Alison Veness:“Whatisyourearliest
childhood design memory?”
Michael Rock:“I had these letters, a light
box, and you overlaid transparent paper
and could draw the letters.”
AV: “Your CV is impressive: creative
director,designer,writer...whichonedo
you most identify with?”
MR: “Designer, when I look back,
‘designer’wasn’treallywhatitistoday,it
wasmorespecific,itwasaboutmaking
something, covering it with a surface and
then it was ‘designed’. Now it’s much more
about the process from the beginning. We
don’tjustcreateathing,weworkonhowit
mightarrivetobesomething.”
AV: “Was there a distinct moment early
in your career where you realised you
were on to something good?”
MR:“Notrightawaybutlateronwhen
IstartedworkingwithRemKoolhaas.”
AV: “You are also a professor at Yale.
What’s the best part about teaching?”
MR:“Itfocusesme,butit’shard;it’sa
pain,butbeinginthatcommunity,that
intellectual environment, is good. I also
lectureonceaweekatColumbia,they’re
45-minute lectures that I have to prepare
forregardlessofmyworkforPradasphere
Hong Kong and the Fondazione Prada.”
AV:“Favourite part of Pradasphere?”
MR:“SeeingittranslatedfromLondon’sWORDS: ALISON VENESSworkswithMiucciaPradaonhermostEXCITING
projects,suchasPradasphereandMilan’snewartspace
Fondazione Prada. Meet MICHAEL ROCK, founding
partner and creative director of design consultancy 2x4.
Kong.It’sanecosystemthathassomuch
initbuttranscendsbeingsimplythe
historyofacompany.”
AV:“Youhavewonsomanyawards.
Howdoesthatmakeyoufeel?”
MR:“I don’t think about them.”
AV:“You’vesaidyoulikemakingthings.
Are you good with your hands?”
MR:“Yes, I think so. I love collage and
making things and seeing them come
together. I have a bench at home.”
AV:“Originalityincreativityis
important.Inatimewheresomuch
isreferenced,howdoyoumanagetobe
truly authentic within your work?”
MR:“That’s a very difficult question to
answer. Everything is available now. You
canlookupanything,andit’sabitcrazy,so
thatgoesbacktothemoodboardsand
that’s why we don’t do them like that.
Otherwise you end up referencing
something and it just creeps in. I work
with someone who does this and it’s just ▲The
Pradasphere
book.96 – MAY 2015
BRIGITTE LACOMBE EDWARD URRUTIAvogue ARTS