Dre Shapiro, The Biography Interview
Meet Dre Shapiro, Founder & Design Principle of Dre Design and Founder & Curator of Lacuna. In Conversation with AllSwell Creative Founder, Laura L. Rubin.
This is a guest blog post in collaboration with Biography.
You’ve heard of “triple-threats,” those rare talents who demonstrate excellence in three different areas - such as piano, bass and drums. Well, to use that musical analogy, the wildly creative Dre Shapiro would be able to play just about every instrument in the band, as well as design the stage set, paint the album art, and host the after-party.
When I originally met her about a decade ago in Venice, CA we were both East Coast transplants who loved to surf. We had loads of friends in common but had never connected, despite overlapping tribes on the east end of Long Island. I was newer to the West Coast and people kept saying to me, “Well, you know Dre Shapiro.” But I didn’t. They were uniformly shocked and said we should meet because we were like sisters. And they were right. Except she is like my much cooler big sister.
At the time Dre was already a painter and sought after D.J., but it was in the process of digging into the renovation of her own home in Mar Vista that she connected with her calling to transform spaces. In short order she had launched her design firm, Dre Design, with a client roster bursting with residential and commercial projects, resulting in the emergence of her trademark sexy-cool style of environments that are also comfortable, livable / workable.
I can attest to that first hand, she helped me overhaul my beloved bungalow in Venice. It’s a dicey prospect, collaborating with a friend on something as personal as your living space. But Dre is so exciting to co-create with, and has such unique, inspiring ideas that the process brought us even closer. My admiration only grew.
Dre’s appetite for design continued to seek new outlets. She had a clear vision for what the Los Angeles creative scene was missing, and with her latest endeavor she’s filling it. The newly-opened Lacuna is a hybrid indoor-outdoor event space, photo / video studio, and a showplace for local artisans. A triple-threat, essentially.
I had the pleasure of collaborating with Dre again recently on a custom AllSwell mindful writing workshop for Biography at Lacuna. They asked me to interview her, utilizing some of the journaling prompts I’d created for the Biography Questionnaire.
Read on and get to know my friend a bit better…
Laura: Let’s dive right into the deep end. What qualities do you most admire in a person? What qualities do you most admire in yourself?
Dre: I admire so many qualities in people, such as integrity, compassion, passion, intelligence, grace, perseverance, a sense of style. In myself, in no particular order, I most admire my passion, ability to uber-multitask, loyalty, creativity, style, getting things done versus waiting until “someday.”
Laura: I have witnessed you uber-multitask and it’s a thing of beauty. Speaking of beauty, how has your idea of beauty changed over time?
Dre: I have come to appreciate natural beauty more and more, especially in a time where seemingly everyone is getting plastic surgery, repeatedly altering their faces. I appreciate women (and men) who age naturally and show their wrinkles.
I’ve always preferred the look of women who don’t wear a lot of makeup. When I was a teenager it was fun to experiment with everything (eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick, blush, you name it). But these days I keep it minimal and simple.
Laura: To me, that sounds very much in keeping with Lacuna’s aesthetic. You really let the beauty of the materials shine through. Every finishing, every texture. It’s all simple, natural with an almost sculptural elegance.
It’s no secret that you throw some of the best parties on the West Side. You seem to know (and like) pretty much everyone, and the feeling is mutual. Community is clearly important to you. What community or group has helped you become more you?
Dre: Surfing created a whole new world for me. I first learned to surf in San Francisco, but soon after Montauk became my home break and the surf community there changed my life. Not only was I part of something that I loved (to the point of obsession), but I also felt a part of a group of people that I loved, too. Surfing is a great way to meet people and travel the world - you feel connected to fellow surfers wherever you go.
It was an interesting combination of feeling part of something bigger, though surfing is such an inherently solo sport. I could show up to the beach by myself, and then instantly jump into the lineup and join the conversation. Or you can choose to be peaceful and enjoy a session on your own.
Surfing has given me a new skill that helped me tremendously physically. I was in the best shape of my life when surfing everyday, while also being in nature and benefitting from the more spiritual aspects of proximity to the ocean.
Laura: As you know, I have a similar story. Surfing changed my priorities, professionally and personally. It shifted my definition of success. What are the elements of how you define success? Have those elements changed since five years ago? Ten years ago?
Dre: To me, happiness is the ultimate mark of success. In my world that mix looks like career fulfillment, optimum health and great relationships. With that said, success itself for me is being able to make a living doing what you love while enjoying that process. Thankfully, I’m living my dream.
Laura: Living the dream! Okay, speaking of dreams I have one last question. It’s a fun one. If you could have any singing voice in the world, whose would it be - and where would you want to sing?
Dre: Just to be able to be a rockstar in itself would be super cool and fun. But I would love to sing like Stevie Nicks at Wembley. I love her rasp and tone. “Edge of Seventeen” is one of my all-time-favorite songs. And if I could be a male singer it would be Mick Jagger, also at Wembley. He’s such a badass even today, about to turn 80.
Laura: I’d wager that you’ll be a badass into your 80’s, too, Ms. Shapiro.
For more, follow along Shapiro’s adventures at @dre_design and @lacunaspacela.
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