“The challenges of doing things in a foreign
country are difficult,” the designer says. “But you
learn a lot about cultures, about how people work,
about the history. You learn a lot about everything.
I personally find it really exciting and inspirational. You see how other people have put together
materials and the patterns they’ve created. You see
different ways of living, which you digest into your
own design aesthetic, and you find it influences
you going forward. It helps you grow as a designer.
It helps you grow as a person. Because all experiences make you that much more savvy and make
your life richer.”
GLOBAL IDEAS
Architect Alex Lifschutz, of the London firm
Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, agrees. Before
working with legendary architects like Sir Norman
Foster and Sir Richard Rogers, Lifschutz immi-
grated to the United Kingdom via India, the son of A L
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“You can’t stop
creativity. And
creativity is global.”
SATYA TIWARI,
Surya, Inc.
“[Working in a foreign
country] helps you
grow as a designer.
It helps you grow as
a person.”
KATHRYN SCOTT,
Kathryn Scott
Design Studio
LEFT: Surya continues
to source many of its
rugs from India.
RIGHT: Restoring a
circa-1906 house in
Shanghai influenced
designer Kathryn Scott’s
aesthetic going forward.
