It’s no secret that Miami is heating up. The sweet southern city is one of the hottest markets in the United States. Miami Dade’s government website says the city is expected to welcome more than 3 million residents, up from an estimated 2.4 million in 2005. Much of its recent boom is due in part to Covid-related migration. , as well as the attractiveness of the climate and the beaches and, of course, because Florida does not levy any income tax. It has also become an increasingly important business center, with billionaire titans such as Carl Icahn and Orlando Bravo moving their operations there. But much of its development is due to its reigning real estate king, Craig Robins. He played an integral role in the revitalization of South Beach in the late 1980s and 1990s before turning his attention to the city’s downtown area by introducing an elegant luxury shopping center, the Miami Design District, in 2005. It spans 18 blocks and is home to an array of high-end boutiques, from Louis Vuitton to Van Cleef & Arpels. More recently, his real estate development company, Dacra, submitted plans for a swanky 20-story apartment building on the south end of that same neighborhood.
But when he’s not busy transforming Miami’s skyline, he’s traveling to far-flung locations to kayak or tending to his considerable art collection of more than 1,000 pieces. With Art Basel Miami Beach In full swing this month, expect it to be at many of the parties happening across the city. Here, he gives us a glimpse of what’s got his attention these days.
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What have you done recently for the first time?
Jump from rock to rock in flip-flops in the Grand Canyon.
Which apps do you use the most?
Certainly reminders as well as Audible, Kindle, Instagram, voice memos and Komoot.
What advice would you have liked to follow?
When I first started in business, I was always anxious and intense. My father said, “You need to calm down. » And I said, “I can’t.” I’ll calm down when I’ve done this, this and this. And he replied, “As soon as you have accomplished these three things, there will be three more.” » Eventually I followed him, but it took a while.
What do you wear most often in your wardrobe?
I have a collection of unique T-shirts from Urs Fischer.
How to find calm?
I read quite a bit. And being in nature, I really like camping. I like being off the grid.
What is your favorite cocktail and how do you prepare it?
When I drink, I usually just have a beer. I don’t drink much. I really like natural coconut water from coconuts in our garden.
Who is your guru?
There are a lot of different people who have had a big influence on me. My wife is my guru. She has this incredible ability to run a business, be a mother, be a wife and lead her family. In the sense of finding a certain identity, Adin Steinsaltz. In business: my father, Chris Blackwell, and Tony Goldman. In art, it’s Jack Tilton and Jeffrey Deitch.
What is the most recent thing you added to your collection?
I recently acquired a painting by the German artist Jana Euler and an astonishing work by Bisa Butler. Bisa creates these amazing figurative works that almost resemble a form of tapestry creativity. And Jana has this amazing painting technique: the most recent one I acquired looks like an upside-down cityscape. I try to find artists that I want to collect in depth.
Who is your reseller and what do they source for you?
For many years I worked with Jack Tilton, until his passing. Now I work with Jeffrey (Deitch) on my art collection. For furniture design, I source from Design Miami. It’s this incredible moment when the best collectible designs in the world come together.
What does success look like to you?
When I have a really deep connection, I feel like what I’m doing has real meaning.
Where do you find your clothes?
I do all my shopping – this will probably surprise you – in the Miami Design District. There is Gucci, Louis Vuitton, DiorAnd Tom Fordbut I also like smaller, more creative brands, like Rick Owens. I am extremely excited to see Pharrell’s new collection for Louis Vuitton. I think it will be a transcendent moment in menswear.
What is your favorite hotel?
The White Horse in Paris. When Pharrell did his first Louis Vuitton show on the Pont Neuf, where the hotel is, we had a room right around the corner. So for the last song Jay-Z performed, I went up to our room and greeted my kids, who were still at the concert.
Who do you admire most and why?
Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton for science, who are transcendent people over such long periods of time. In art, it’s this period of modernism with Picasso and Duchamp. In business, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. In general, people who really change the world.
What cars are you most attached to?
I really think the best cars in the world right now are Tesla, their E vehicles. I had my first You’re here in 2013, their Model S. Six years later, I traded it in for the Model 3.
What is worth paying for?
Peace.
Do you still write letters?
Not long ago, I did something I hadn’t done in years. I wrote a five-page handwritten letter. There was a family member who was very close to me and I wanted her to know how much I cared about her.
What music makes you happy?
Classic rock like the Rolling Stones. As a more contemporary band, I like U2.
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