What’s the T? Lauren Santo Domingo on being Tiffany Home artistic director

Tatler caught up with one of today’s global fashion and style icons and the co-founder of Moda Operandi, Lauren Santo Domingo, as she embarks as artistic director for homeware at Tiffany & Co

She greets me at a VIP salon at the Tiffany Landmark on Fifth Avenue wearing a ready smile, striped shirt and sans makeup. She is a sight to behold, carrying that “quiet luxury” sweeping the fashion scene. We got down to the task at hand, but before that, I told her that I enjoyed reading Cartagena Grace, which she co-wrote with Johanna Ortiz. The book also featured the wedding of Marianna Zobel-Aboitiz. “I am glad you liked it !” she said.

Santo Domingo was a former Vogue editor and is highly looked up to by international fashion and society cognoscenti for her impeccable tastes and style; her entertaining prowess has been chronicled in books and magazines. She is one of the very few women who have been asked by Tiffany & Co to collaborate with; the others have been Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso. Alexandre Arnault, the executive vice president for product and communications of Tiffany & Co, has this to say, “We are excited to see Lauren Santo Domingo infuse our Home collection with her signature style. Lauren is no stranger to luxury, and we believe she will bring her impeccable eye and elegance to this important category at Tiffany & Co.” Here’s the interview.

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What attracted you to the artistic director role at Tiffany Home?

Tiffany is one of the most iconic brands there is, one that has been incredibly important to me throughout my life, in almost every special occasion whether it’s Sweet 16, graduation, my engagement, or my wedding. It’s just really been a brand that’s been a part of my life with every milestone. And it’s just a brand that I care deeply about.

What Alex has done, reviving this house, bringing it to a new generation and giving it new life is magic. I had been watching him and what he had done to the brand. And indeed, it was magic. It was incredibly special and extraordinary to watch.

What is your vision for the Tiffany Home Collection?

I would like the Home Collection to be there for a woman, or a customer in all the special moments of her life with a collection and a point of view that is perfect for every occasion. With entertaining, there can be a certain amount of pressure or expectation, especially with rules and etiquette. What’s important is that our collections can speak with authority and authenticity rooted in so much history, perfectly appropriate, tasteful and completely elegant. So for this woman or customer, whether she’s entertaining at home, at the beach, or in the country, whether it’s for business, pleasure, or family, what we’re offering is perfect and foolproof. It’s simply exquisite that one can avoid making a mistake.

How are you incorporating the iconic Tiffany brand with a fresh modern design?

We’re trying to live up to the brand’s heritage. Alex is looking into the past and leaning into the rich history and tradition, approaching it incredibly modern and youthfully. So we’re really trying to balance both worlds. And that speaks to how people entertain today, how they live their life. That’s the balance that we’re trying to reach.

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How was it like collaborating with Julian Schnabel?

Yeah, but now we started the collaboration of Peter Marino and Julian Schnabel who have an incredibly close relationship. All the collaborations that Tiffany does speaks of the camaraderie of creatives and the desire to create. Julian and Peter work together, and I see it as a very site-specific artwork. On every floor, there is a museum- quality work of art. I don’t know how many editions there were, but they have sold before opening.

How do you address the consumers’ changing needs?

It depends on where one is in their life. When I got married, I had registered, I had china given to me but they are not collecting dust, though I thought, in a million years, I will never use them. Now, at least a couple times a month, I host very formal adult dinner parties that I never thought I would do. It just goal is for them to feel welcome and to be drawn in. And what’s most important is to take away some of the stress around entertaining. At least when I was young, I felt a certain amount of pressure that everything had to be done right, that I was always watchful of certain etiquette and strictness to be followed. I was intimidated by all of those rules. So I wanted to create something so perfect in and of itself that one can entertain with confidence and know that anything can be set down and will be perfect.

What are your five tips for a perfect dinner setting or dinner event at home?

At home, understand the mood and the vibe. Are you entertaining for business or for pleasure. So, it’s vital that you understand the mood. Like when you’re getting dressed, you’re not going to wear a ball gown to a cocktail party or a cocktail dress to a garden party. So just really understand what the occasion is and then dress the table for that perfect moment. Also, you want people to feel comfortable when they arrive. And part of creating the table is taking away all of that guesswork. This will then allow you to be super confident and comfortable. People look to the hostess to see how things are going to be so she should be comfortable, confident and able to focus on her guests.

When the customers come to the Tiffany Landmark, what do you want them to take away from that experience?

It depends on where one is in their life. When I got married, I had registered, I had china given to me but they are not collecting dust, though I thought, in a million years, I will never use them. Now, at least a couple times a month, I host very formal adult dinner parties that I never thought I would do. It just happens in one’s life or not. Some people like to entertain casually, and some formally. We know this because we speak to women. We speak to customers who entertain in many different ways. We are thinking about how people interact entertainment into their lifestyle. Whether you’re having a banquet or a small dinner for two, this matters to us as we really try to keep in mind how people entertain and how they live. And really, what’s important to us is providing that craftsmanship, that quality. But then also, there can be a bit of rules about etiquette so what we design combines all these.

You’ve been in fashion for a long time; how do you see yourself curating for homes?

It’s funny, I never thought anything could be more exciting than fashion, but I became increasingly interested in table and entertainment over the years. What I love about it is that it can be shared, whereas fashion is a personal expression, an individual passion. With entertaining, you’re bringing people into your world, and the focus is on someone other than you; it’s on your guests. The goal is for them to feel welcome and to be drawn in. And what’s most important is to take away some of the stress around entertaining. At least when I was young, I felt a certain amount of pressure that everything had to be done right, that I was always watchful of certain etiquette and strictness to be followed. I was intimidated by all of those rules. So I wanted to create something so perfect in and of itself that one can entertain with confidence and know that anything can be set down and will be perfect.

What are your five tips for a perfect dinner setting or dinner event at home?

When the customers come to the Tiffany Landmark, what do you want them to take away from that experience?

I want them to come and pick things up and feel the plate in their hands, to feel the weight of the glass or the feeling of the silver. And while so many things are behind glass, this is where you can touch, feel, and imagine yourself living in this beautiful, flawless world. I hope people feel comfortable and can imagine this world, touch and feel the product and interact with it, and imagine the perfect dinner party of their dreams with everything, the most beautiful items you could dream of.

Fill in the blanks; Tiffany & Co Home is...

I would say it is rooted in tradition but firmly focused on the future.

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What’s the T? Lauren Santo Domingo on being Tiffany Home’s artistic director