He not-so-fondly remembers his hometown as “a steel town where they all thought I was from the moon. Oddly enough no one in my family had any taste.” When he was just a boy, Laslo went on to ask his poor mother, “why is this house so ugly?”

An artist-in-the-making, it seems his taste was formed even as a small child. It was no surprise that Laslo went on to win a coveted scholarship to the Philadelphia College of Art. Laslo pounced on a cash award to study in Europe, only to hurry to New York instead. He remembers “when you are young you don’t worry about the rules, but with some hard knocks you finally catch on”.

As an impoverished youth, Laslo opted to rent a glamorous, full floor apartment with fourteen foot ceilings in Washington Square Park, which he painted completely white and promptly installed the only piece he could afford - a grand Waterford chandelier and nothing else. But Laslo was too young to realize his predicament and says, “I was happy anyway and I would pilfer some flowers instead of calling Renny where I had to pay!”

In New York, Laslo first worked at Doyle, Dane and Bernbach Advertising Agency as the art director, where he was much-in-demand as a talented illustrator. His talent was a  coveted commodity in the days before Photoshop and final-cut PR. Laslo created illustrations for such notable magazines as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, GQ, Playboy and the New York Times. He painted and illustrated entire issues of the New York Times, his favorite being the ‘Fashion of the Times’ and covers he created of Jackie Onassis and Elton John. Later these covers would come up for sale at auction, much to Laslo’s amusement.

With his spare time devoted to madcap dancing, the young Laslo hated to take time to smell the roses. His early work included the mind-blowing task of re-designing the venerable Bergdorf Goodman in late 1980’s. Bergdorf’s was the sleepy dowager of the carriage trade until Laslo vamped it up with glamour and luxurious materials. This project led to Laslo being the designer that scored the most coveted retail design project in recent history, Japan’s Takashimaya store on 5th Avenue.

He recollects fondly, “ it was the first time and the last time when I heard money was no object.  Now they don’t give you cab fare home. I thought this is the way of all jobs."  Laslo reflects on this early naiveté, “I never though of myself as lucky and I never thought I was unfortunate. But I remembering traveling on the Orient Express working on Bergdorf Goodman and thinking, what am I going to do next? Little did I realize that I was in hog heaven .“  He says of his youth, “when you are young you are impossibly ambitious and careless.” From the outside it seems more like Laslo could write a Dummies book on how to conquer the design world. And yes, it does seem as though it was effortless. But Laslo admits, “There was no Crate and Barrel and no Pottery Barn.”

Laslo operated on “pure instinct” in those early days looking at what was coveted and sold well at the high-end stores. He created his own uniquely 'Laslo' creations for that category. He says “it’s like the Gap - they saw the gap - what was missing - and they filled it.”

Now, Laslo is the first to be amused when his designs show up on Ebay or his staff bring back thrift store or antique stores finds only to have Laslo quip, “ you just bought Larry Laslo.” In LA recently, Laslo stumbled on a vintage Laslo display of the silver he had done in the 1980’s for Towle Silver at the chic Maxfield boutique and “there was this 19 year old kid, this salesman, in even tighter black pants that I was wearing and he said I thought you’d be dead by now and I said no dear, I am very much alive.”

Alive and kicking with collections for Mikasa, John Widdicomb, Ferguson Copeland, Directional, Royal Limoges, Springs Industries, Frederick Cooper, Rosenbaum, Haeger and now a stunning new fabric collection for Robert Allen.  He is wowed by the new Robert Allen collection, which is “a total room concept” including fabrics and furniture, down to drapery rods and everything for the bed except the sheets.

He is thrilled with the collaboration and as he says,
”it’s nice to be allowed to design and have your voice heard - and to have people know that it is incredibly difficult to be both an interior designer or a fashion designer AND a product designer - Ralph (Lauren) gets it!” So does Laslo. It is no wonder that last year Laslo was chosen as Best Product Designer by IFDA and has received the distinction of being chosen one of the best one hundred designers by House Beautiful in October of 1999 and 2002.

Despite his almost dizzying array of accomplishments, Larry still holds some aspirations for the future. He would like to publish a book showcasing both his art and his interior design. And if he could just find the time, now he would love to finally go to Europe and study the arts. As multi-talented as Larry is, drawing and painting remain his favorite expressions of art, so Europe beckons at long last.

What direction is your
style compass pointed to this fall?
Fashion: I love everything from jeans with no socks and a cashmere sweater to a bespoke suit from Dior or Boateng, where I can barely lift my arms because the suits are so tight and fitted.   I have my limo shoes and then there are my shoes where I can walk in water up to my ankles. I have a life that balances between fantasy and reality. I walk a fine line.

Restaurant: From dives to chic grand restaurants. From JG Melons for a grilled cheese and martini…the bartender there sees me coming down the hill and she’s
already shaking my Kettle One martini to Daniel Boulud to Cipriani at the Sherry Netherland - the rest bores me - the mediocre. However,  I love the Carlyle.

Fabric: There is not a color that I don’t like except the big prints in fuchsia on silks and jacquards. I love home spun things that are sweet or sparkle. Most people don’t do it that way…something nubby with shimmer. All nub or all shine is boredom.

Travel: Anywhere. I travel half the year from Capri to Venice to the South of France to the gigs I have to do in Cleveland and Highpoint but I enjoy it all. There is always something to be amused or entertained by.

Entertaining: I don’t really cook but I set a mean table and I display things beautifully. I am up to a nine on the microwave… it’s too hard to make a 10. I have all kinds of things that I have designed but I don’t limit myself, I mix it all. I am not one of those people who think “I invented red.”

Inspiration: Is everywhere. I see a dog’s tail wag or a color on a building I take a photograph and it all is inspiring.

Gardening: My idea of gardening is like my idea of housekeeping. I cut something and bring it in or I windex a small table; that’s my version of housekeeping.

Music: from Ertha Kitt to Ella Fitzgerald to the Pet Shop Boys to Patsy Cline to doo wop… I love to dance and it’s a combination of Pee Wee Herman and Martha Graham.

Books: I’m half way through the Carmel Snow book. She was the legendary Harpers Bazaar editor but I’m a periodical lunatic and TV watcher.

Retail Store: Bergdorfs. I’m loyal and I can always find something fabulous.

Gift: It depends on the person but flowers if it’s the right moment or Maison du Chocolat and I’m doing two houses now in Mexico so I bring back all this silver for gifts from silver crocodiles and jewelry to hammered dishes.

Museum: The Metropolitan where there is always something there.

Hotel: I am loving the Hotel Claridge’s in London.