Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/315051
Welcome to our Summer issue. I must admit, I am not much of a music person. So, it's not surprising then that Pharrell Williams first piqued my interest in 2008 when he designed the Perspective chair for Galerie Perrotin. I found myself wondering about his motivations and became intrigued by him as a design enthusiast. While he's best known for his skills in the recording studio, his interest in art and design runs deep. We caught up with Pharrell as he was finishing a collaboration with artist Daniel Arsham, who shares the cover with him. Their sculpture will be included in the exhibition "G I R L," at Emmanuel Perrotin's new gallery, Salle de Bal, in Paris. In "The Company of Others," Pharrell talks with writer Julie Baumgardner about the upcoming show and the importance of the company we keep. "Yo u need to surround yourself with greatness, so at the very least, through osmosis, it rubs off on you in some way," he told her. We couldn't agree more. And so, with this issue, we made sure that Pharrell was in very good company. In addition to Arsham, we have him sharing the cover spotlight with Rodman Primack, the new director of Design Miami and artist Jamie Zigelbaum, who designed the compelling Triangular Series that will be installed at Primack's inaugural fair this June. As Design Miami heads into its 10th year, Primack is uniquely poised to continue the fair's forward momen- tum. "I'm probably one of the few people in the world they could've approached for this job who has experience at the fair from so many different angles," says Primack, who has set our expectations high for his Design Miami debut. This issue's feature stories span the globe. Writer and contributing editor Ted Loos landed an exclusive interview with this year's Pritzker Prize-winning architect, Shigeru Ban. I deeply admire the Tokyo- and Paris-based architect, not only for his beautiful structures, but because of what he stands for and the ques- tions he is asking of his fellow architects. Ban has everyone's attention this summer, as the doors to the highly anticipated Aspen Art Museum finally open. Meanwhile, Alexandra Marshall caught up with Paris-based architect and designer Joseph Dirand, who is certainly having a moment. Among the 15 projects per year he takes on is the Surf Club Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences. Simon Watson photographed him there, among the construction piles. Having been fortunate eno ugh to spend some time with Dirand at the impressive site, where he's working with architect Richard Meier to design the interior spaces, it is evident Dirand's "moment" will last a very long time. The cool Frenchman's unerring eye is in high demand, and he is clever enough to parcel it out sparingly, keeping us all wanting more. Speaking of cool, I am proud to feature so many women in this issue. Fr om powerhouses like Amy Cappellazzo, Rachel Feinstein and Marianne Boesky, to burgeoning talents like Julie Richoz, Andi Potamkin and Aurélie and Laure Hug. Executive editor Tali Jaffe produced "Point of View," as well, which highlights three formidable females—Ambra Medda, Alex Gilbert and Beatrice Galilee—who are shaping the way we consume design. Across the spectrum, all of these women are defining t heir fields, and we are proud to have them in this issue—our biggest yet. See you at Basel and, in the meantime, follow us on Instagram at @cultured_mag. 42 CULTURED Sarah G. Harrelson Editor-in-Chief Welcome Note Sarah Harrelson and Rodman Primack in Jamie Zigelbaum's Brooklyn studio PHOTO BY FRANÇOIS DISCHINGER