Nothing was going to keep architect Elizabeth Graziolo from her date with AD PRO last week—not even a fractured knee. On September 16, the founder and principal of Yellow House Architects arrived at One World Trade Center on crutches for the inaugural AD PRO Design Dialogues, Architectural Digest’s day-long design summit held high above New York City.
The previous weekend, while visiting family in Toronto, Graziolo had been struck by an e-bike, suffering the painful injury just days before she was scheduled to speak. Despite the setback, she refused to bow out of her commitments.
“I delayed my surgery until next week so I could make it here!” she said of the panel discussion she was headlining alongside fellow architect Michael K. Chen. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
Graziolo’s unwavering dedication set the tone for an event that drew creative professionals from across the country. AD PRO Directory members flew in from Phoenix, Chicago, Miami, and beyond to participate in a full day of expert-led panels, interactive discussions, and targeted networking opportunities, while countless others tuned in via a live stream to catch the insights.
The day’s discussions featured some of the most prominent names in the industry, including Heidi Caillier, Corey Damen Jenkins, and Stephen Kent Johnson. Eschewing the superficial gloss often found in industry conferences, the talks were notable for being honest, practical, and refreshingly unfiltered.
Core topics tackled during the summit addressed the realities of modern practice, ranging from how to build, promote, and scale a design business to exploring the freshest approaches to color theory, examining powerful new kitchen technologies, and offering a rare glimpse into how Architectural Digest editors decide what ultimately gets published in the magazine.
For many attendees, the transparency from publication staff was an eye-opener. “Pulling the curtain away was really helpful,” said architect Tana Nesbitt-Hayes of New York’s Studio8 Architect, an AD PRO Directory member since 2024. Eyeing her own studio’s growth, Nesbitt-Hayes noted that she hung onto every word of Caillier’s conversation with AD’s Global Interiors and Garden Director, Alison Levasseur, where the AD100 designer revealed the inner workings of how she successfully manages a fully remote staff.
Building and maintaining relationships proved to be a consistent, overarching theme across the entire day, resonating just as strongly off the stage as it did during formal presentations. During lunch, which was hosted in the Conde Nast cafeteria, AD editors and summit attendees mingled freely, breaking bread and exchanging ideas in a more casual setting.
At one table, architect Lauren Schlesinger of Glickman Schlesinger and Jeffrey Ramirez, brand designer at The Up Studio, engaged in a deep dive regarding the nuances of real estate development. Nearby, designers Amanda Hickam of Harper Harris Design, Manon Roux of Atelier Roux, Rebecca Roberts of Method Moxie, and Shani Core of Shani Core Interiors swapped practical advice on the latest digital applications and specialized cameras used for measuring as-built conditions on complex architectural projects.
Across the room, photographer Haris Kenjar, AD100 designer Leyden Lewis, and architect Erik Peterson of PHX Architecture gathered to swap valuable industry intel and discuss the shifting landscape of high-end residential design.
“There is something incredibly powerful about getting talented, creative people together and allowing conversations to happen organically,” remarked Amanda Hickam, founder of the Birmingham, Alabama-based interiors studio Harper Harris Design, capturing the collaborative spirit that defined the afternoon.
As the afternoon sessions progressed, the dialogue shifted toward broader creative strategies and the realities of sustaining a decades-long career at the top of the profession. The formal panels concluded with a high-profile keynote conversation featuring AD’s Global Editorial Director and U.S. Editor-in-Chief, Amy Astley, in discussion with AD100 Hall of Fame talent Kelly Wearstler.
Wearstler, who notably diverted a planned trip to Europe specifically to attend the AD event, spoke with characteristic candor. During the headline conversation, she shared strategic insights on managing her company’s six distinct creative verticals, discussed the stumbles and missteps she encountered on her path to global success, and explained how she relentlessly continues to seek out new sources of inspiration while planning for the long-term future of her brand.
Following a packed day dedicated to forging new connections, strengthening existing partnerships, and catching up with old friends across the design community, the summit officially wrapped with an exclusive evening reception. Attendees gathered for rooftop cocktails at the elegant downtown townhouse of the André Putman Studio, bringing a successful close to a landmark day for the architectural and design industries.
The AD PRO Design Dialogues took place on September 26, 2026.