Fostering Identities: Matter, Culture, Technology
Manufacturing processes that deploy natural materials bind communities to places where they are sourced and processed. How deeply globalization of trades influences this relationship? What answers can the creative communities give to a widely diffused call for conveying the local in all expressions of lifestyle?
Federica Minozzi
CEO, Iris Ceramica Group
Federica is the CEO of Iris Ceramica Group, having joined the family business in 1997 after graduating with honor in law. Throughout her tenure, she has launched pioneering ceramic innovations and certified smart solutions that have earned the Group numerous awards. Her vision is to re-engineer ceramics by developing stellar, sustainable materials with an outstanding beauty for high-end applications.
Lidewij Edelkoort
Trend Forecaster, Curator, Activist
Lidewij Edelkoort is arguably the world's most renowned trend forecaster, working in industries from design and fashion to food, architecture, beauty, communication, automotive and retail. Founded in 1986, her company Trend Union produces trend tools for strategists, designers and marketers at brands from Zara to Prada. She is also a publisher, humanitarian, educator and exhibition curator. Edelkoort has been named one of the Most Influential People in Fashion and one of the Most Influential People in Design.
Sumaya Dabbagh
Founder, Dabbagh Architects
Founded by Sumaya Dabbagh, the Saudi architect is at the forefront of women in architecture in the Middle East. She is one of the few Saudi women of her generation to train as an architect, and one of the first women to found her own practice in the UAE. In 2019 Sumaya won the title ‘Principal of the Year” at the Middle East Architects Awards, and became a finalist at The Tamayouz Award for Women of Outstanding Achievements.