this month, getting to know remodelista/UK from the inside-out reminds us why the design world has a magnetic tug toward all-things-remodelista!
UK editor christine chang hanway's personal design influences are the kinds of stuff i love reading about. her history of great taste, sensible yearnings and academic angst- well, it just makes us like her all the more:
(photography by www.kristinperers.com )q. my own blog is a tale of tile that is heavily influenced by fashion. i have noticed from time to time a few fashion posts on remodelista! how would you describe what informs your own fashion style? who are your go-to designers?
a. Oh yes, we all love fashion, in fact before I decided to become an architect, I considered going into fashion. My own style is informed by my predilection for the classic and timeless with a twist. I like to develop a relationship with my clothing that endures and get excited when I buy something where the classic design evolves as the fabrics get softer and more worn in.
(christine at home, photography by www.kristinperers.com)
I have one skirt that I bought from Dosa 20 years ago and I am still wearing it.
(click for the ethereal fashions of dosa)At the moment, I would say that Margaret Howell has a pretty big stake in the real estate in my closet.
(click for more from margaret howell)q. we are kindred souls in terms of our artist loves, specifically joseph cornell and mark rothko. (my bucket list is to own a joseph cornell,– i’ll have to find one hiding at a garage sale!) are there any contemporary artists you’re drawn to?
a. I am very drawn to the British ceramicist Edmund de Waal’s work – he creates evocative architecture out of mundane domestic vessels. How brilliant is that? He also has a way with words - I found his book The Hare with the Amber Eyes very compelling and mesmerizing.
(a change in the weather by edmund de waal)q. i’m an art school grad, and the tale of your Harvard critiques brought back my own nail-biting memories. other than those out-of-body experiences, what would you recount as other valuable experiences from your unique academia?
a. I graduated from an all female high school called Westover in Middlebury, CT. It was designed by one of the first female American architects, Theodate Pope Riddle. Her design for the main building where we lived, ate, learned and socialized was centered on building community and fostering school spirit. It was this inspiration that I took with me to want to become an architect.
Those nail biting experiences at Harvard reviews sent me packing to Cambridge University on an exchange for a year where I found a gentler and more tolerant approach toward teaching. This taught me that there are many ways to skin a cat so to speak. In my age and wisdom, I now appreciate the different lessons both institutions had to offer.
in case you missed them, be sure to sit in on christine's interviews, part I (here) and part II (here).