Designer Crush: Tiffany Fong
Author:Michelle Konstantinovsky1. Who is your biggest role model?
Steve Jobs. My first job out of college, I was his assistant. It’s an amazing feeling to be around someone who not only loves their job, but also feels like he is changing the world with his vision. Every day I challenge myself to strive for the same passion and to think as limitlessly as he did.
2. Which movie or play do you wish you could have designed the set for?
The Merchant Ivory film A Room with a View. I love period pieces, and this one is incredibly authentic, subtle, and done with great attention to detail. It depicts how the Florentine landscape transforms a well-bred Edwardian girl to forget herself and fall in love. It is a movie where the setting defines the characters and not the reverse.
3. What is the best way to gauge a client’s personality before starting a project?
I don’t typically work with outside clients, but whenever I am trying to assess someone’s personal sense of style, I try to understand the fashion or lifestyle brands they relate to and why. This gives me a sense of how they see themselves.
4. What new design elements are you excited to integrate into your work?
We’re in a period where we see a blend between organic elements with those that appear deliberately manufactured. At Capsule, we see this through the reimagined use of marble that’s been so popular and powder coated steel that uses softer organic shapes. I also love monochromatic looks that use mixed materials. A lot of this actually reflects the fashion trends we’ve seen over the last decade as well.
5. How do you completely unwind?
I window shop. I am constantly inspired by the world around me—even simple retail stores. The products, how they are merchandised, and the other shoppers around me all provide some insights into how people live and enjoy life. It’s also therapeutic looking at the latest, beautifully designed products.
6. If you hadn’t become a designer, which career would you have pursued?
I would have been a romance novelist. I love to craft stories with ideal outcomes both visually and with words.
7. What’s the worst pre-designer job you’ve ever had and why?
I can’t say that there has been a job that’s been the worst, but my job now certainly is the best. There are moments that are tough in every environment, but I’ve learned something every step of the way that has prepared me for my current role—whether that’s been at Apple as an Assistant or styling my first photoshoot in the fashion industry.
8. What’s your favorite recipe?
I make a mean spaghetti alle vongole and tarte tatin. My mom is phenomenal cook and my sister has a cooking series on YouTube, so I come from a family of women who pride themselves on cooking and eating.
9. Create your perfect playlist for us.
Who is your designer crush?
Karl Lagerfeld. The man is a genius who has defined elegance and modernity for decades.
Lightning round!
Would you rather shop new or vintage?
Vintage.
First celebrity crush?
Leonardo DiCaprio.
What’s your hidden talent?
Matchmaking.
Best restaurant in your area? Where is it?
Matsuhisa (Omakase room) or Madeo–both in Beverly Hills.
SF or LA?
LA ALL THE WAY!
