Speakers 2014
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Abha Narain Lambah
Abha Narain Lambah has been the recipient of the Charles Wallace Fellowship, the Sanskriti Award, Eisenhower Fellowship and eight UNESCO Awards for Co...Read Morenservation, among others. Her work covers conservation projects ranging from ancient Buddhist sites of Bodh Gaya and Ajanta to medieval monuments in Ladakh, Punjab, Orissa and Hampi and colonial buildings in Mumbai, Kolkata, Shimla and New Delhi.
Abhishek Lodha
Managing Director of Lodha Developers Ltd, he holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Techn...Read Moreology, USA. He joined the group in 2003 and helms the design, construction and corporate planning functions. Good design to him is a reflection of users’ needs in an aesthetic and functionally superior manner.
Amit Syngle
Managing Director & CEO, Asian Paints Ltd
As Asian Paints' Chief Operating Officer, Amit Syngle is the man behind India’s only research based colour trend prediction system. Amit has been re...Read Moresponsible for propelling the brand into a league of its own and has heralded several business initiatives over the last decade. In a first for the brand, Nilaya by Asian Paints collaborated with celebrated couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee to launch a new line of handcrafted wallpapers that highlight authentic craftsmanship with contemporary flair.
Instagram: @asianpaints
Channa Daswatte
...Read More as a memorial for his grandmother, which is today considered legendary. He has written widely on Sri Lankan architecture and in 2006, together with photographer Dominic Sansoni, he published ‘Sri Lanka Style’. He then authored “Colonial Furniture in the Geoffrey Bawa Collection” in 2012."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">One of Sri Lanka’s leading architects, he started his career with a bus shelter design as a memorial for his grandmother, which is today considered legendary. He has written widely on Sri Lankan architecture and in 2006, together with photographer Dominic Sansoni, he published ‘Sri Lanka Style’. He then authored “Colonial Furniture in the Geoffrey Bawa Collection” in 2012.
David Abraham
...Read Moreccessful resources in fashion, accessories and textile products. His brand’s repertoire has been acquired for the permanent archives of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and has been displayed over several exhibitions on contemporary Indian design the world over. "}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">Co-founder of the label, Abraham & Thakore (A&T), he is one of India’s most successful resources in fashion, accessories and textile products. His brand’s repertoire has been acquired for the permanent archives of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and has been displayed over several exhibitions on contemporary Indian design the world over.
Gunjan Gupta
Gunjan Gupta’s work borders between design and art with the unique philosophy that captures the cultural narrative and paradoxes of India. With her ...Read Morework showcased at leading design fairs, like Design Miami, Art Basel, Fuorisalone in Milan and Design Days Dubai, Gunjan Gupta is one of leading product designers in India.
Gunjan also holds a post-graduate degree in Design from Central Saint Martin's College of Art & Design in London. Her efforts in repositioning the 'Made in India' brand Internationally have won her global recognition that includes several awards, notably, British Council's Young Creative Entrepreneur in 2007 and the Designer of the year award by ELLE DECOR 2012.
http://www.gunjangupta.in/
Follow her here:
Instgram- @gunjangupta.in
Facebook- @GunjanGuptaDesign
Jonathan Adler
...Read Morealifornia and the modern-glam interiors for the real life Barbie™. Dream House are iconic. His brand offers the finest in home decor and more recently, handbags. Jonathan is the author of four books, including ‘My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living’ and the Happy\r\nChic book series."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">More than just a name, Jonathan Adler’s redesign of the Parker Palm Springs hotel in California and the modern-glam interiors for the real life Barbie™. Dream House are iconic. His brand offers the finest in home decor and more recently, handbags. Jonathan is the author of four books, including ‘My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living’ and the Happy
Chic book series.
Juergen Mayer H
...Read Mores most eminent works include the Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain and the Plaza Pier in Lazika, a new Georgian city on the Black Sea coast. The Berliner has also received several accolades including the Mies van der Rohe Award Emerging Architect Special Mention in 2003."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">Founder and principal of his eponymous cross disciplinary studio, the German architect’s most eminent works include the Metropol Parasol in Seville, Spain and the Plaza Pier in Lazika, a new Georgian city on the Black Sea coast. The Berliner has also received several accolades including the Mies van der Rohe Award Emerging Architect Special Mention in 2003.
Karan Grover
...Read More professional and personal life as it generates in him, ‘the energy to try to meet them’. Good design to him is timeless, simple and something so beautiful that it spoils you and takes your breath away every time you see, touch or use it."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">An architect and Director of Grover Vineyards, Karan Grover sets impossible goals in his professional and personal life as it generates in him, ‘the energy to try to meet them’. Good design to him is timeless, simple and something so beautiful that it spoils you and takes your breath away every time you see, touch or use it.
Kishore Biyani
Widely credited as the pioneer of modern retail industry in India, Kishore Biyani has created and leads some of India’s most popular retail chains l...Read Moreike Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Pantaloons, Central, Home Town and eZone. He also serves on the board of the National Innovation Foundation, Marico Innovation Foundation and other leading companies and organizations.
Lidewij Edelkoort
Often called Li, Dutch creative Lidewij Edelkoort is one of the world’s most famous trend forecasters. She considers herself as an intuitive thinker...Read More, who travels the world studying the evolution of socio-cultural trends before sharing this information with her clients in industries as diverse as fashion, textiles, interiors, cars, cosmetics, retail and food. Under her Paris based company Trend Union, Edelkoort creates trend books two or more years ahead that are used as tools by strategists, designers and marketers at international brands. She has worked for some of the world’s best-known companies, for example; advising CocaCola how Sprite should communicate with emerging youth archetypes; forecasting new consumer archetypes for Esprit as far forward as 2068 and many more. Having directed the celebrated Design Academy Eindhoven from 1998–2008 and establishing the Designhuis (a cultural centre for the promotion of design), Edelkoort has proven that both a city and a region can benefit from placing design at its core. She has subsequently advised the region of Wallonia and the cities of Genk in Belgium and Como in Italy on the benefits of creativity and innovation. In 2011, Edelkoort helped to establish the School of Form, a design school in Poznan, Poland, that especially caters to students from Eastern Europe, with a curriculum merging design and humanities studies.
Mayank Mansingh Kaul
Founder & Director, The Design Project India
...Read Moret;2":"Mayank is the Founder-Director of The Project India, which works on archiving projects related to Indian design. He has curated several shows including Fracture - a show on contemporary textiles at the Devi Art Foundation.\nHe also writes for leading magazines and is the Issue Editor of Take on Art Design (2012) and a forthcoming Indo-French publication on contemporary Indian design (2014)."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">Mayank is the Founder-Director of The Project India, which works on archiving projects related to Indian design. He has curated several shows including Fracture - a show on contemporary textiles at the Devi Art Foundation.
He also writes for leading magazines and is the Issue Editor of Take on Art Design (2012) and a forthcoming Indo-French publication on contemporary Indian design (2014).
Paul Cocksedge
...Read Moree has exhibited his work at the Issey Miyake Gallery in 2001, and been nominated by Design Museum and Crafts Council Development Award. One of his earliest works, Crystallize won the Bombay Sapphire Glass Prize. In 2010, he was commissioned for a Size + Matter project, Drop at the South Bank Centre and A Gust of Wind installation for V&A Lates, as part of the London Design Festival."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">The 35 year old industrial designer has achieved a great deal in little over a decade. He has exhibited his work at the Issey Miyake Gallery in 2001, and been nominated by Design Museum and Crafts Council Development Award. One of his earliest works, Crystallize won the Bombay Sapphire Glass Prize. In 2010, he was commissioned for a Size + Matter project, Drop at the South Bank Centre and A Gust of Wind installation for V&A Lates, as part of the London Design Festival.
Priya Paul
Priya Paul is a prominent business woman and one of the most revered personalities in the hospitality industry. She is the creative powerhouse behind ...Read MoreIndia's collection of contemporary luxury boutique hotels – The Park Hotels. Working in the industry for more than 25 years, she has worked hard to create experiences that are different, extraordinary and inexplicable.
Priya Paul is a founding member of the World Travel and Tourism Council – India Initiative and has been appointed as the Chairperson for the year 2013. She is also the Trustee of the India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) and Chairperson, South Asia Women’s Fund and a member of Harvard Business Schools’ India Advisory Board. She is an Executive Committee Member and Ex-President of the Hotel Association of India.
www.theparkhotels.com
Follow her here:
Instagram- @priyapaul
Raj Rewal
Celebrated across the world, Raj Rewal is the name behind some of the landmark buildings in the country. He is also a recipient of several national an...Read Mored international awards, including the gold medal from the Indian Institute of Architects, Robert Mathew award from the Commonwealth Association of Architects, the great master’s award and the Chevalier award by the French Government.
Ron Gilad
Known for introducing experimental absurdity into his creations, the EDIDA International Designer of the Year, Ron Gilad, likes to combine material wi...Read Moreth aesthetic play, fusing the abstract with the functional. Even his most whimsical, conceptual products don’t compromise on functionality. One of his most renowned fabrications, The Square – The Birth of a Chair, is an installation of a line of seaters that drew from a simple square.
Sunil Sethi
Since 2008, Sunil Sethi has been heading FDCI and its fashion events. Alliance, a sourcing and buying agency set up by him in 1988 has been representi...Read Moreng lifestyle stores such as Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel and Armani Casa for over 20 years. He also represents Indian designers at stores across Europe and one in New York. The Sunil Sethi Design Alliance teams up with designers to create textiles, handicrafts and carpets.
Sunita Kohli
President, K2INDIA
...Read Morer, Sunita Kohli is one of the biggest names in space design. She has restored and decorated many noteworthy buildings from the British era, such as Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Prime Minister’s Office and Secretariat, and Hyderabad House. She specialises in the design of public buildings, hotels and resorts, forts, palaces, corporate offices and private residences."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4865,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Century Gothic"}">Padma Shri laureate, interior designer, architectural restorer and furniture manufacturer, Sunita Kohli is one of the biggest names in space design. She has restored and decorated many noteworthy buildings from the British era, such as Rashtrapati Bhawan, the Prime Minister’s Office and Secretariat, and Hyderabad House. She specialises in the design of public buildings, hotels and resorts, forts, palaces, corporate offices and private residences.
Tasneem Mehta
An art historian, writer, curator, designer and a cultural activist, Tasneem has pioneered the revival and restoration of several of Mumbai’s import...Read Moreant cultural sites. She has also conceptualized, curated, designed, and implemented the restoration and revitalization of the Dr BhauDaji Lad Museum, Mumbai, which won the UNESCO 2005 Asia Pacific Award of Excellence.
