Who

The man who brought cool design to the soccer mom set, ceramicist-turned-home-guru Adler presides over a booming licensing business and an ever-multiplying chain of eponymous retail outlets. His boyfriend is Barneys creative director Simon Doonan.

Backstory

Raised on trippy Marimekko patterns and white Knoll furniture, the New Jersey native knew exactly what he wanted to do when he was a kid: He requested a pottery wheel and kiln for his bar mitzvah. After studying semiotics at Brown and a short-lived stint as a talent agent, he concentrated on his passion for ceramics, landing his big break in 1994 when Barneys placed its first order for his signature striped pots. He opened his first store—a small space on Broome Street selling his groovy-quirky furniture, lighting, bedding, and ceramics—in 1999. The store quickly caught on, attracting attention for cheeky pieces like a set of cookie jars labeled "Quaaludes," "Uppers" and "Downers."

These days Adler rules over a much larger retail fiefdom: There's the relocated flagship on Greene Street, as well as stores on the Upper East Side, East Hampton, LA, Miami, San Francisco, and Chicago. He's landed licensing contracts with a bunch of companies, including Bed Bath & Beyond, and also takes on the occasional interior design commission: He's decorated homes for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Beck, and Sandra Bernhard.

Of note

Adler has been working at full-steam to turn himself into a brand as of late. In 2004, he took his high-low kitsch sensibility to the hotel industry, redecorating the storied Parker Palm Springs. The Times described the Adler-ized Parker (think zebra-skin rugs, Peruvian weavings, and other eccentric accoutrements) as a "kind of dandy Betty Ford clinic." The next year he released a well-publicized lifestyle/design manifesto, My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living. Then there's his growing TV presence: He recently appeared as the lead judge on Bravo's lightly-watched reality decorating show, Top Design, alongside sometime business partner Todd Oldham. He returned to Bravo in July 2007 for Welcome to the Parker, a reality show set at the Adler-designed hotel.

Personal

Getting picked up by Barneys in 1994 wasn't bad for his personal life: He snagged a partner in the process. Simon Doonan, Barneys' creative director, has been by Adler's side since 1995. They live with their dog, Liberace, in a duplex in the Village. (Literary agent Susan Golomb lives in the same building). They also have a condo in Palm Beach and a home on Shelter Island.