18 DIGS.NET | 7.9.2021
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P R O F I L E | E S T U D I O P E R S O N A
SERENDIPITY LED Emiliana Gonzalez and Jessie Young
to become both friends and business partners. Originally
from Montevideo, Uruguay, where they were acquain-
tances, the two young women only got to know each other
once they moved to Los Angeles independently. Being
far from their native country and having to start from scratch
in such a big city naturally brought them closer together and
eventually resulted in the cofounding of a design studio.
Launched in 2014, Estudio Persona — which, in Spanish,
means the study of a person, as a nod to Gonzalez and Young's
favorite Ingmar Bergman film — reflects the cultural heritage
of the duo who have found their way on the West Coast, now
working with interior designers and brands all over the world.
Their deeply collaborative process allows them to create uncon-
ventional design pieces with sculptural lines inspired by natural
forms that they describes as "a distinctly neutral and minimal
take on the monochromatic melancholy of their native Uruguay."
Particularly influenced by the classic cinema and architec-
ture from the 20th century, Gonzalez and Young nurture their
work through their analysis and interpretation of the Art Deco
movement — which they particularly like for its geometry and
sensuality — and the Brutalism in Uruguay — which was char-
acterized by its modernity, rationality, angles and rawness. The
work of Japanese architect Tadao Ando and American artist Carl
Andre were also the starting point for two of their collections,
Vol. 1 and Connection, respectively.
S
COLLECTION CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
SEGMENT-YOSHIHIRO MAKINO;
VOL. 1-ANDREA FRANCO; FLOW-STEFANO GALLI;
CONNECTION-PIA RIVEROLA;
PHOTOS:
PIA
RIVEROLA;
STEPHANO
GALLI;
YOSHIHIRO
MAKINO;
ANDREA
FRANCO
