Are you a young, affluent, aesthetically-minded person currently planning a vacation? Are you going to Lisbon? Jamaica? Havana? Mexico City? Yep, those are the hyped-up “it” destinations right now — and of course the danger of being hyped up is that it may eventually become impossible to deliver that magical experience in real life. Luckily, we’ve honestly never heard of anyone who was like, “Mexico City — nope.” IRL, it really is a charming mishmash of architectural styles, a delicious spot for foodies, and a serious destination for anyone interested in design culture. That’s why, when we saw that one of our favorite photographers — Eric Petschek, the interior designer and architectural photographer behind the Instagram account @cb — was in Mexico City documenting his trip with iPhone and DSLR in hand, we immediately reached out to see if we might publish the results.
“This was my first time in Mexico City,” Petschek says, “and my familiarity with the metropolis leading up to this trip was strictly people telling me how much I’d love the place. And I did. There’s so much to see — architecturally speaking — so much delicious food to eat, so many different colonias to explore. I always joke with people that I take leisure very seriously, and what I mean by this is that when I travel, I do so with intention. More often than not, that intention is to seek out superlative design, architecture, art and food, in that order. Mexico City didn’t disappoint on any of these fronts, and for all of these reasons I suspect I’ll return before too long.”
“Oh and also — the weather and light in Mexico City were perfection. Sure, that perfect soft light was largely due to the pervasive smog that infamously shrouds the city, but what my lungs disliked, my lens positively loved.” Take a Mexico City architecture tour with Petschek below, for all the Barrágan, Legorreta, and Chipperfield you could ever need (not to mention thecolorblocking).
A 2014 exhibition from Mexico City–based artist Pia Camil, featuring hand-dyed and stitched textile panels complemented by paintings and geometric, low-fired ceramic sculptures.
Pretty much everyone is a travel photographer on Instagram these days, and there's nothing we like better than when one of our favorite photographers heads somewhere far-flung. But for Brian Ferry's latest project — a book called The Deepest Lake, which documents Ferry's 2014 trip to Kashmir — Instagram didn't seem like the proper vehicle on which to be seen. "When I post photos online, it can feel insignificant," Ferry says. "People scroll past it once and then move on. I want people to have the time and the space to really look at a photo, and so I had the idea to make a book."
This year's Mexico Design Week was proof that there's more happening in the country's design scene than ever, as the number of young studios launching work with a global sensibility steadily grows. We came back with dozens of photos to prove it, plus a long list of talents we'll definitely be keeping an eye on.