You’re Invited! Dining with Cultural Inspirations: Clint Nagata, Founder + Creative Partner of BLINK Design Group

Imagine hosting a dinner party where every detail – from the enchanting venue to the eclectic guest list – reflects the passions and inspirations that have shaped your creative life and work. In this joyful feature, we step into the mind of Clint Nagata, Founder and Creative Partner of BLINK Design Group, to explore his ultimate dinner party with the people who have influenced him as a creative.

Clint is organising a dinner party that is an extension of the spaces his studio creates: sensorial, intentional, and above all, human. His ideal evening? Less of a meal, more of a cultural vignette – where space, scent and soul collide over unexpected conversation!

My Party setup

Venue

My perfect setting is Los 33 – one of the best steak restaurants in Madrid, and not the easiest of places to secure a reservation for. Tucked into the Plaza de las Salesas, it’s part Spain, part Uruguay, all atmosphere. Aside from the incredible food, the setting is beautiful. The space exudes a modern colonial feel with large wooden beams, high ceilings, wicker, a large cocktail bar and, at the back, a small dining room with the main attraction: the grill. This is where my dinner party would take place.

Menu

Call me greedy, but the menu would be everything and anything – made better with fire – would be on the menu. No expense should be spared on dessert to cure my sweet tooth, and of course wine pairings to ensure the evening flows with ease.

Entertainment

Maroon 5, live. I am not ashamed to admit that I have a bit of a man crush on Adam. Love his unique voice.

My Guest List

Johnathan Anderson

What he did at Loewe was alchemy. I love how, under his direction, Loewe flourished and managed to gain a loyal following. His quiet departure said a lot about his character and demeanour. During his time at Loewe, Anderson transformed the brand, infusing it with his signature blend of craftsmanship, surrealism and innovation.

Legendary Hotelier Adrian Zecha.

The man who gave the world Aman. I never tire of hearing how it all began – the friction, the vision, the impossibility of it. I’m curious how he sees the brand now, from the outside. Legends rarely get to reflect in rooms that understand them.

Ed Tuttle

Among his most celebrated works is the Amanpuri hotel in Phuket, for which he was credited with setting a novel standard in resort design.[1] Tuttle’s design style has been described as simple, orderly and tranquil, with a focus on the comfort of a space. He understood both space and furniture.

Aldo Sohm

Master sommelier and, I suspect, part-psychic. Aldo reads rooms, senses moods and orchestrates emotion – all through a glass. If I hadn’t gone into design, being a sommelier would have been the dream. Fewer people know that than know about my love for Adam Levine.

Steve Jobs

One of the greatest storytellers of our time. Jobs had the rare gift of combining technology with soul. His relentless pursuit of purity in design – whether in a phone or a font – still inspires me. But what I’d most love to explore is his ability to edit, to remove everything unnecessary, until only the essential remains. His dinner conversation would no doubt spark reflection, challenge ideas and stir up new ways of seeing the world.

My younger self

Wisdom doesn’t arrive in a single moment. I’d invite my younger self to remind him that what feels seismic now will later feel small, and that the best design, like life, requires both light and shade. Age teaches us to tune out the noise, to recognise what’s real, and to seek stillness in a world obsessed with movement.

Clint Nagata, Founder and Creative Partner of BLINK Design Group

As Founder and Creative Partner, Clint Nagata’s passion for travel, hospitality and design is the inspiration behind BLINK Design Group’s philosophy. Born and raised in the Hawaiian island of Oahu in a Japanese American family, Clint’s enthusiasm and appreciation of design shaped his early years and are now intrinsic to who he is. He has spent a lifetime imagining concepts, delivering considered spaces, and welcoming guests to some of the world’s most desirable destinations. Clint relocated to Thailand nineteen years ago to pursue his mission in creating something stronger than an individual thought, which has become the premise of BLINK.

Clint Nagata spent thirteen years of his career at WATG in Honolulu, Hawaii and left as their youngest partner before establishing BLINK in 2006. His fascination towards Asian Culture and design attracted him to open the first studio in Thailand. BLINK has since expanded its presence in Asia with studios in Shanghai, Singapore and Dubai.

A rising star in the global design stage since its inception, BLINK is a collective of bold thinkers with an open-minded approach that provides the opportunity to explore creative ideas with a restless enthusiasm. Clint’s constant exploration and enjoyment of the world and its diverse cultures and landscapes have shaped BLINK’s culture and attracted and retained some of the best talent in the industry.

In 2017, BLINK acquired the Jaya Interior Design Business (JID), following the founder, Jaya Ibrahim’s, passing in 2015. His admiration of Jaya’s contribution to the Asian design vernacular, the similarity of approach to design and their appreciation for timeless and elegant design are the reason behind Clint’s wish to preserve Jaya’s legacy and ensuring the continuation of his design philosophy.

Clint sets the overall strategic direction for the studios and he oversees each project from conception through the completion phase. Calm, approachable, and thoughtful, his character traits are now evident in every interaction and element of life at BLINK. He is also a frequent speaker at major global design and hospitality conferences. While hotels and resorts remain a core focus of BLINK’s portfolio, Clint and his team have recently expanded into branded residences and luxury spas, collaborating with some of the world’s most prestigious brands