Patricia Urquiola: Design’s Ultimate Tastemaker
From hotels and boutiques to furniture and tableware, Urquiola has been a defining influence on design in the 21st century, and serves as art director of legendary Italian brand Cassina.
Last week, The Grand Tourist hosted a lavish event to toast the launch of our third print issue. There was plenty to celebrate, after all—at over 400 pages, it’s our largest book to date, and it profiles the biggest names in design, fashion, travel, food, and much more. The Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York generously hosted us for the evening. The property was designed by Martin Brudnizki, or the “master of the grand fantasy,” as he says he’s been called in his episode of The Grand Tourist podcast. His interiors bring elements of the hotel’s Gilded Age history to the fore, while also adding some contemporary flair. The result is a colorful-yet-classic space that served as the perfect backdrop for our big night.
Guests spent the evening sipping on drinks from our sponsors: Champagne from Veuve Clicquot and margaritas from Hornitos Cristalino Reserve tequila. The energy was high—many flocked to a central table where they could flip through the new issue and get a closer look at its beautiful pages. All four covers were on display: a portrait of Dries van Noten in Venice, a piece from Poliform’s 2026 collection, a sneak peek inside an elegant Rome apartment, and a dynamic shot of Italian design duo Formofantasma. Like every issue of The Grand Tourist, each linen-bound, hardcover volume is printed in Belgium.
The guest list included some of the new issue’s subjects, among them interior designer Andre Mellone and artist Leilah Babirye. Other visitors included John and Christine Gachot, Danny Kaplan, Nicholas Pardon, Robert Rufino, Michael Diaz-Griffith, Josh Greene, as well as, of course, The Grand Tourist team. The Grand Tourist himself, Dan Rubinstein, gave a toast to thank all who attended, and all who had worked tirelessly to bring the third issue to life.
The party was lively from start to finish, with guests purchasing copies of the new issue throughout the evening. By the end of the night, many went home with their favorite cover in tow.
If you’d like to purchase a copy for yourself, you can do so on our website.
