version of this chapter, head to Assouline.com, where culture meets luxury.

À bientôt!

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