About The Grand Tourist: A podcast about design, art, architecture, food, fashion and travel—all the elements of a well-lived life. Join veteran journalist Dan Rubinstein as he shares his access with the world’s leading tastemakers.
This dynamic duo combines an academic sense of wonder and curiosity to a grounded interiors practice that creates innovative spaces that can only be described in one word: sexy.
Founded in 2019 by former journalists Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger, BoND creates everything from art galleries and fashion boutiques to private homes with a quiet aesthetic that emphasizes conviviality and a very New York sensibility of cool. These days, they’ve also gained attention for their numerous projects in the queer community of Fire Island Pines where the two have numerous modernistic commissions underway.
New York–based French-American designer Sophie Lou Jacobsen is a domestic design goddess in the making. Through her delicate and elegant housewares, lighting, and collectible works she elevates everyday objects—a table lamp, a vase, a martini glass—and uses nostalgic cues to create pieces that truly stand out and stand the test of time.
As a true symbol of her generation, Jacobsen’s pieces are as functional as they are beautiful, but also stress the importance of craft and intentionality in their creation, using techniques like hand blown glass and works that echo an Italian vintage feel.
In the realm of interiors, critics can often accuse designers of simply following a formula and always staying on the boring side of safe. But not the pair behind the bicoastal architecture and design firm of Charlap Hyman & Herrero. The result of two talented creatives—Adam Charlap Hyman who does interiors, and Andre Herrero the architecture—this studio is known for its delightfully subtle use of innovative materials and unexpected mixes of styles and periods.
From adding a conversation pit to a bright Manhattan loft or creating a colorful booth at an art fair for a blue chip gallery to a jet-black sneaker boutique with Venetian plaster walls, Charlap Hyman & Herrero know how to use design to create a sophisticated sense of delight with a smart, almost curatorial bent.
The Grand Tourist Introduces:
Dan connects with emerging design talents: Zizipho Poswa (South Africa) shares her inspiration for bronze sculptures, Fernando Laposse (Mexico) discusses agriculture’s impact on his creations, and Linde Freya Tangelder (Belgium) navigates between product and collectible design worlds.
Photo: Thomas Razzano
The Grand Tourist Introduces:
Dan meets three extraordinary studios in the field of design: Tom Massey uses radical materials and a sustainable approach to his gardens; Objects of Common Interest creates spaces and objects that defy convention; and Lucia Massari produces ultra-contemporary examples of Murano glass.
The Grand Tourist Introduces:
Dan interviews three rising design stars: Tola Ojuolape (London) on her culturally influenced Africa Centre design, Julien Sebban (Paris) creating vibrant interiors at Uchronia, and Jacqueline Sullivan (New York) blending collectible design with decorative arts in her downtown gallery.
Photo: Eva Würdinger
“We Are Fundamentally Poetic Beings”
Marcel Wanders
This Dutch designer reshapes our perception of design with ingenious housewares, elegant furniture, and playful interiors, contributing to a talent group that elevates design into an artful discipline.
Photo: Rankin
“I Love Blackness in All its Forms”
Theaster Gates
His groundbreaking installations, performances, and public programs preserve the past while creating meaningful experiences for the present.
Photo: Mason Poole
Enfants Terribles No More
The Haas Brothers
In the world of collectible design, Nikolai and Simon Haas have forged their own path to success by creating everything from sofas with monstrous feet and alien-looking sculptures to adorable porcelain tea sets.
Photo: Emily Andrews
Design’s Greatest Showman
David Rockwell
For four decades, this New York designer has changed the hotel game, turned restaurants into must-see destinations, impacted the daily life of cities, and brought a sense of style and ingenious spectacle to Broadway.
Photo: Eva Würdinger
Milan’s Master of Daring Interiors
Massimiliano Locatelli
Massimiliano Locatelli’s designs blend modernistic floating cubes in deconsecrated churches, marble stools resembling plastic, and stunning galleries with retrofitted storage spaces, epitomizing Italian cool.
Photo: Eva Würdinger
The Artist Who Bends Reality
Erwin Wurm
Country homes squeezed into wedges, cars that look like they’ve been inflated like a balloon, and sculptures created by ordinary people interacting with quotidian objects—the works of Austrian artist Erwin Wurm defy expectations.
Photo: James Braund
Is Now Better?
Stefan Sagmeister
This artistic icon dares to challenge conventions and communicates transformative ideas through inventive graphic designs, shaping our perception of society.
Photo: Courtesy Condé Nast
Guiding Architectural Digest Into the Future
Amy Astley
Dan talks with Architectural Digest’s Editor-in-Chief about embracing the new to maintain relevance, highlighting the magazine’s standard for design excellence.
“I Believe in a God Called Time”
Gaetano Pesce
The Italian-born legend chats with Dan about the most important muses of his life, how he predicted the limited edition object, the meaning behind his imaginative work, and his absolute favorite New York restaurant.
The Art of Styling
Alastair McKimm, Laila Gohar, and Colin King
In this episode, Dan talks with Alastair McKimm, editor-in-chief of i-D magazine; Laila Gohar, a food artist; and Colin King, a stylist and author, about their innovative careers in fashion, food, and interiors.
Turning Ideas Into Icons
Alberto Alessi
Dan and Alberto Alessi discuss his trailblazing career since the 1970s, including his partnership with Salvador Dali, collaborations with Virgil Abloh, and the downside of designers having a fixed style.
Advice and Inspiration on Modern Living
Athena Calderone
Athena discusses her career and answers questions from top names like Aurora James, Jason Wu, Jenna Lyons, Missy Robbins, Andre Mellone, and others on this special call-in episode.
Where Tradition and Modernity Meet
Vienna, Austria
Vienna’s rich history and culture make it an endlessly rewarding city to explore. In this episode, Dan speaks with hoteliers, curators, and creatives who uphold its legacy in art, design, music, and culture.
Never Give Up
Zandra Rhodes
One of the most iconic fashion designers in Britain, Dame Zandra Rhodes has made a name for herself by filling the world around her with color, joy, and plenty of eye-catching patterns.
Meet New York's Developer King
Harry Macklowe
Dan discusses Harry’s career highlights, like convincing Steve Jobs for the Apple Store glass cube, his love for Art Deco and mid-century modern, and his current project: One Wall Street.
Mapping a Legacy in Graphic Design
Paula Scher
Dan and Paula delve into her 50-year journey at Pentagram, where she became a partner in the ’90s. They discuss her influential career, from designing album covers to defining good graphic design.
The Man Who Made Antiques Cool
Axel Vervoordt
Dan and Vervoordt discuss his early start in selling objects as a teen, transforming a distillery into the renowned art destination Kanaal, and the music ambiance at his home.
A Dinner for Two
Gabriel Hendifar
In the podcast’s season finale, Dan dines with Gabriel Hendifar, discussing his company’s growth, groundbreaking events, and midlife epiphany through different life stages.
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