With offices in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, designer (and Miele Master) Luis Fernandez reflects and projects on his creative career.
How has your background influenced the way you approach the design business?
Luis Fernandez: The different facets of “design” I’ve explored over the course of my design career have shaped my point of view and approach in a big way. From my architecture school training at Cornell, which leaned heavily into design theory, to starting out at Kohn Pedersen Fox in New York working on supertall skyscrapers, followed by being project architect on high-end luxury retail spaces at Jeffrey Hutchison & Associates, including Barneys New York. A pivot into fashion as founder and creative director of two menswear brands that explored the fundamentals of ‘Form & Function’ and an exploratory chapter in digital spatial design in the “Metaverse.” Now, I’m mostly focused on high-end residential and retail interior architecture and design.
(That’s a lot of chapters… I’m older than people think.
)
Every one of those experiences has layered onto, and crafted the eye I design with today. Having explored design from different angles allows me to strategize with clients and partners toward “creating” spaces and experiences that are more coated, more relevant and more rooted in the cultural context that we live in today.
What has been your biggest challenge in the design business – and how did you overcome it?
Luis Fernandez: My biggest lament, in both architecture and fashion, has always been the lack of “time and pace” in favor of speed – TIME for solving problems properly, for exploration, for real development and innovation. Our new world demands speed. We’ve moved away from specialized practices that obsess over refining one facet of the craft, and into a world where the designer is expected to be everything, everywhere, all at once (and fast): designer, product developer, construction expert, influencer and content machine. It’s a thrilling! and a great time to be in this industry – it certainly keeps you moving – but I do yearn for a past, slower era of honing and perfecting.
Have I overcome it? Honestly, I’m still working on it. Mostly by being more deliberate about protecting the time a project actually deserves, and still questioning the “why” in everything we do.
What is the most important career lesson you’ve learned?
Luis Fernandez: I’ve learned that most of the time it’s okay to put your foot down and trust your gut. There have been so many moments where I had a strong instinct about something – a design decision, a contractor, a direction – and let the voices around me (and inside my own head) talk me out of it, only to realize later that, just maybe, I probably had it right the first time.
The older I get, the more confident – and probably more stubborn – I get about my convictions. That said, a healthy dose of self-doubt is also a good thing; it keeps me rethinking and questioning, which connects to the other lesson I’ve learned: there are always a million ways to arrive at a great design solution.
What advice would you give someone thinking about entering the design business?
Luis Fernandez: Look around, observe everything and surround yourself with amazing people.
I’ve been incredibly fortunate in the people I’ve had around me – and they are, honestly, the real reason my career has kept moving forward. This industry, as big as it is, is still very much a small village, a community. So much of what anyone achieves comes back to their community. I know it’s a cliché, but It really does take a village.
In your own home, what is your favorite kitchen or bath feature – and why?
Luis Fernandez: Two things in the kitchen that I’m particular about:
The Kohler Crue semi-pro kitchen faucet WITH the magnetic dock. Magnetic docks are one of my non-negotiables – they make the spout so much easier to handle. And speed forward: I’m very eager to use more of the new touchless features.
And my Miele in-wall coffee maker, which is probably the most-used appliance in the house. I drink a lot of coffee, and this machine is not only one of the best, it looks beautiful doing it.
