Happy Monday, everyone. This letter was supposed to go out on Friday, but my computer died at the beach and I went for a swim instead of driving to a coffee shop. On Saturday I stopped by two barbecues and Alexander 23’s hot dog eating competition (recap coming Wednesday), and last night I saw Leviticus.
In today’s issue: big-name and upstart creative directors sound off on what the job actually means (and their approach to money), the last Burrito King in Los Angeles closed last week, Clare V absolutely did not build a “catio,” a new members’ club debuted in downtown LA, a Boyle Heights teenager got $20mm from the city, Organic Oren is planning an east side pickup location, the Angelenos calling anti-firework sentiment “liberal lunacy,” and an Atwater Village diamond in the rough.
Though Los Angeles is, at its core, a city of reinvention, several constants endure. The ocean is to the west, for example, and the best tacos are at a cart on the corner. You can bring your own drinks to the Hollywood Bowl. The Chateau has bad food, but good vibes. And “creative directors” abound.
Almost everyone in LA has, at one point or another, been envious of a creative director (the lifestyle!), rolled their eyes at one (“is that…a real job?”), admired one’s work, or worked with one.
Creative directors can be found overseeing culture-defining shoots, grabbing drinks at Triste, or sitting at Chainsaw while most Angelenos sit at their desks. Most are extremely talented, and some have rich parents.
In the year or so I’ve been writing this letter, I’ve gotten some form of So what does a creative director actually do? in my inbox dozens of times. Are they all trust funders? some have asked. How do they make money? In an effort to answer these questions once and for all, I asked a bunch of working creative directors myself.
What follows are answers from Jen Brill, Jop van Bennekom, Paulina De La Paz, Ollie Shaw, John Patrikas, Madeline Montoya, Jonathan Burford, and many more.
Independent creative director, designer, and creative consultant
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