SNS meets Christine Espinal

For the release of the Nike Air Max 1 "Blueprint", SNS sat down with Brooklyn-based spatial designer @christineespinal_ to talk over her design process and where she draws inspiration from.

SNS : Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do? How did you get started in this field?

Christine : I'm Christine Espinal, Spatial Designer, currently based in Brooklyn NY. I design spaces, furniture, and objects. I started my studies in Interior Design at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, later continued at the Fashion Institute of Technology. At FIT I took several woodworking classes and found a love for making furniture.

SNS : Where do you draw inspiration from at the moment?

Christine : My recent trip to Mexico City with the Lichen team has been incredibly inspiring. From the colors of the city to the music and warmth of everyone we interacted with, it all impacted me.

SNS : You're an ex SNS NYC staff member and a big sneaker fan. Do you ever bring elements from sneakers and/or fashion into your design process when making furniture?

Christine : Footwear has always fascinated me. In sneakers, specifically, it's so interesting the way an everyday object can tell a story through shapes, forms, and colors. Similarly, spaces can communicate concepts through the same elements. However, I would say architecture and furniture design influence my taste in clothing and footwear as opposed to the other way around.

SNS : What is iconic design to you?

Christine : An Iconic design is one that is timeless. It is a design that you look at and see the past, present, and future all at once.