Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1545129
67 Describe the essence of TFP. From the beginning, the gallery has presented design with the emotional and curatorial seriousness often reserved for art, while also allowing artists and designers the freedom to experiment outside traditional expectations. We have tried to create spaces where function and fantasy can coexist, and where handmade objects can carry both conceptual and emotional significance. Personally, I have never been particularly interested in rigid definitions. I am interested in whether something moves you, changes the atmosphere of a room, sparks curiosity, or creates connection. That emotional response matters more to me than what category the object is placed in. On TFP founder David Alhadeff. What makes my relationship with David work is that, at our core, we genuinely care about the same things. We are deeply aligned aesthetically, emotionally, and philosophically in terms of what we want The Future Perfect to feel like and stand for. We both believe design should create emotion, atmosphere, connection, and fantasy, not simply function. On the podcast Design Discord, you divulged that your RISD thesis project featured over-the-top furniture paired with cosplay creations. Does your embrace of the wild, witty, and unexpected carry over to the TFP aesthetic? OMG, I was thinking fairy tale, but hearing it described as cosplay honestly makes me feel like I have some kind of secret cool weapon hidden in my pocket. But, yes, absolutely, that sensibility carries into The Future Perfect. I am admittedly a little self- proclaimed unhinged, and I have always been deeply drawn to the weird, the unexpected, the emotionally charged, and the slightly uncomfortable. I think humor plays a huge role in that for me as well. It creates openness and allows me to connect and collaborate with artists on a more instinctual and human level. What I think The Future Perfect does particularly well is take ideas that could feel wild, untamed, theatrical, or even absurd and place them into environments where people can emotionally connect with them and live alongside them. We often domesticate the strange, but at the root of it all, there is still a pure freak energy driving the work. I never want to lose that. How TFP has transformed. The journey has been vast. Over the past 12 years, The Future Perfect has expanded into two additional cities, and in Los Angeles alone, we've evolved through four different locations, each reflecting a new chapter of growth and experimentation. When I started, we were a team of seven. Today, we are well over 50 employees with a significantly expanded artist roster and a truly global presence. We've exhibited all over the world and dramatically expanded our customer reach, but perhaps the biggest transformation has been cultural. We evolved from sellers into storytellers and entertainers. While sales remain central to what we do, many of our clients have become genuine friends and long- term collaborators. The Future Perfect has become a community built around the shared pursuit of joy, connection, and discovery through objects and design. Hot takes on Salone del Mobile 2026. Salone remains one of the most important moments to connect with friends, colleagues, collectors, and tastemakers from around the world. That said, this year I found myself missing the actual design and objects a bit. For years, the off-site exhibitions and independent presentations have felt like the most exciting part of Milan, but this year, I skipped the fair itself and almost wondered if I missed something. I felt surrounded by fashion, partnerships, beautiful interiors, and cultural moments, all of which I genuinely enjoyed. I walked away enriched and happy, but perhaps not as deeply inspired as I once was. Maybe that is part nostalgia for earlier years, or maybe it is simply that my expectations have evolved alongside the industry. At this point, it takes a lot to truly knock me off my feet. On TFP's next outpost. I'm very excited about the next phase of expansion for The Future Perfect, particularly the opportunity to open in Texas. Texas feels culturally distinct and operates outside many of the expected norms in the U.S., which I find incredibly compelling. I'm interested in engaging with communities that may think differently from the traditional coastal design worlds and creating meaningful dialogue through art and design. Laura Young and Rigatoni (Continued)