Meet the interior designer who shapes New York’s scene.
It’s a tough time to be a rebel. There’s not a lot we haven’t seen, and anything we might wish to see, or dream up, is less than a click away. What’s an iconoclast to do? Making something is a good start. Real things, not just content, can exist in the world, turning heads and changing minds. These 10 creatives—all in Chanel Fine Jewelry for this portfolio—might not have permanent solutions, but they are just getting going. What they’ve accomplished so far sets them apart and raises the bar for what’s next.
Armando wears J12 watch by CHANEL Watches
ARMANDO AGUIRRE
INTERIOR DESIGNER
Instagram: @aguir.re
Armando Aguirre was supposed to be a composer. The El Paso native went to school for it at Southern Methodist University, but in doing so, became disenchanted with his first love and had to settle on designing the interiors of some of the finest buildings in Manhattan. Tough beat.
His path there was winding: starting as an intern at Thom Browne, he came into contact with famed designer Andre Mellone, who introduced him to these “amazing, blue chip examples of mid-century vintage furniture in the boutiques,” he says. After working on the interiors team for a private art collector (who collected real estate as well: “It was like Tetris, but with the most expensive Tetris piece you’ve ever seen,” he says), Aguirre ended up working for Mellone for three years before striking out on his own. “The thing that I carry with me is an understanding that the proportion of empty space in a room is almost as important as the zones that are occupied,” he says, adding that for his design approach, “vintage is my default for everything.” It’s working.
Aguirre recently completed a project for a private home in the Rockefeller Apartments, one of New York’s few examples of International Style architecture. Next, he’ll be in a Long Island beach town, combining three elegant 1920s buildings on a single property with design languages of both the future and past. In harmonizing time, textures, buildings, and people, he’s not just making interiors, he’s reimagining how we live.
Taken from 10 Magazine USA Issue 6 – CHANGE, CREATIVITY, FREEDOM – out March 18th! Order your copy here.
THE NEW MAKERS
Photographer CARLOS RUIZ
Talent TONI CORNELL, TIFFANY HOWELL, GABRIELLE RICHARDSON, DEVONN CHARLES FRANCIS, LAURA ZHENG, AVA PEARLMAN, ANNA PARK, ELIZABETH KOURY, ARMANDO AGUIRRE, and ELLEN HARROLD
Text JOHN ORTVED
Instagram: @jortved
