I imagine and shape the moments where commerce and contemporary culture meet – not through sponsorship, but through genuine artistic collaboration and curated experience.
Growing up between England and Iran, between languages and worldviews, taught me that the most interesting moments happen at borders. Where disciplines meet, where traditions intersect, where the expected becomes revelatory. Where arts and ideas advance how we understand ourselves and progress. This shaped my approach: finding the threads that connect seemingly disparate worlds, then weaving them into editorial narratives, cultural partnerships and experiences that feel both surprising and inevitable.
For over twenty years, I've applied this through writing, editorial direction and cultural strategy. Rolls-Royce, BMW, Campari – respected global brands call on me for cultural interpretation that goes beyond journalism. My work takes me between institutions like the Royal College of Art, Frieze, Venice Biennale to the studios of these global marques. I move fluently between contemporary art and luxury brands, as well as between industry and the arts.
As senior contributor at Forbes and regular contributor at Wallpaper*, I write about culture in its broadest sense. As editorial director at Voices, I bring together leading voices in wine – Jancis Robinson, Jay McInerney, Jordan Mackay – to explore the intersection of wine and culture. My latest book The Life Champagne explores the drink's cultural biography from historical ritual to contemporary symbol of savoir-faire and celebration.
Beyond writing about culture, I help brands become active participants in it. I co-authored The Life Negroni, connecting the cocktail to Italian Futurism, Memphis design and the rituals of living well. For Campari Group's La Vita Campari, I developed a manifesto rooted in their artistic legacy, sprezzatura and Milanese heritage. At Honda's Dream, I reimagined the editorial strategy while embedding the brand in wider design discourse.
I design collaborations between brands, artists and institutions – experiences that honour both heritage and contemporary discourse. I advise brands on entering cultural spaces like art fairs, biennales and design festivals as contributors, not spectators. Through my consultancy work with Spinach Branding, I help companies navigate emerging trends and shape cultural strategies that matter.
My approach is grounded in formal training – BA honours in design history, curatorial practice at the Royal College of Art, wine expertise through WSET – and continued creative practice. I paint and exhibit mixed-media works exploring texture, abstraction and memory, which shapes how I think about bringing brands and culture into meaningful dialogue.
This bicultural and cross-disciplinary perspective means I understand what registers as authentic across different contexts: from Persian hospitality to Italian elegance, from British institutional culture to American luxury codes.
At the heart of everything I do is genuine curiosity and a belief in the power of culture to inspire, inform and spark new ideas. I'm driven by discovery – whether through editorial work, brand collaborations or curated projects. I take on work where cultural depth matters and intelligence is valued over speed. The companies and institutions I work with don't sponsor art, they enable it. And I architect those engagements, finding where a brand's authentic story intersects with contemporary culture, then creating the collaborations that make that intersection felt.
Whether advising a brand, contributing to a publication or curating a bespoke project, I aim to bring creativity, insight and clarity to every endeavour – and, hopefully, make the experience a joyful one for everyone involved.
As Louise Bourgeois so wisely put it: Art is the guarantee of sanity.
Thank you for visiting.
Nargess
