For years, DSCENE magazine it has returned to design as a basic language, not just as an aesthetic, but as a way we understand culture, aspirations and the world we live in. For this new issue, that conversation has sharpened into something more urgent. Along with DSCENE Katarina Doric and the team we constantly thought about the pressure under which talent works today, the pace, the control, the expectations, the finances, the constant demand to produce, evolve and stay visible. That’s where this topic starts and why we titled it DESIGN UNDER PRESSURE. It’s a statement, but also a question. What pressure does to art, to integrity, to imagination, and what it reveals about the people who keep showing up for work anyway.
We were excited to create two long shoots on location where the design isn’t the setting, it’s the point of view. At TWA Hotel at JFK Airportdesign lives in every corner, honoring the original architecture and furniture from Eero Saarinenwhose work shaped some of the most iconic terminals in the United States. Being there, inside a space that treats modernism with respect and care, made the present feel even more complicated. We watch another of Saarinen’s terminal designs face the threat of destruction, a reminder that preservation is never guaranteed and that cultural memory can be fragile when it meets development and politics. Against this backdrop, our cover comes to life Georgia Fowlerbeautifully photographed by Gary Luptonwith styling by Daniel Jacinto and Giulia Scharppea story that carries both glamor and clarity, and understands that fashion and design are often at their strongest when they contain tension rather than escape it.
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Our second cover features a featured star Meredith Mickelsonwas shot at her headquarters Villa Albertinethe Payne Whitney Mansion on Fifth Avenue. The mansion’s presence is undeniable, and the experience of working there was like stepping into a living archive of New York’s cultural history. Villa Albertine we will also celebrate this theme with us during Yes Design Days as part of it NYC x DESIGNa week that continues to prove just how much energy, experimentation and dialogue this city can hold when space is given to planning. DSCENE Magazine is proud to be a media partner NYC x DESIGNand proud to converse with the people and institutions that shape continuity. The shot itself leans towards a more whimsical file, photographed by Mylena Saza with styling by Amanda Gaioa reminder that play is not the opposite of seriousness, it’s often where the most accurate ideas begin.
Beyond our covers, this issue draws on a wide range of designers and creatives who are committed to their craft even as the industry demands more from them than ever before. You will find work from a designer based in London Saul Nash, Made by astronautsbased in New York Treadmill camp, Finepianta, Maria Kosenkova, Emilie Luc-Duc, Killian Voss, So Koizumibased in Mexico City Atrafashion designer based in New York Pipenko, Christina Kalia, NM3, That’s all, Coco Montes, Abihdan was there, Atelier Biagettiand Dirk Schoenberger. Each brings a distinct approach, but what unites them is discipline and a determination to continue to make work that holds its form under real conditions.
We also have a designer Salehe Bemburyresponsible for some of the most memorable sneaker designs in recent years, who created a special cover for DSCENE. Otherwise, the actress on the rise Bethany Antonia appears in a series of portraits captured in London, a quieter counterpoint that still carries tension, the kind that doesn’t need volume to land. And from Southeast Europe, leading star Friend takes us back to Belgrade in an impressive story photographed by Luka Stepanovic with styling by Manta Javorinaa reminder that geography doesn’t limit ambition, and that some of the most compelling images come from scenes that build their own momentum.
Design comes in many forms and shapes our daily lives more than we often admit. The pressure is here and it’s not going away. What matters is what we choose to do with it, how we translate it into our next steps, and how we protect the beauty, artistry, and human side of the work as we move forward. This issue is our way of acknowledging weight and celebrating the people who still persist in doing something meaningful within it.
Words of the Editor-in-Chief Zarko Davinic.
Contributing Photographers: MOÏSE MBARGA-ABEGA, MYLENA SAZA, GARY LUPTON, ELLA ROSE PECK, LUKA STEPANOVIC, YUCHEN LI
Contributing Stylists: SANYA BATRA, AMANDHA GAIO, DANIEL JACINTO, GIULIA SCHARPPE, LEWIS STRATTON, MANDA JAVORINA
