Hospitality Design - July 2010 - 96

Women of Influence

hospitality, Judy and Diana Dobin have made an impressive mark on the industry in many ways: Judy through her activism, philanthropy, and mentoring both within and outside of the industry; and Diana, by promotion of new green products (the FRESH upholstery and drapery, shown), as well as her efforts to educate the business community and consumers alike to the value and importance of sustainability.

“Design has only recently espoused a strong social as well as environmental focus,” says Jillian Van Dresser, principal and creative director, Van Dresser Company. “Diana Dobin has been a champion very early in the process and through her enthusiasm, leadership, and earnest research and development, she has influenced a generation of young designers. Not an easy task following the legacy of her mother. Judy has always been a visionary mentor with great compassion and business acumen.”

architecture to every project with inspiration drawn from history, landscape, and various styles. Celebrated projects include multiple Craft outlets for chef Tom Colicchio, Danny Meyer’s the Modern at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the VIP Suites at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, and Rouge Tomate in New York (shown). “I first worked with the Bentels when I built Gramercy Tavern,” explains Colicchio, chef and owner of Craft Restaurants. “I was attracted to them because it was a family business. They also listen and they take your ideas. With Craft, we started with the kind of food we were doing in the restaurant and used that as a jumping off point for the design. We’ve done nine projects together now and they just get it. They get exactly what you are going for. I would never consider using anyone else at this point.”

as a touchstone throughout the process,” says Mary Beth Malone, principal of Elysian. “They approach each project with incredible passion and commitment—they truly care about every detail and make sure the final product is as close to perfection as they can get it. It is unusual, I believe, to work with a company that embraces their projects with the attention to detail and devotion that Simeone Deary does.”

have redefined the dining and hospitality experience.”

Peggy Leung
Principal Peggy Leung Design New York
Small to large scale, from nightclubs and lounges to restaurants and hotels, designer Peggy Leung has worked on it all. Before recently starting her namesake firm, she worked at HOK, Walt Disney Imagineering, Rockwell Group, and Studio GAIA, making a name for herself with designs that are unique and fluid for clients like Tao Las Vegas, McDonalds (Urban Living concept shown), and Thompson Hotels. “I have always related and appreciated Peggy’s thorough, proactive yet gentle ability to design and manage projects,” says Clark Johnson, Johnson Light Studio. “Her keen insight on the design philosophy, along with her ability to manage documentation and visual reference has always helped keep the vision and feeling of the lighting designer on target and on schedule.”

Siobhan Barry
Partner and Studio Director ICRAVE New York
After designing high-end stores for the likes of Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, and Prada, Siobhan Barry partnered with Lionel Ohayon to launch ICRAVE in 2002. Since then, they have gone on to create a bi-coastal firm that has designed a slew of restaurants and nightclubs for high-profile clients such as the One and EMM Groups, Sushi Samba, JetBlue, and SBE, as well as their first hotel, the W Midtown Atlanta. Next up: the much-anticipated Asellina and Lavo restaurants in New York, among others. (Abe & Arthurs in New York shown.) “Siobhan Barry has had the opportunity to work with some of the most creative, cuttingedge operators and, as a result, she has been at the forefront of understanding hospitality trends and influential in developing new hospitality experiences,” says Jonathan Segal, CEO of the One Group. “Siobhan and ICRAVE have proved themselves as groundbreakers in both design and concept and are responsible for a tremendous number of successful venues that

Lisa Simeone and Gina Deary
Founders and Principals Simeone Deary Design Group Chicago
After meeting at Leiber Cooper Associates in Chicago, Lisa Simeone and Gina Deary decided to join forces in 2002. Since then, the award-winning duo has had nothing but success, creating designs that are contemporary and cohesive for 14 restaurants and six hotel and resort projects like the Elysian hotel in Chicago (shown), multiple Westins, and the JW Marriott Indianapolis. “In addition to their incredible skills as designers, they create a story for each of their projects which serves

Kristina O’Neal
Principal AvroKO New York
Kristina O’Neal and college friends William Harris, Greg Bradshaw, and Adam Farmerie started AvroKO in 2001. But they burst onto the hospitality scene in 2004 when they swept the James Beard design category for Public, their first restaurant, which they own and designed. Since then, they have grown to a staff of more than 30 with offices in Hong Kong and Bangkok. They

Susan Nagle and Carol Rusche Bentel
Partners Bentel & Bentel Architects/Planners Locust Valley, New York
Susan Nagle and Carol Rusche Bentel, two of the partners of Bentel & Bentel, bring new methods of design and

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hospitality Design - July 2010
