The Architect Building Her Own Design Empire
An internationally acclaimed interior designer, architect and businesswoman, Dara Huang is a bolt of creativity, energy and business acumen all rolled into one. Speaking over Zoom, Dara is in the U.S. visiting family, yet already rearing to go, determined to give an honest, “not fluffy” account of who she is and her journey to date. We go back to the start: her architecture studies at Harvard, the peer pressure, and the life lessons ingrained in her Taiwanese upbringing. “Working hard and believing in yourself,” are cornerstones of her success, she says. Indeed, Dara and Design Haus Liberty have become design go-tos for luxury brands, including Patek Philippe, LVMH, Cartier, Nihi Resorts and Four Seasons Hotels, as well as private clients such as Margot Robbie and Manolo Blahnik. First and foremost, she tells me, she is an architect. After years at Herzog & de Meuron and Foster + Partners, launching her own studio in London was a natural next step. “My sister told me, ‘If you don’t market yourself, no one will do it for you,’ and that stuck with me.” Kate Spade became...
