How Alfredo Paredes went from behind the scenes to the spotlight

27:28But it's not all about your time at Ralph Lauren. No. It's about your other life. My personal life. Yes. And the way I live. Yeah. And it's an extension of what I did every day. I wasn't working in finance. I worked in the design part and I came home. Right. And I was very successful in it so I could afford to do all that. Yes. You know what I mean? Yeah. And when I was a Ralph, it was really, I mean, I was published. It was an AD and whatever. But it was sort of you kept everything, you're an exec, kept it private. Right. Yeah. So, you know, and that's why when the idea came up for me and was all we wanted to do it, I was very excited.

28:08And I think it was, I'm very happy with how it turned out finally. Well, I mean, it's a beautiful book. And as I say, this whole notion of using it, using your own home as a way to show the level of work that you're capable of doing and the kind, right? The whole thing. Tell me, when you thought about setting up shop, and I don't know how many lovely people were downstairs when I came in. Like 12. Okay. Okay. So tell me about how you thought about how big a firm you wanted to have and what you wanted. Well, I mean, it's funny. It's like I had a lot of friends and people who worked for me who went out on their own.

28:50And I observed how they, what their struggles were. I mean, listen, I had 300 people working for me at Ralph. It was ridiculous. And I never want that ever again. I know. So that's too big. 300. Well, it's like it was amazing because you had all the levers you needed to be able to do something. You could just pull this one and pull that one. They were all there and you could figure it out. But it came at the level of like, that's too big. And then I thought, but you have to be able to have enough of a team, enough of a bench to get something accomplished at that level. Some of the people, friends, I'd see they have no one and then they couldn't get the job.

29:27They couldn't get the job. So I was like, well, it depends on let's see who shows up. Let's see what the kind of work is coming. And the work is, you know, it's not nothing. I've got big projects. So do I want a 30-person firm? Probably not. But this feels right. This feels right. I mean, you know, I like the product part. I like the doing, you know, I'm doing rugs with Patterson Flynn that are coming out in May. I'm doing Fabrice with the Kravitz. So a design studio and a retail part of it, I like. I admire people like Nicky Kehoe. He worked with me. Todd Nicky worked at the wrong floor with me.

30:01Right. Yeah. So I admire what people are doing, and I think that would be – I like that part. Right. That appeals to me. The interior design part, I'd rather do quality over quantity. Okay. So not taking on a lot of projects, but the right projects. I mean, if you came to me with a 5 ,000-room hotel in Vegas, I'd say no. But a hotel particular in Paris, it's 300 rooms? I'd say yes. But then I'd have to ramp up for it. I don't have the team to do that. Right. Right. Well, so how much of the team is working on, to your point, product, furniture, the rug? Well, let's see. Most of it is in their interiors.

30:38There's architects in tiers. There are two people that handle the product stuff. More of the, what I call more of the visual part of it, like the shoots and people that help me work on the book. Right. Because when I'm working with furniture and stuff, I have people out the outside, freelancers and stuff that I work with. They used to work with me at Ralph. Right. Yeah. Which makes it so much easier. Like, we'll just say, remember when we, like, tweet this and turn that on the side? Well, so speaking of that, I mean, tell me how you originally thought about a furniture collection. Because that was one of the things you seemed to do right away when you – Well, when they approached me, because I didn't think of it, they approached me.

31:19Who? E.J. Victor. E.J. Victor originally. Because I used to do Ralph Lauren with us. And I was like, really? Furniture collection. Who's going to buy? Like, why would they know me? Again, they don't know me. Why are they going to buy my money? Well, I wasn't sure. And they said, no, no, no. John Jokinen, who's amazing, said, no, no, no. They know who you are. We'll figure it out. Don't worry. And I thought, okay, well, how do I approach this? Because at Ralph Lauren, it was all in context of some idea. It's not like France, question, whatever. And I thought, all right, I'm going to put it in my East Village apartment.

31:55That was very well documented. If it can fit in there, in that lifestyle, and be photographed in there, then it works. And also, there were a lot of mistakes when I was at Ralph. There were a lot of things that didn't work, and I learned from them. I knew that I didn't want to do that. And I would say to John, I don't want to do that. So what kind of things? What were things that you learned from that? Don't get too esoteric. Make sure it's made in America. make sure that it's uh don't get too you know i i would say that they're not the best with things like steel or tubular metal or any kind of stay away from that stuff because it becomes i have to outsource it and it's complicated okay don't get too slick you know i've done slick i don't want to be slick you know so i just just all the various iterations that i was involved with things that felt more natural to me and the things that felt totally they bombed so right do you find yourself thinking like a merchant as a result always so the first market was covid i did this i had the first two rooms at ej victor whatever it was a whole kelly worstler space where i did it styled it and i styling the pieces i'm like okay let's do this stain and brown and i'm watching the people walk in because it's COVID.

33:20They're all from the South and they're all from Florida. I'm like, and they're all kind of going, it's a little dark. And I'm sensing that knowing from, I'm from Miami. I'm like that. So the next market, I bleached everything and it totally appealed to them. It was a different, it was a sensibility that they seemed to like. And that I was a merchant of mine, watching, observing. And the same desk, stained brown, stained black, stained bleached, is three different things. Which I learned. I learned that at Ralph because we were always like, what do you mean I can't? Why do I have to introduce another SKU?

33:58Can't I just use this desk again? Right. And it was always a back and forth. So it's just, yeah, it was a merchant. I mean, I set up all the stores, all the home departments, all the, you know, every floor plan. Yeah. No, no. I mean, and they were so massive. I mean, again, those introductions at High Point were just massive. And so here you are this time kind of tiptoeing in with a furniture collection, right? Not all those SKUs, right? And very specific and experimenting, it sounds like, right? Well, I mean, and it wasn't too edgy. Yeah. It wasn't rocket science. I'm like, I'm not. Right. This isn't right.

34:36It's things that I like, things that I think the market will like. and I knew that it was universal enough. Do you know what I mean? So then they wanted me to move into the big Ralph Lauren showroom that I didn't want to move into. Oh. It was the old Ralph Lauren space. Right. I was like, that's just too much bed. That's disgusting. Yeah, that's disgusting. That was too much for me, but I did it. And, you know, and they've been amazing. I mean, it's terrible what's happened to their factory and all of that. Yeah, the flooding and the insurance issue and all of that. So we're turning a new chapter now.

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36:05Well, so let's talk about the new chapter. So tell, because, I mean, this show is going to come out literally the week before High Point, and you've got a big new showroom. Well, it was just, it was like, all of this was going on with the company, J. Victor, there. And the future was very unclear. And I was like, a little befuddled, because even that part of town in High Point seems to have changed. It doesn't seem that active. And I was like, if they close, do I just close? If BJ Victor stops running, do I stop running? I was always like. So we went to look around and we went to the 313 space.

36:49And literally my head went.

36:53Because High Point to me has been notoriously boring and notoriously dated. you know you're just like everyone complains about it right it's not hip enough it's not this and I walk out of this place and I'm like foaming at the mouth I'm like foaming at the mouth and I'm like what and I and I felt like I was at home and so I'm walking around walking around I'm with Jen and she's like all right all right already she's like you know like yeah because I'm like you know and Ralph and I were very much that way like dog with a bomb right it's like I can't stay there and I don't want to close. So I'm walking around and I see if somebody used to work with me.

37:32Do you know Stephen Earl? Oh, yeah. Stephen worked with me. He's like, Alfredo, blah, blah, blah, whatever we're talking. Okay. And I said, oh, my God, I love this place. And then he introduces me to the person who's responsible for all of the curation. She says, I've been trying to reach you for about a month. Really? I have a space for you. That was like that. And I went upstairs and I said, I'll take it. I didn't know what was happening to the business at EJ Victor, but I was like, we can't stay there. Right. Because I don't even know what they're doing. I mean, they were selling the building.

38:03There was too many things. And the whole vibe is just much more pleasant, much hipper, and they were totally embraced. So we're very excited to go. Just lovely Belgian couple. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're all about hospitality, and there's a wine bar downstairs. And it just feels like, where am I? Yes. And I was just super in love. I was like, I can do this. We can do it. You can have the space. And I was like, great. Again, serendipity. Right. And so you're going to have the space, and you've got this collection that various people are making. I mean, who's doing production? Yeah, I mean, we have various people doing it.

38:42And it's actually working out in a way that, for now, I mean, we're very excited about making it happen. You know, it's been a couple months trying to figure it out. Yeah. But I think we're ready to go. Well, I mean, we're talking at this crazy time where tariffs are making it impossible for anyone to really plan or have a vision. Of course, we've been speaking to so many people who are getting ready for High Point. They don't even know what pricing they're going to be able to put on their floor models because so much is coming from Vietnam, China, elsewhere, right? anywhere really outside of the country you don't actually know what the final numbers are going to be it's a crazy time fortunately all of ours is made here so it's scary but i'm it feels creative the place feels creative i haven't gonna have vintage pieces there i'm gonna have stuff that i you know and it's just we'll see what happens so you're gonna bring in vintage pieces and mix them in with everything and i'm excited because most of my stuff is made in america so i don't have to worry about the tariffs.

39:43Right. As it turns out. As it turns out. Yeah. It's all made in different factories here. A few things are being made in South America, but we'll see. I don't even know if I like them when they come. And also, a lot of these pieces are the samples that I will carry forward, but they're the samples from the EJ Victor days. So I'm going to make them better for the next market, but these are the samples from before. So we'll hopefully, explain that to people that were moving on from some of this stuff. Did you ever feel to that point of entering the interior design world from a different place did you ever feel a lack of acceptance from a certain part of the community?

40:34I'll tell you a story. Please do. And this is the story and I tell Stephen Gamble the story all the time. Okay. So about when the women's store on Madison Avenue opened that I designed with a team from the ground up. It was on the cover of AD. Ralph's apartment was on the cover of AD that year. Cindy Crawford and Randy Gerber's house was on the cover of AD, and so was my apartment. Four covers that year. Nobody knew. Okay. That's the four covers. I went to an event with Brad, my partner. So we go to an event at the Guggenheim for AD 100. and Brad was working at was riding for AD100 at the time with Peggy Russell and whatever and it's late and I'm tired it's raining and I'm like I don't want to go to the Guggenheim I'm kind of in a terrible mood and I remember going to the Guggenheim and there was what I remember was the exhibit was a horse hanging in the middle like a lot like a taxidermied horse hanging the thing and it's the AD100 party and I'm standing there and I'm seeing Mark Cunningham who worked with me and this one and that one and all these, and they're all AD100s.

41:37And I said to Stephen Gambrill, I don't even know what I said. I said, are you AD100? He goes, of course. Like, yeah, like that. And he's a friend of mine. And I said, well, I'm not. He goes, you're not a designer. Ouch. You are kidding. No, and I was like, it was like a cold bucket of water thrown on top of me. And I thought, oh, yeah, yeah, I guess not. and that triggered me to think, you know, as things got more complicated and I didn't want to get involved, I was like, I could just go design. Right. I'll just go design, you know, and that was sort of like, I mean, I joke with him about it.

42:21He didn't do it, but he meant it. Like, well, you're not in the design. You're not in the firm. Right. But I was on the cover of 84 times that year. Sure felt like a designer. I sure felt like a designer. I mean, it was just, it was a moment. It was a little bit, he did me a favor. He did you a favor because he opened your eyes. Well, he sort of like, just sort of, you know, yeah, yeah. And you saw, okay, this is how some people see it or some people think. Or in the reality of I'm investing all this time and energy doing this behind the scenes. Right. And what's that about? Yeah. Alfredo. Right.

42:56You know, other than it's been amazing and incredible ride and he's amazing. But in the context of that, it sort of started to get in my craw. Okay. And so how do you refer to yourself today? Do you tell people, hi, I'm an interior designer? I'm a designer. You're a designer. Yeah. Yeah. I don't need to get into what are the elements of what I design, right? Yeah. Because I don't really feel like that. There have been moments where I get asked to do things with other interior designers, and I feel like a square peg in a round hole. Like I don't fit the same mold. You know, just from my experience.

43:35Not maybe we're all doing the same thing, but it's just, I don't, I've not come up. Like I went the other night to the, to a Kipps Bay, the 50th anniversary, like whatever that, were you there? The President's Dinner, yeah. I went, I went, it was my first time. And so I went with Patterson Flynn, they invited me. And I, and I, and I said, Brad said, how was I? I said, well, it's like all my peers were there, but they've all acted like they'd been there for 30 years. Yeah. And for me, I was sort of felt a little like an outsider in that situation. Yeah. You know? It was just cool and I kind of, I was good with it.

44:05I was like, you know, I think the newness is what's exciting. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Experiencing new things, new chapters. Well, it's just interesting. And it's so interesting to hear you tell that Stephen Gabriel story. because lately this issue of do we need to be protecting the interior design industry somehow, are interlopers like you coming in and confusing people about what true interior designers do or are? Maybe. I don't know. Do you feel you're a dangerous force, Alfredo? Well, I mean, listen, there's only so many projects. for sure there's that sense of territorialness. But no, I mean, anybody can be an interior designer, just like anybody could be, you know, say that they're a florist.

44:58Right. You create what you want to create. Yeah. And manifest what you want to manifest. And I'm amazed when I'm in high point of all places where it's like, oh, my God, these are all interior designers. From where? From where? And they're from all over. Yeah. And they're doing the work in different places. And I think it's all the level that you're working at and the projects you get. But that goes back to the early part about having to introduce myself. Right. Who are you and what did you do? Yes. And getting Ralph to write the foreword. Yes. To keep that up. You know, and he did me a great favor.

45:33Yes. Because that's what. That's pretty nice. You know, and it wasn't like, did I ever feel like, gosh, I should have left 20 years earlier? No. Never. Never. Because A, I was doing amazing work, building the most beautiful things in the world, getting whatever, getting paid probably more than if I'd gone out and done my own thing. Working for an amazing man, amazing company, super glamorous. I mean, all of it was perfect. In my 20s, I flew the Concord six times. Yeah. In my 20s, I went to Europe to build a store in London with Terry Despont like 400 times. I mean, like it was very glamorous. Yes.

46:10And yet very low-key. Very chill, very low-key. I mean, hardcore. Hardcore. But overall, like, it's a, and a complete vision. I feel like sometimes people have no vision, which is the worst. You got to have a, you got to have an idea, a vision of what you want to be and don't, and kind of stick to it. And I learned that from Ralph. You know, Ralph had, he, he didn't reinvent himself. He was always that. He'll tell you, I was always that guy. I just, everything around me grew. Yeah. In thinking about that and to our earlier conversation about finding yourself separate and apart from Ralph, what did you find turned out to actually be a little bit different about how you saw things, if there was anything major?

46:58Well, it's funny. Like, when I got to – when I left my family in Miami, I don't want to say that I walked away from my Cuban roots because I didn't even think about it. I'm like first generation Cuban American, but Cubans in Miami have that generation. Like very Cuban. Yes. And so much of my heritage is built, is my creativity and my heritage is built around that. And Ralph, it didn't even really matter. I didn't even, I didn't really, that didn't play off. Like I didn't feel particularly Hispanic or particularly Latin or anything. Now I sort of embracing it. I like it. Do you know what I mean?

47:32It's a view of the world that I can't really articulate, but it's how I do certain things in design. It's hard to explain. So you can lean into your roots a little bit more. Yeah, it's a little bit more that I don't. That was new. I didn't really think about it while I was there. But so much changed. I became a dad. I became a father. You know, it's like different, different. So I don't know. That's a good question. I haven't separated it enough. Yeah. Yeah, I remember when I walked into that house, I was like, okay, I cannot have tartan drapes and horses. Right. You know, and prison bugs and like, you know, because that's what would be expected.

48:13Right. And that's not what I would do. And it's not me. You know, it's not my thing. And so I was like, and Brad was like, well, what are you thinking? I was like, I don't know. A little Axel LeVort, a little Montecito. I don't know. I'll figure it out. It just can't be that. It just can't be the same grant that I helped to build all those years. Yeah, that's just not who, I'm not that right guy. So though the house was crying for that. It would have been the perfect. Yeah, and I was just like, there's not going to be that sensibility. I like it a little bit more. I would say I like it more Playboy Mansion.

48:50Well, in thinking about, as we sort of wrap up the conversation, as you think about some of the challenges of stepping away, to your earlier point, huge staff, hundreds of people working with me, able to just have them doing a million different things. Suddenly, I'm starting a small firm. I've got to sort of navigate all of this myself, hire these people and all of that. What has been the most challenging part of stepping away and then building this firm and kind of mapping out your vision? I mean, what first is making me think is like when the carousel stops. And like now you can't even figure out how to turn on your iPhone because there was like 30 IT people walking around you.

49:32Or Jen and I would joke, are you going to take the trash out tonight or not? Yes. You know, all of that. Which is a very real thing. So it's like stopping the sort of, wow, I'm not in the first class lounge at, you know, Emirates. Like I'm like going through normal, you know, just like all of the sort of padding that came with being an executive at that level that kept you away from things in a bad way to me. I missed, I started to feel very removed and isolated. Right. So that has been very helpful to get back to the ground. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, and when you think about, you were talking about saying no to a great big hotel project, but a great, you know, smaller boutique hotel in Paris, great.

50:22When you think about where you'd like the work to take you, what would be some of the dream projects that you want to start manifesting? I really, I love doing restaurants. I mean, that's a fun, like, I love giving the experience, like an experience, like a place. I don't know. I'd love to do hotels in California. Like, I think LA needs better hotels. I like doing clubs. And I'd never want to do retail again. You don't? No one will ever do it like Ralph does it. And at this point, I don't want to really figure out, like, talk to somebody else about how to hang socks or belts. Like, I don't. In other words, I would do what I always do.

50:59And I don't think anybody's going to do that, you know. Well, so is that, again, is that a matter of just being better known, being on more people's radars? I'm going, Ralph Lauren is giving me a book signing event in May. Cindy Crawford is hosting it with me. That's very nice. Yeah, Design Week in LA. Okay. And, I mean, I would like to be there. Right. If I had my way, I'd open an office there tomorrow, though I don't know that I have the bandwidth now to do all that. But I think my team would love to do that. So I think, like you said, I think that the plan now is to figure out how to get my toehold over there.

51:40I'm doing Texas right now. Finish Miami. Doing some things in Connecticut. So, Bedford. Right. Yeah. Well, so interestingly, I mean, it feels like it's early days then for you, right? This whole introducing you to the world. Yeah. I mean, but I have like 10 projects. So it's not like we're not doing anything. But on a bigger scale, you know, this restaurant we're doing in Houston is going to be quite beautiful. And I was always worried I was going to be a little typecast. Like, oh, he does Polaroid Thoroughbred, you know, mahogany and cheer. Like, no. I do it all. You can do it all. Just different aesthetics.

52:23And it's fun because some clients that kind of push me out of that comfort zone. And sometimes I'm like, whoa. Like I'm not comfortable where I'm going right now. But that's where the edge is. And do you like that when that feeling comes? It takes me, it takes me, I don't know that it's because I have 35 years of experience of doing it another way. But I'll try to go with it. I'll let go with it. And then I won't say that I'm not sure, but I realize that they're pushing me to do something else. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, and I'm 61 about to be 62. So do I imagine that in 20, I don't, I don't want to, I don't compare myself.

53:03You don't want to work forever? No, but it's sort of about the brands that you built. Like I know other people, like I'm not going to be Robert Stern. I'm not going to be Michael Smith. You know, it's like, I don't have those S. I don't see that. Do you know? That doesn't mean I might not be pleasantly surprised, but it's not where I'm trying, trying to build. Right. It's not the trajectory you're imagining. Yeah. At the moment. Yeah. Yeah. And that's why I say to you, should I have done this 10 years earlier, 20 years earlier? No. You've got your identity. You know who you are. I think so. Right.

53:32Yeah. Now you'll see where it takes you. Yeah, exactly. Okay. All right. Well, I'm excited for all that's coming. I can't wait to see the collection in Hydewood and see your space at 313. It's going to be great. And I'm so glad that I could come and visit. Yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks for listening. If you'd like to keep up with the latest design industry news, visit us online at businessofhome.com, where you can sign up for our newsletter, browse job listings, and join our BOH Insider community for access to online workshops, a free print subscription, and much more. If you have a note for the podcast, drop us a line at podcast at businessofhome.com.

54:13If you're enjoying these conversations, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps others to discover the show. This show was produced by Fred Nikolaus and edited by Michael Castaneda I'm Dennis Scully Thanks again for listening And I'll see you next week