What are you reading right now?

Patti Smith's Just Kids.

Is there a book or body of work you're enjoying looking at right now?

I am trying to read Patti's book slowly because I don't want it to end! Also revisiting Pretentiousness: Why It Matters by Dan Fox.

What has surprised you most about London life?

How good I feel here, and how not bad the weather is. 

How does colour inform your work — is it important to what you do? Where do you look for colour inspiration?

I think color indirectly informs my work — it is not top of mind usually, until I realize that I'm gravitating towards certain colors and find a meaning or connection that I didn't know was there that sort of amplifies what I was doing. I think color inspiration is everywhere. Sometimes I open my underwear drawer and I love the colors that are randomly next to each other and will take a picture to save as a reference. I think growing up in Miami has also given me an innate attraction and understanding of color. I've seen this play out in clients I've had who are very color heavy like Ganni or Roxanne Assoulin, or even Ghia whose colors I chose and were very informative to the brand.

As a former New Yorker, can you give us one favourite activity / location in each of these Downtown neighbourhoods?

GRAMERCY

Wow I haven't thought about this place in forever but when I was younger and first moved to NY, Rose Bar was one of my favorite spots. The art collection was so casually insane, and the setting itself is pretty unassuming but if you know you know. For a more wholesome, answer I absolutely love to walk around the park there. There used to be a Calder statue (I think it might be back but the last time I went it had been sent to some museum for a show) that I would just stare at through the gates. That area is so beautiful and calm. My favorite apartment building is actually over there on the corner of Irving and 19th or 18th, I can't remember now. It's a great place to walk around if you are craving more greenery. 

GREENWICH VILLAGE

Via Carota, I Sodi, 4 Charles, Bar Pitti, Takashi (RIP), Joe's, Blue Ribbon — so many of my favorite restaurants are over there plus my best friend lived there and I always really enjoyed my walks through Washington Square Park to get to her place.

NOLITA

I absolutely love the frequency in which you spontaneously run into people in this area. I think just being out and about, sitting outside of Sant Ambroeus having a spritz and people watching, visiting McNally's bookstore and my friends who have stores there. 

BOWERY

I used to live a few blocks away from the Bowery hotel and that lobby was like a second living room. The people watching was always fun but the best was actually early in the mornings when no one was there, I'd read a book and have breakfast in the back outside space. It felt so nice and grown up compared to my East Village apartment. 

Overthrow Boxing was also one of my favorites. There was such good and fun energy in there always. 

Dashwood Books is also still a bookstore I always try to visit when I'm in town.

SOHO

More people-watching but sitting outside of Balthazar or Fanelli's. The Mercer hotel lobby was also always an iconic time. 

TRIBECA

Galleries and loft parties and watching the hot dads pushing strollers.