Meet: April Renee Graves
- Written byGiada Maestra
- Published date 21 January 2026
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In a recent interview, we caught up with Central Saint Martin's alumna April Renee Graves, now COO and partner at Aria Stone Gallery in Dallas, Texas, which offers a curated collection of hand-selected, exotic natural stones sourced from some of the world’s most exclusive quarries.
Here, she reflects on her role and vision for the gallery, as well as how her time at UAL has shaped her practice.
Hi April! Tell us more about yourself and your background.
I come from a background in fashion design, branding, and textiles, which has deeply shaped the way I think about material, storytelling, and experience. I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Textiles and Interiors from Seattle Pacific University before moving to London. In London, I worked in Burberry’s Press office, followed by designing menswear for Duchamp London, amongst other special projects. After a decade of working, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree at Central Saint Martins (CSM). Creativity has always been my lens for understanding the world - whether through fashion, branding, or now natural stone.
In 2020, I was named Partner and Chief Operating Officer of luxury brand Aria Stone Gallery, following my instrumental role in establishing the company’s brand presence beginning in 2014. Today, I balance leadership at Aria Stone Gallery with life as a wife and mother, while continuing to build a brand that challenges conventions in a traditionally male-dominated industry.
How was your experience studying at UAL?
Studying at Central Saint Martins (CSM) UAL was transformative. It pushed me to think beyond traditional structures and gave me the confidence to trust imagination as a valid and powerful professional tool. UAL encouraged curiosity, risk-taking, and self-definition - qualities that continue to guide my work today.
What was the highlight of the Applied Imagination in the Creative Industries course at Central Saint Martins (CSM)? How have your studies at CSM influenced your creative practice, work, or approach?
It had been a childhood goal of mine to be the first person in my family to attend undergraduate university as well as earn a Master’s degree. I was thrilled by the challenge of getting into Central Saint Martins, and I loved the idea of a degree titled ‘Applied Imagination’. There was something delightfully disruptive about it, and the corporate lens of America is very boxing. I often joke about the comic value of telling American executives I have a Master’s in ‘Applied Imagination’ - but that light-heartedness is very much who I am when I’m unstressed.
If a company needs that degree translated into something more conventional, like ‘Design Studies’, then it’s probably not the right fit for me. We have just as much power to interview companies as they do us.
My thesis explored multi-sensory branding - developing brand languages that integrate emotional and human-centered design. That research became the foundation for how I approach every brand experience across all media forms.
At Aria Stone Gallery, this mark can be seen in everything from curated stone collections to showroom design. Early on, I introduced elements like custom candle scents and tailored music playlists to create a fully immersive, multi-sensory environment and events like an artistic pop-up in New York for an immersive 360-degree quarry video installation paired with yoga classes, art installations, and avant-garde fashion designers who were fellow cohorts from Central Saint Martins. Today, those principles remain integral to how the brand is experienced globally.
You’re now the COO and a partner at Aria Stone Gallery in Dallas, Texas - congratulations! Could you tell us more about this role?
Thank you. My role at Aria changes daily, which is something I love. When I joined, the brand was still in its early stages, and I helped develop its identity, strategy, and creative direction. Today, I oversee operations, branding, marketing, designer collaborations, and special collections. Aria Stone Gallery is physically located in Dallas, Texas; however, our projects span across America as well as across the globe, such as London, Fiji, Tokyo, and I also travel internationally with clients to custom-source rare and exceptional natural stones, ensuring every selection is as distinctive as the project it serves. I led Aria’s expansion into additional markets and spearheaded the launch of the first-ever e-commerce platform dedicated to natural stone in 2017 - a move that positioned Aria Stone Gallery as an international brand.
What is your strategy or vision for Aria Stone Gallery?
Our vision is not to be everything to everyone. I do not buy fit a standard stock list and being a privately owned company affords me the opportunity to one-off materials that are truly unique. We push the envelope and buy materials that are new to the market and typically not what other companies would invest in. Every stone in our collection is hand-selected.
We curate intentionally, selecting only stones that best represent each material category while offering transparency, including disclosing pricing publicly, a disruption to the stone industry. We challenge both ourselves and our collaborators to push creative boundaries while maintaining authenticity to the natural stone’s character and form. Aria Stone Gallery is about experience, education, and storytelling - not just selling stone.
Do you have any advice for UAL students and alumni who want to work in a gallery?
Be open. Never in a million years did I think I would move from fashion and branding into the natural stone industry that displays materials in a gallery format. It has been the most rewarding chapter of my career. Look for environments where people are passionate and tenacious - not places where creativity is reduced to a paycheck. The right opportunity often appears when you’re not looking for it.
Do you have any advice for UAL students and alumni who want to showcase their work in a gallery? How does the Gallery select artists for its roster?
Understand the gallery’s identity before approaching them. Galleries aren’t just selecting work - they’re building narratives. We look for artists and collaborators whose work aligns with our values, aesthetic standards, and willingness to push boundaries. Authenticity matters far more than trend alignment.
