Raised in Seattle by French parents, Sophie Lou Jacobsen learned to appreciate life in motion from an early age. Having lived in Paris, London and Milan, she chose to settle in New York, a place shaped by people, ideas and ambitions in constant flux. That sensibility carries through into her reworking of everyday objects, predominantly in glassware (her new ‘Disco Aperitivo’ collection was revealed during Milan Design Week), where colour, form and a gentle playfulness introduce an organic sense of fluidity.
‘No one lives in New York to sit still’
Sophie Lou Jacobsen
‘New York’s energy is all about movement,’ the designer says. ‘The constant physical movement of people and objects, the conceptual movements between jobs, scenes, goals – moving closer or farther away from your dreams.’ It’s a rhythm she describes as frenetic, most palpable when crossing into Manhattan, where the skyline pulls you in, and the pace takes hold. ‘No one lives in New York to sit still. As soon as you land here, you are swept up by it – letting things arrive by chance until you learn how to navigate it.’
The city is, in her words, ‘gritty, grimy and glamorous’: a location defined as much by friction as by allure. Its street life is shaped by character rather than conformity. ‘It’s not somewhere where people try to blend in,’ she says. ‘People are fully themselves. There’s a generosity here, but it comes through honesty – and not everyone is ready for that at first.’
New York may be inherently individualistic, where most arrive in pursuit of something personal rather than permanence. Yet out of that comes a distinct sense of community: ‘Everyone understands that you need others to survive, so there’s a willingness to connect, to be helpful, to give as much as you take.’
Sophie Lou Jacobsen’s New York
Sophie Lou Jacobsen
With her itinerant past, Jacobsen declares New York the place that has allowed her to define both herself and her practice, which ranges from collectable design to tableware and interiors: ‘No city makes me feel more at home. I owe so much of what I’ve built to being here. It’s a relationship that feels permanent, even if not fixed. I don’t know if I’ll live here forever, but I could never leave it completely.’
For the launch of the Wallpaper* New York City Travel Guide, we asked Jacobsen to share the hot spots and haunts that make it so hard for her to consider living anywhere else.
Much of her inspiration comes from ‘old New York’ – dining rooms and bars that have resisted reinvention, where atmosphere is accumulated rather than designed. A delight in restaurants like Gene’s, in Greenwich Village, infused with a sense of evenings well spent over the decades, sits alongside a fascination with the city’s architecture: pre-war details, shifting streetscapes, and the compositions that emerge in passing. Her ideal day might begin at The Frick Collection, recently reopened within its early 20th-century mansion, where she drifts between the research library and galleries.
The Frick Collection, in an illustration from the Wallpaper* New York City Travel Guide
On Madison Avenue, the Khaite flagship offers a different kind of immersion, its interior architecture echoing the elegant yet discreet language of the clothes. Elsewhere, the Breuer Building, now home to Sotheby’s, is a constant point of return. ‘It’s one of my favourite buildings in the city,’ Jacobsen notes, adding that she’s drawn to its successive reinventions and the determination to keep it in use.
Khaite products, in an illustration from the Wallpaper* New York City Travel Guide
Sotheby’s, in an illustration from the Wallpaper* New York City Travel Guide
For dinner, she likes bistro Le Veau d’Or, recently revived by the Frenchette team. ‘I am so grateful when new owners do everything in their power to retain the original patina, energy and atmosphere,’ she says. She’s also fond of Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle hotel. ‘My favourite treat is to head there midweek for an early afternoon pick-me-up after a trip to the Met.’
Dinner at Le Veau d’Or, in an illustration from the Wallpaper* New York City Travel Guide
Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle hotel, in an illustration from the Wallpaper* New York City Travel Guide
To belong to New York, Jacobsen suggests, is to build something personal within scale, and to keep going, even when the rhythm feels overwhelming. ‘You realise,’ she says, ‘that you’d probably miss it the moment you leave.’
According to Sophie Lou Jacobsen...
What is the best month to visit New York? October. It always seems as though everyone in New York smiles during this month.
What should one wear to blend in? Just wear any colour other than black!
Who is someone in the city you admire? Parker Posey.
What is the best way to make friends? Sit at the bar, any bar.
I can’t leave New York without… having a martini at the Palm Bar at JFK Terminal 4.
For more recommendations, buy our New York Travel Guide, £15.
Film: Ian Wishart for Wallpaper*