Athena Calderone on Aspiration and an Endless Aesthetic Education
6/4/202655 min
Self-taught designer, cook, and creative force Athena Calderone — dubbed "the modern girl's Martha Stewart” by T magazine — joins David to trace the restless curiosity that took her from Long Island to New York's nightlife scene, and on to Ibiza, Morocco, and Rome, always finding beauty and inspiration just beyond the obvious.
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First 90 secondsDavid Prior· Host0:00
[gentle music] Pushkin. Self-taught is not a slight when it comes to Athena Calderone. [upbeat music] In fact, it might be the singular quality that makes her so special. She's famously been called the new Martha Stewart by The New York Times, and the Brooklyn brownstone she designed is the home that launched a million Pinterest boards. But knowing Athena is to know she doesn't really think of herself as an authority or even as an influencer. Growing up in Long Island, she hit the nightlife of New York early, where she met her husband, DJ Victor Calderone, and they lived a life on tour. But her curiosity was never confined backstage. It's, in fact, where her aesthetic education began. So from discovering another side of Ibiza, being drawn in by Moroccan hospitality, renewing her roots in Rome, and now embracing the evolution of her eye in Vienna, Athena is one of those rare people that despite her beautiful life, she still manages to take us all on the road. Here's my conversation with my collaborator and friend, Athena Calderone. Welcome to Traveling Through. This is really a conversation for me about curiosity and curious people, and how travels have shaped their life and their lens. We can start anywhere, but I'd love to think about, like, what is an earlier travel in your life that maybe- Hmm ... kicked things