Thomas O’Brien’s name has long been synonymous with vintage elegance, modernism, and warm, livable design. His stunning home in Bellport, Long Island has attracted significant attention with gorgeous architecture, effortless interiors, lush gardens, and myriad collections. The classic home and design studio, called The Library, is next door to his celebrated Academy house. In imagining and building this dream project — a new house that looks as if it had been built over generations, Thomas delved deeply into craft and materiality and a lifetime of collecting art, antiquities, furniture, books, tableware, textiles, and more.  

Thomas will sign his book, Thomas O'Brien, Library House (Abrams).

Billy Cotton's work spans interior design, product design and architecture, mixing historical and modern with striking artifacts and custom furniture. Billy has been named to the Architectural Digest AD 100 and Elle Decor A-List; he will sign his book Billy Cotton: Interior and Design Work (Rizzoli).

While designing residential and hospitality projects throughout the United States and beyond is Corey's primary focus, he also has licensed product collections for Kravet, Hancock & Moore, Maitland-Smith and, most recently, a collaboration with the international brand Eichholtz.

Barneys New York became a cultural touchstone around the world and completely modernized fashion retail. The Pressmans understood that shopping could — and should — be more than buying clothes. Through back-room handshake deals with designers, nights out at New York clubs, rock ’n’ roll concerts and world tours of fashion’s most exclusive runways, the Pressmans came to dress an entire generation of celebrities, models, CEOs, sultans and people around the world. Barneys was responsible for bringing some of the most legendary names in fashion to the US for the first time — Armani, Alaïa, Dries van Noten, Jil Sander, Comme des Garçons, Zegna, Christian Louboutin ... the list goes on.

Gene is also the co-author, with Noah Kerner, of Chasing Cool, a distillation of his marketing philosophy, which is required reading at more than 100 universities. 

Moderated by Francine Ballard, entrepreneur, brand builder, fashion editor and founder of The Kno. 

Named to Architectural Digest's AD 100 for her interiors, Jan also designs the Jan Showers Collection and has collaborations with Kravet Couture and Kyle Bunting. The Glamorous House (Abrams) is Jan's fourth book.

Young Huh's work is about finding harmony and dynamism through the application of classic and modern design principles. Thoughtful architectural details provide the groundwork for warm and welcoming interiors, each animated by sophisticated surface treatments, a singular play of pattern and color, and a touch of wanderlust.

With a discerning eye for craftsmanship and materiality, Benjamin Johnston channels his creative vision into a growing roster of licensed product collections. Recent and upcoming launches include a third-edition furniture collection with Chaddock Home, an expanded line of wallcoverings, textiles and trims for S. Harris, and a new suite of fireplace surrounds and mosaics with MATERIAL Bespoke Stone + Tile. 

Peter Dunham has design studios in Los Angeles and New York and is the founder of Hollywood at Home (Los Angeles) and Peter Dunham Home & Garden (New York), offering custom furniture and vintage pieces, as well as his own textile and wallcovering lines. 

Moderated by Francine Ballard, entrepreneur, brand builder, fashion editor and founder of The Kno.  

Chris Wolston's work can be found in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum; the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia; the Odunpazari Modern Museum, Turkey; the Museum of American Glass; The Museo de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia; and the National Museum of Qatar. Wolston was the subject of a solo exhibition, Profile in Ecstasy, at the Dallas Contemporary in 2025. He has been profiled in T Magazine, Financial Times, Art in America, Architectural Digest, Galerie, Le Monde Magazine, Elle Decor Italia, Domino, Surface Magazine and many others. He has collaborated with brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and Philip Lim. 

Laura Young, working closely with founder David Alhadeff for the past 12 years, has played a fundamental role in opening new spaces in each of the gallery’s locations. Curatorial highlights from Young’s tenure at The Future Perfect include the critically-acclaimed exhibitions Gilding the Lily by Chris Wolston (2025), Inner Space, featuring work from Isamu Noguchi and JB Blunk among other contemporary designers (2024), Chris Wolston’s Flower Power (2023), Dear Future, an exhibition of work from Gaetano Pesce (2023), Momentary Pause (2022), Arroyo Secco featuring the works of Eric Roinestad (2021), Mess (2020), co-curated with Tom Morris and featuring unique ceramic works by 32 international artists across all of The Future Perfect’s locations, and The Chair (2019), an exhibition of one-of-a-kind chairs from an international roster of 50 artists and designers. 

Michael Slenske has curated exhibitions at Wilding Cran Gallery, The Landing, Diane Rosenstein, Jeffrey Deitch, Nicodim, Make Room LA, Praz-Delavallade and Frieze LA. Most recently he curated "Michelle Blade: The River," which opened during Shanghai Art Week at the Powerlong Museum and "The Art of Oscar" in collaboration with The Hollywood Reporter and Megan Mulrooney gallery. The director of Untitled Art, Houston, Michael launched its inaugural edition in September 2025 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, where the second edition will be held October 1-4, 2026.

 Niven Morgan, Dallas

Niven Morgan launched in 1998, and has since built a story of candles, soaps, lotions, spa products and home scents with inspirations drawn from excursions as well as from childhood memories of his family’s Louisiana farm.

"I find inspiration everywhere I go, everywhere I walk, everywhere life takes me," says Niven. "St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. The souks of Marrakech. By the sea in Mustique. I love being outdoors and breathing in the aromas and seeing nature up close, so I travel the world capturing the essence of exotic and inspiring locales to serve as the spirit for products."

"I take these experiences and visions to my team — and then the fun begins. I am so hands-on, I drive my chemist and my production team crazy. I touch and feel and refine every formula, every product, hundreds of times before we go to market. I am obsessed with getting things right."

Lizzy Bentley, co-founder CITY Boots

City Boots is a luxury bootmaker dedicated to creating iconic, heirloom-quality boots. Founded by Texas native Lizzy Bentley on the principles of craftsmanship and timeless design, City Boots has become synonymous with style and sophistication in Western fashion. Crafted with premium materials, each City Boot features more than 20 design details and undergoes more than 200 meticulous steps in the production process.

 Liz Eichholz, co-founder Weezie

Liz Eichhholz and business partner Lindsey Johnson founded Weezie based on the search for the perfect towel. Now expanded into multiple categories online and through pop-ups, the duo have collaborated with Peter Dunham, Meredith Ellis, Heather Chadduck, La Vie Style House, Meg Braff, Textiles By Smith and more. 

Ronda Carman, journalist, author, entrepreneur

Ronda Carman is the founder of Ronda Carman Confidential — Travel. Field. Table. — a lifestyle platform where she explores how people live, travel, and gather. She has published three lifestyle and entertaining books with Rizzoli, and her newest book is Lynn Wyatt, published in 2025. 

Kate Nixon is the founder and director of her multi-award-winning Sydney design studio and iconic homewares store – Kate Nixon, established in 2007. With a career spanning two decades in food and interiors styling and writing and a 15-year tenure as Houses and Interiors Editor at Australian House & Garden magazine, Kate shares her love of food, family and home through her warm, approachable style and layered, liveable interiors.

Architect Timothy Adams' journey as an architect began with a childhood immersed in the natural beauty and craft traditions of Asheville, North Carolina. Inspired by the rhythms of rural life and the artistry of handmade objects, he developed a lifelong passion for understanding craftsmanship and designing homes that resonate with soul and purpose. T.S. Adams Studio Architects' national body of work is defined by its thoughtful response to place, blending timeless beauty with contemporary functionality. His mastery of historical precedents and attention to detail have earned him numerous accolades such as the 2024 Southeast Architect of the Year by Veranda and ADAC, a Philip Trammell Shutze Award from the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture’s Southeast Chapter, and two prestigious Palladio Awards for excellence in classical architecture.

Tradition Made New: Houses with a Sense of Soul and History, Tim's first book, features 10 of his recently designed houses in locations as diverse as the coast Florida, the blue grass hills of Kentucky, and the mountains of North Carolina, each embodying the resonance of tradition, the authenticity of craftsmanship, and the lasting beauty of natural materials. 

Ann Wolf, Wolf Holden Design Studio, has deep roots in the Houston community and brings a fresh perspective to bespoke design, blending elegance, practicality and a unique sense of place. Projects include residential, commercial spaces and private clubs; recent projects include a redecoration of the Houston Junior League and a ranch in Colorado.

 Moderated by Anne Lee Phillips, contributor Architectural Digest AD Pro, Travel + Leisure and PaperCity, among others, 

Nate Berkus' three-decade career has included numerous television shows and home collections, along with designing award-winning interiors. Consistently named to the prestigious AD 100 and Elle Decor A-List, Nate has been featured in Architectural Digest, Vogue, The New York Times, Fast Company, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. His latest book, Foundations (Simon & Schuster) was named to the New York Times bestseller list. Visit @NateBerkus for more. 

Moderator is Billy Fong, editor in chief, PaperCity Dallas