COVERSTORY  02.25

Alexandra Howard

Elegant Artistry

Story by Diana Addison Lyle
Photography by Fadil Berisha

My proverbial heat-seeking missile was determinedly directed towards Alexandra Howard for our 2025 New Year cover for valid reasons: this intelligent entrepreneur represents hopefulness in all its affirming forms. Her life is built on valuable substance – the sustenance that has given her the wings to soar. Alexandra Howard creates beautiful environments and moments. She welcomes new horizons and embarks on new journeys with the paint strokes of her vast imagination. Being in her presence is energizing, enlightening and uplifting.

The substance that formed Alexandra’s sturdy foundation in life began in Charleston, South Carolina, where she was born. “I had a wonderful childhood,” she recalls. “Charleston is such a beautiful place to grow up in and live. It’s extraordinarily historic, and it was a quiet, beautiful coastal town when I was a child. Like California, we have good weather almost all the time, and my father was an avid gardener. I shared that same passion, so I spent a lot of time in the garden with him, and I still do. Whenever I come to Charleston, I love being outdoors and it’s there that I lose track of time because nurturing and cultivating living organisms is so satisfying. Being in nature is so important and it allows me to unplug and completely relax.”

Alexandra’s childhood was enhanced by parents who were great role models with strong work ethics.

“My father is a surgeon, and my mother is a nurse, so I grew up profoundly aware of the value of life, and I had a strong interest in medicine and thought that I might go to medical school and become a doctor. I vividly remember my dad having to go into the hospital for emergencies on the weekends and since we lived five minutes away, I would often walk with him to the hospital. We also had a career day at high school, and I went to the ambulatory surgery, and was allowed into the OR to watch what was going on. I found it all incredibly fascinating, but when it came to choosing colleges, I went in a whole other direction.”

Alexandra explains what steered her in that other direction:

“I knew someone who was a great mentor to me. She made these exquisite hats, and I fell in love with millinery, and I particularly loved the Kentucky Derby-style hats.”

“It was my dad who really encouraged me to pursue an art education. He reasoned that I could always go to medical school at some point where I could take science subjects at undergrad level. He said that not everybody had my artistic capability, and he had the foresight to understood how fulfilling it might be for me.”

“I submitted a portfolio of my work and was awarded a merit scholarship to Parsons The New School for Design. I loved my time there and being in New York. I studied drawing, sculpting, painting and architecture in my first semester, and while I enjoyed it, I ALSO recognized that I needed more structure. I was used to a much more rigorous and disciplined education, and I missed more academic subjects, so I discovered there was a program called ‘Design and Management’, an undergraduate business degree with a design focus – so I transferred in during my second semester of my first year. It was the best of both worlds in that I was able to retain the prestigious Parsons component in my curriculum with traditional design programs, but I was also able to take business courses including economics which opened up my career prospects enormously.”

Alexandra’s career trajectory after that was supersonic.

“Straight out of college, I worked for an incredibly prestigious design firm in New York where I collaborated with architects and craftsmen and selected furnishings from Sotheby’s and Christie’s for clients including Tory Burch who was renovating her Southampton estate in New York. It was the greatest birthday gift when they offered me a position in their firm on my birthday. Could life get any better? Daniel Romualdez was the head of the company and my boss, and at the inception, he invited me to a meeting with a client – and I remember the client responding positively to me. Daniel awarded me the project and the client ended up being exceptionally happy with the outcome of our collaboration. I recognized after that how vital it is for a designer to truly understand a client. You can go to the most prestigious firm but the key to success is being able to fully unlock what the client wants. I learned so much from that experience including how to run a business.”

Alexandra grew to have absolute clarity about where her strengths lay in the competitive design world:

“I have the ability to read people well and to discern exactly what they want, which ultimately involves understanding what is important to them. This intuitive sense has served me well. My clients have often expressed their frustration at other designers who foist their opinions on others. The ultimate compliment that I have received from my clients is that I help lead them to discover what they want, and they say it gives them breathing room to be able to figure out who they are in that space.”

Reinvention is revitalizing and an important part of our human growth.

I read people well and that involves understanding what is important to them. My clients say I lead them to discover what they want, and they say it gives them breathing room to be able to figure out who they are in that space

Alexandra’s horizons expanded way beyond design in 2024 because her artistry and statuesque presence have given her multiple career opportunities. While she was approached by many modeling scouts in the last decade, she turned them all down because she she was determined to follow a traditional career path. It was IconicFocus Models’ enormous gain when they asked Alexandra to join them recently, and she agreed.

When world-famous photographer, Fadil Berisha, arrived at Alexandra’s family home in Charleston to do our cover shoot, his creative juices exploded when he saw his muse’s natural ability to move in front of the camera like an exquisite piece of art. It was synergistic heaven as the two gifted artists fed off each other’s expansive vision and color palette, and the pictures produced were breath-taking.

A particularly special dimension of Alexandra’s story is her husband, Brandon von Tobel. Their partnership is one of the most powerful love stories despite a decade that began with pandemic doom and gloom. Alexandra describes the germination of their story:

“Brandon and I went on our first date in 2017. It was definitely attraction at first sight. We had known about each other about 18 months prior, but our lives were on fast track, and only later, did we reconnect. I was at a place in my life where I was feeling very secure, fulfilled and affirmed in my job. I led a very independent NYC life, and I was so content. I didn’t view reconnecting with him as a date. I was just happy to spend my evening with someone interesting and I had no expectations beyond that. Brandon appeared to be enamored with me, and I think that was because I was so comfortable in my skin, and I was my authentic self with nothing to prove. Clearly the dinner went very well because we stayed in close touch, and within a month, we moved in with each other!”

Alexandra emphasizes the importance of their strong foundation of friendship.

“We were instantaneously best friends,” she says. “I think that’s the greatest strength in our relationship. We dated for over three years, and Brandon proposed to me in October 2020 during Covid. Prior to our engagement, we adopted a dog, we designed our New York City apartment together, and we traveled extensively. Every day we spend together is a blast and Brandon has helped me so much with my business. Early on in our relationship, he was adamant that I had reached a stage where I needed to stop working for someone else, and risk going out on my own. He gave me the confidence and helped me to develop the entrepreneurial mindset in order to take that bold step. I went on to design my parents’ home , and it immediately got picked up for the cover of Luxe Magazine. Brandon loves to go antiquing with me, and we shop together all the time. He is my business partner, my best friend, and now my husband.”

This incredibly strong partnership was clearly evident at our cover shoot where Brandon jumped in and prepared all the looks, lined up the clothing, and when Fadil Berisha suggested he join his wife in some of the frames, he brought out his tux without a hitch.

“He’s my greatest supporter,” Alexandra says with deep appreciation. “Everything he does and says is ultra supportive.”

Alexandra feels sure that their commonalities also formed an easy foundation for the relationship to flourish.

“When Brandon and I met, both of us commented on how much we had in common. We were both from the south. Our fathers were doctors, and our mothers were nurses. We grew up around hospitals and it was so easy to relate to one another. My husband went to medical school, graduated from it, but does not practice medicine. He invests in healthcare startups and in healthcare technology. We both grew up in homes where our fathers supported our mothers’ careers and independence. My husband treats me as an absolute equal and is very proud of my success. He encourages my independence and success outside of our marriage.”

Their healthy relationship is steeped in other things too:

“We are both avid readers,” Alexandra says with a passionate voice.

Books enlighten us and help us better understand our fellow human-beings. I grew up in a home where everybody read voraciously and so it became the most natural thing to do, and I am so grateful for that upbringing

The first (of many) favorite books as a couple was ‘The Goldfinch’ by Donna Tartt. I had read it a few months prior to our meeting, and recommended it to Brandon, and he fell in love with it, so the book has a special place in our hearts.”

“I love Russian literature. I’m currently reading ‘War and Peace’ by Tolstoy – which is such a classical book that people will be reading it in 100 years’ time.” I’ve also just gone through a phase of reading John Steinbeck’s works. I’ve read back-to-back ‘Grapes of Wrath’ and ‘East of Eden’, which turned out to be one of my favorite reads of all time. What I appreciated about it is a beautiful tale that is an exploration of topics like familial issues, generational complexities, and the importance of doing the right thing. I particularly love its confirmation of love being so incredibly healing and the best medicine that is out there. My husband read ‘East of Eden’ after I recommended it, and he was equally as blown away by it. We believe it to be one of Steinbeck’s best works.”

We discuss the importance of reading despite its demise in a fast-paced, attention-deficit world. Alexandra explains its relevance eloquently:

“Excellent writing gives you a much better understanding of the world. I know that after studying the characters in a great novel, I come away with a significantly better understanding of someone in my life whom I’ve either greatly admired (and wanted to emulate) or somebody whose complexity has been confusing. Books enlighten us and help us better understand our fellow human-beings. I grew up in a home where everybody read voraciously and so it became the most natural thing to do, and I am so grateful for that upbringing.”

There’s a therapeutic component, too, for Alexandra.

“Reading calms me,” she confirms. “Whenever I become afraid of something, I research everything about it and that collation of facts takes care of the fear of the unknown. Knowledge nullifies fear. It’s particularly pertinent to my personality because I’m hyper aware of my surroundings, and so educating myself on the area of anxiety is the best stress reduction tool. I think, intrinsically, I chose my husband partly because he has a brilliant mind and he’s so well read on so many subjects, and I take great comfort in being in his presence because he helps me to work through things rationally. I think I do the same for him. I am a calming and reassuring place he can come to for an opinion or a discussion that sheds light on something. It really works for us.”

Alexandra’s recipe for happiness lies in the simplest routines of life.

“Our favorite past-time is to wake up really early in the morning, and we love to go for long walks. We’ll often walk to our local bakery, buy a newspaper, and savor that simple ritual. After that we’ll work out. We typically go for another walk in the evening. It’s a wonderful opportunity to download our week’s activities with each other. When we are in New York we love to go to plays and museums, but otherwise, it’s the simple things that we most enjoy. We have no need or desire to do anything elaborate”

I ask Alexandra what her thought process was when she designed their Charleston home – where our shoot took place.

Alexandra and Brandon

A lot of pieces in my home come from my great grandparents, and the Asian antiques form a huge part of my history. My father was born in India to an American family. He was raised in the Philippines and three generations of my family amassed these incredible pieces

“I believe that a home will tell you what it needs, and the rooms speak to you,” she says with conviction. “That is particularly true of historical homes with a specific type of beautiful architecture. In my case, I bought a home that had a formal living room and a formal dining room, and I wanted to maintain those aesthetics. I also believe that a home should reflect and maintain your identity. I never do a project where everything is purchased from scratch. It’s so important to incorporate things from one’s life. I encourage all my clients to do this because it’s part of their unique life story.”

Alexandra’s family has a fascinating international story intertwined in their history and she explains:

“A lot of pieces that people love in my home come from my great grandparents, and the Asian antiques form a huge part of my history. My father was born in India to an American family. He was raised in the Philippines and three generations of my family amassed these incredible pieces. The textures and the colors spoke to me, and I wanted to really bring to life the reds and the oranges. There is always one piece in the room that informs my direction. I never go into any room with a blank slate. If it’s a client with whom I’m working, they might have a fabric that they fell in love with, and that becomes the central point of the developing story in that room. Every piece in my home has something meaningfully significant that evokes strong memories. Legacies are so important. That’s the character and the flavor of the home – the depths of our roots and souls.”

Travel wise, Alexandra enthuses about a recent trip she made to Japan:

“I have never felt more at home than I did with the Japanese culture. They do everything with tremendous thought put into their action, be it the manner in which their food is presented or the way in which they fold a napkin. When we’d purchase something from a store, they took such pride in how they wrapped the package. Recently I watched my husband emptying a complex coffee grinder and I asked him how he’d figured it out. He responded that he went through the mindset of the Japanese.”

Alexandra’s traveling bucket list has some wonderful places on the wish map:

“I’ve been to India and Vietnam, but I’d love to explore more of Asia, and I’d love to explore more of the parts of Europe where our families are from.”

Achieving happiness is attainable if you learn to enjoy the simplest daily routines in life. A thoughtfully prepared, tasty meal goes a long way to making me happy, and being able to share that with a loving partner makes it extra special

When I ask Alexandra to pretend that it is her birthday where she can have any food that she wishes, she replies with an ‘OPA’ amount of enthusiastic energy:

“Greek food! Love everything about it including Horiatiki salad and grilled fish with vegetables. We love to cook at home and find it a wonderfully collaborative process.”

Alexandra’s celebration of life expanded her design business into event planning, all under her company’s umbrella, AlexandraHowardInc. She explains:

“This side of my business all morphed organically and compatibly because when I’d finish designing someone’s home, they’d want a celebration afterwards, and they’d ask me to style together an event that was especially pertinent. There’s nothing I enjoy more than helping people create beautiful homes that speak to who they are, and then I create the right environment for a celebratory milestone. It’s all about relationships and life-long memories. Those occasions are so important because when they are multi-generational, oftentimes it’s the last time all the family members are together because maybe someone passes away soon afterwards. Whether it’s a small dinner party, or a large gathering or the celebration of a birthday, a retirement or a wedding, it’s wonderful to be surrounded by people who bring kindness, love and happiness into the world.”

Alexandra is crystal clear about what fulfils her.

“It’s really important to fall in love with yourself and fall in love with life itself,” she emphasizes

.

“While you might not be able to control what is happening in the world, you can control what you put forth and what you contribute to the world. Achieving happiness is attainable if you learn to enjoy the simplest daily routines in life. A thoughtfully prepared, tasty meal goes a long way to making me happy, and being able to share that with a loving partner makes it extra special. We don’t drink expensive coffee, but it’s the act of going out to buy a simple cup of coffee that makes us content. We know the name of our barista and that human recognition adds another satisfying element to our day. Frankly, just the act of waking up makes us happy. Sitting in the park watching people; all those basic things create the genuine pleasures in life. We love our dog Chewie so much, and when we go out to dinner, we cannot wait to get back to Chewie. It’s those simple joys that uplift us.”

My investigative missile produced some of the wisest nuggets from our elegant cover story beauty. In 2025 may we all find the fundamentally essential pleasures that Alexandra has so reassuringly communicated.

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