Fall issues from top Condé Nast titles capturing today’s most noteworthy food, design and hospitality trends are on newsstands now. Images courtesy of Condé Nast
Three highly-anticipated magazine issues from Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Traveler and Bon Appétit, owned by media company Condé Nast, are hitting newsstands at the same time this year.
Capturing today’s most noteworthy food, design and travel trends are Architectural Digest's City Living launch – it features New American Voices 2024, a record of the nine hottest interior design firms right now – as well as Condé Nast Traveler’s 2024 Readers' Choice Awards, which includes recommendations for hotels, resorts, cities, airports and more backed by more than half a million reader votes, and Bon Appétit’s Restuarant issue containing 2024 Best New Restaurants list, citing the establishments shaping the next era of dining culture. The editors behind each annual edition are speaking with Luxury Daily to forecast what is in store for 2025.
In this Q&A, Sam Cochran, global features director at Architectural Digest, Jamila Robinson, editor in chief of Bon Appétit and Jesse Ashlock, deputy global editorial director and U.S. editor at Condé Nast Traveler discuss the global forces shaping their respective industries. Here is the dialogue:
Architectural Digest released its October City Living issue on Sept. 3, 2024. Image courtesy of Condé Nast
Which of the key trends spearheaded by new voices featured throughout this year’s City Living issue are most likely to define the next era of design?
Sam Cochran: If anything, this year’s City Living issue – like all issues of AD – interrogates the very notion of trends for trends’ sake.
What we see emerging isn’t so much a single style but a shared ethos, one that privileges comfort, craftsmanship, personality and a sense of place.
As more clients prioritize personal expression in their homes, how are rising firms balancing customization and individuality with developing their own signature design aesthetics?
SC: Again, I think this comes down to the question of a style versus an ethos or philosophy.
Rooms of wide-ranging expression can still be rooted in common philosophical principles of site specificity, artisanal integrity and joy.
This next generation of designers seem to be reshaping the way we live through their work. What role do concepts like sustainability, wellness and multifunctionality play in their designs?
SC: One idea that percolates through our City Living issue is a notion of thoughtful reuse – whether it’s of an industrial waterfront building in Brooklyn, a townhouse in Greenwich Village or an architecturally significant home in Los Angeles.
It’s a reminder that cities will continue to evolve from one generation to the next and that the most sustainable thing we can do is to make good use of the buildings that we have and to construct homes and multifunctional buildings that will endure for years to come.
The October Restaurants issue of Bon Appétit went live on Sept. 9, 2024. Image courtesy of Condé Nast
This year’s Best New Restaurants list highlights the power of collaboration in the kitchen. How is this team-driven approach reshaping the dining scene and pushing culinary boundaries in 2024?
Jamila Robinson: We thought it was important to show how collaboration leads to innovation [and] highlight the progress that has been made across the industry.
Teams are celebrating everyone’s contribution, whether that's a dishwasher or the top chef.
Sustainability remains a key theme. How are diners responding to related efforts, and how do you see this trend evolving over time?
JR: Often, when we discuss sustainability, our focus is climate or waste. But sustainability can also mean cultural preservation.
Nixta by Oro is using heirloom corn as a response to increased industrialization.
The 2024 list also celebrates regional diversity, from Texas barbecue to progressive Mexican tasting menus. How are local flavors influencing the broader dining scene?
JR: Sense of place is key for any great restaurant. By leaning into Northwest ingredients, for example, you are celebrating the supply chain of that region.
The awards also honor restaurants for standout beverage and dessert programs. How important are unique beverage and dessert experiences in defining a restaurant’s appeal today?
JR: We believe that many of the best restaurants are complete experiences – from cocktails to desserts.
A beverage program that is inclusive of zero proof and desserts that are culturally relevant [are proving important].
Condé Nast Traveler's November issue hits newsstands today. Image courtesy of Condé Nast
The Readers' Choice Awards highlights the top luxury travel destinations of 2024. What unique characteristics or services are these properties offering that set them apart?
Jesse Ashlock: The most important factor that sets the RCA winners apart is that the readership of Condé Nast Traveler, the most discerning travel audience in the world, thinks they're the best.
Why? Typically it's some combination of impeccable service, thoughtful design, natural beauty, a great culinary program, a sense of place and a certain je ne sais quoi that keeps travelers coming back again and again.
What trends do you foresee dominating the 2025 travel season? Are there specific destinations, resorts or travel experiences you anticipate being especially sought after in the coming year?
JA: Some of the trends that emerged from the pandemic continue to persist, including a desire to experience pristine natural environments, a greater tendency toward multigenerational family travel and an interest in holistic wellness experiences.
I think that many Americans, as well as travelers overseas, are also feeling like the world is in turmoil, and are increasingly seeking experiences that allow them to escape and reset. But they want to make responsible travel decisions, so they want to know that the places they are going to have a strong commitment to sustainability and the community around them.
How has the concept of travel evolved in recent years, especially in the context of post-pandemic preferences? What are key amenities or services that CNT readers now prioritize when selecting a destination?
JA: Touchless and remote services are much more the norm than they were before the pandemic, but the pandemic also showed us how critical the human touch is, and the best places have a high ratio of employees to guests, an ability to quickly anticipate and respond to guest needs and a lot of personality. In other words, service is more important than ever.
Across food, design and travel, there is a growing trend of consumers blending the new with the familiar, whether revisiting a favorite destination, incorporating modern design in traditional spaces or blending global flavors in cuisine. How do you see this duality of innovation and nostalgia continuing to shape your respective sectors?
SC: We love that people are forgoing one-stop shopping in favor of a mix of old and new, high and low. That’s the balance we always try to strike at AD. It’s a successful recipe for variety, which we encourage and support.
JR: We’re seeing more people who want to travel and have a dining experience that is in keeping with that regions’ cultural traditions. It isn’t necessary to go to Thailand and eat interpretations of French dishes. It is more likely nowadays to have Brazilian or West African cuisine made with French techniques. We are seeing creative interpretations of street food and snacks. And, of course, many chefs want to cook foods from their childhoods and cultures. But we are just seeing more culture being expressed. Azizam, which is Persian home cooking, is a great example.
JA: I think from 2021-2023, there was an overwhelming focus on comfort and familiarity, but today travelers are increasingly open to the new, especially since so many familiar destinations, in Europe in particular, are buckling under the burden of overtourism. If they're going to the classics, they often want the classics remixed.
Customization and personal expression are becoming increasingly important across all sectors. Whether it’s a tailor-made culinary experience, a bespoke interior design or a personalized travel itinerary, how are the industries that AD, BA and CNT cover catering to the demand for more individualized experiences?
SC: Handcraft is a tried-and-true way to inject unique character into a space, whether that means a bespoke mural or a single ceramic figurine. As an industry, the design community is rallying around a culture of craft to elevate rooms. Though again, there is no universal rule. Off-the-shelf, industrial fixtures are also having a moment. It’s all about the mix.
JR: High-end destination dining will have offerings that are more bespoke and cultural. Ultra-luxe cruises are catering to the traveler who wants a rare, exciting destination and [access to] a world-class culinary experience that reflects the local dining culture. Personalization includes attention to health and wellness, with more plant-based or protein-focused dining. Another key component is attention to wealthy families, with dining experiences suited to children, including cooking classes.
JA: Yes, these are all good examples. Some other priorities here that I would enumerate are properties seeking to give guests unique fodder for their social platforms, delivering experiences geared toward education and self-improvement and trying to establish ongoing relationships with guests that persist even after the guest goes home. Heath and wellness destinations, in particular, are aiming for this last goal.
As the next generation of brands and talents rise to prominence, how do you see their perspectives influencing the future of each respective field? How are new voices shaping the narrative and setting the agenda for what defines design, food and travel today and in the future?
SC: In the design world, as in so many creative communities, we have seen an overdue reversal of the top-down influence that pervaded the industry for so long. New ideas come from fresh eyes. That notion is at the heart of our New American Voices package, which celebrates emerging designers from around the country.
JR: Many restaurants used to be vaguely French or European, sometimes Japanese. There is now a wider expectation that menus are of the local culture with global influence. That manifests in rice courses on tasting menus worldwide. The Culinary Institute of America now offers courses in West African and Caribbean cuisines. In Latin America, [figures] like Janaina Torres of Brazil and Elena Reygadas of Mexico are having an extraordinary influence on the next generation of women chefs.
JA: The shift, driven by millennials, toward people over things, authentic experiences over thread counts, is fully here. Travelers do still want luxe bathrooms and fine finishes, but if a hotel can't provide a true luxury experience, it will not be competitive.