Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/271576
T rapped inside his conference room with no escape, this whole-brained, award-winning, luxury-marketing entrepreneur was about to get branded. Max Trowbridge turns the tables on Leon Banowetz, the salient storyteller. THE SETUP. L ast fall, Banowetz celebrated his silver anniversary with thanks to a client collective of local businesses that epitomize the growth and success of Dallas, all touched by the skills of Banowetz + Company. He launched his eponymous advertising, branding and graphic design agency in 1988, the same year he married Molly. His first client, Shelle Bagot Sills' The Gazebo, kicked off his luxury-focused agency path that now includes NorthPark Center, Hotel ZaZa, Floss, Eiseman Jewels, Mercedes-Benz of Plano and Kent Rathbun Concepts, plus national brands, such as Sara Lee and Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. BRANDS I LIKE. Apple, Tom Ford, Mercedes-Benz, The Gap. What I like about Apple is that it's very simple, very clean. The brand has completely changed our lives; I have everything. I respect brands that stay true to themselves. The simplest brands are sometimes the strongest. HOW DID GRAPHIC DESIGN ENTER THE PORTFOLIO? When I was in high school, I did a lot of sign painting. (This was before computers.) I really liked typography, and my teacher at the time thought I might become a professional sign painter. Back then, it was all done by hand — signs and billboards — and I really enjoyed the art and craftsmanship of freehand sign painting. I really never knew what graphic design was until I went to college, because I studied fine art at school. EIGHTIES ART-STUDENT ENSEMBLE. I graduated from art school in the Midwest. It wasn't like I was in New York or L.A., and it really wasn't that wild. But when I moved to Dallas and worked as an art director, my friends still talk about those being my Prince days. At the time, Todd Oldham had sample sales, and we would load up on clothes. I remember this one purple cape I would wear by Todd Oldham, and we would go dancing at the Starck Club and Mistral at the Hilton Anatole. Back then, I had what would probably be considered a mullet now, but at the time … Well, it was the '80s. When I got married, I had a ponytail, and everyone thought I looked like Karl Lagerfeld. EIGHTIES SOUNDTRACK. I loved Depeche Mode, INXS and Annie Lennox. ART FASCINATION. Molly and I really like folk art — self-taught folk artists/outsider artists such as Isaac Smith. He carves animals out of wood; we have quite a few of his pieces, crude but beautiful. San Angel in San Antonio, as well as a gallery in Austin called Yard Dog. We also purchased from Webb Gallery in Waxahachie. They all focus on these self-taught artists. I also like the sculptures of Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, with his use of letterforms and typography in his work. The Nasher Sculpture Center did an exhibit a couple of years ago. TRAVEL STORIES. We love road trips and visiting antique malls. One weekend, we took our White Trash Tour across America — just the two of us — and drove to Alabama, through Louisiana and Mississippi. A 12-hour trip. We branded our trip with signs on the car that read White Trash Tour, and we went through about 100 antique malls. Our SUV was loaded full by the time we got home — our house is a mix of found things; some are expensive, some aren't. But all are very personal. CURRENTLY READING. Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton. My mother-in-law recently gave this book to me. It features a great collection of photos taken of people on the streets of New York City, along with funny quotes and anecdotes. WHAT DOES A 10-YEAR-OLD KID ON A FARM IN IOWA DO FOR FUN? I am number 12 of 15 children, and fun time was Sunday. We worked a lot on the farm, and I think that's where the work ethic comes from. And we had enough kids for a ball game. We played a lot of outdoor sports, and if it were snowing, we would play Fox and Geese in the snow. HOW DO YOU KEEP UP WITH FAMILY? A few years ago, we came up with this numbering system for the family, so I'm number 12, my daughter is 12.1, my son is 12.2, and Molly is 12.0. The family has embraced this whole numbering system; everyone has a blast with it. We sign our emails as our numbers. We have a family reunion every July 4, back in Iowa. NIECE AND NEPHEW COUNT? Honestly, I don't know. When my daughter was born, she was the 45th grandchild, and my son, the 47th. I think the offspring of my siblings probably number close to 50. FANTASY ROAD TRIP FROM DALLAS. I would take a road trip with Oprah and Gayle. I would invite my brother Dean — he's number 13 and is a celebrity hairstylist is L.A. With the three of them, I think it would be a very entertaining trip. FAVE MOVIE. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? It was a great comedy, and I thought the Coen brothers did a beautiful job shooting the film. I loved the digital color correction they used to give the film a sepia- tinted look. I also thought the soundtrack was pretty incredible, too, with music by Allison Krauss and her band. TV TIME. I don't watch a lot of TV. Mostly world news, but I love Chelsea Handler — she cracks me up. Both sides of the spectrum. Molly and I started watching Survivor years ago, so that's the one reality fix I get, but from a news perspective, I'm a print newsperson. I don't do a lot of it online. LIFE-CHANGING TOMES. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and Wealth Without Risk by Charles J. Givens. CHILDHOOD SUPERHERO. Popeye. SOCIAL APPS. Pandora, Uber … Shazam is brilliant. I really like my Nike running app; I use it every time I run. And I really like my flashlight app. [Laughs.] I can't see menus in restaurants. A PERFECT SUNDAY AFTERNOON. Relax by the pool, take a ride on the golf cart at [White Rock Lake] and play tennis. DRIVING. My Mercedes-Benz 350M. At the lake, I drive a street-legal golf cart — and I also drive my wife crazy. LISTENING TO. I am a big country music fan. I like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack, Allison Krauss and Josh Turner. Other music that I listen to: John Mellencamp, Boyce Avenue, Rihanna, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Christina Aguilera. SHOPPING. In Dallas, NorthPark Center, of course. Abbot Kinney in L.A., and SoHo in New York. LABELS. Paul Smith, Tom Ford, Gucci and Valentino. PORTRAIT MAXINE HELFMAN. GROOMING AL TIDWELL. STYLING TAMMY THEIS. THE BRANDING ANOWETZ OF "DALLAS IS A GREAT CITY TO DO BUSINESS. WHEN I LOOK BACK, I WAS ONLY 23 WHEN I STARTED, AND NO ONE EVER ASKED, 'HOW OLD ARE YOU?' THEY JUST WANTED TO KNOW: CAN YOU DO IT? ARE YOU TALENTED?"