25-02-2025
Los Angeles Magazine Palm Springs Modernism Week Luncheon A Hit
The best minds in design gathered at a Los Angeles sponsored Modernism Week luncheon and panel at Gigi's - the restaurant deeply rooted in the very spirit of the biannual event at the V Palm Springs, a hotel that epitomizes retro chic - to talk about what inspires their projects. For Rafael "Raffi" Kalichstein and his husband Joshua Rose, the geniuses behind Citizen Artistry, their work pays homage to the man who inspired a new name for their Sherman Oaks-based firm Citizen Raffi's dad, Joseph "Yossi" Kalichstein, the world-famous Israeli American pianist, passed away in 2022, the grieving couple had an epiphany. Their company needed to honor the things that the elder Kalichstein stood for, which was "guided by a distinct ethos," the younger Kalichstein explained when asked about what guides the couple's unique international projects. The couple was on a walk when Rose turned to his husband with the idea that the drive, the delicacy that his father-in-law shared with the world, and his innate musicality that worked as poetry in motion was a metaphor for their interior design philosophy. "He was exactly what a citizen artist should be," Rose that, Citizen Artist was born. The story, prompted by questions from Engine Vision Media President and Publisher Chris Gialanella, who moderated the panel of experts against the backdrop of Gigi's, a mid-century-themed lounge, made more than a few in the crowd misty-eyed. The event was catered by Antonio Sessa's Made In Italy Bistro, which provided Amalfi Coast vibes in the desert air as the panel discussed the synergy between old-world ideas and the latest design trends, as Tobi Nierob, the marketing expert behind Socias Coppel talked about how her European childhood spent in Spain influences the visionary aesthetic she brings to her high-end clients all over the world who seek the guidance she offers at her L.A.-based firm, Coppel Design. Fellow female interior designer Amy Meier, whose own vintage style speaks to the bespoke environments she creates for clients at her Rancho Santa Fe firm. She is a master of finding unique and handmade items to personalize a client's vision to "set the stage for their lives and future memories, but tangibly contribute to and enhance them."
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