Speakers 2017
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Alberto Alessi
Born in Arona (Novara) in 1946, Alberto Alessi is President of Alessi Spa and head of Marketing Strategy, Communication and Design Management. The eld...Read Moreest son of Carlo Alessi, he belongs to the third generation of the Alessi family, and officially joined the eponymous family business in 1970, the day after he graduated in Law. He initially was in charge of the commercial area, the development of new products and the communication. Since then, he overhauled its identity by making it a “research lab in the Applied Arts”. To metamorphose ordinary kitchen tools into design icons, he collaborated with creatives like Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass and more recently, Marcel Wanders, the Campana Brothers and Philippe Starck. The maverick has also written several books including “La Cintura di Orione” (Longanesi, Milano 1987) “Not in Production next to Production”, (Alessi Spa, Crusinallo 1988) and “The Dream Factory”, (Electa, Milano 1998) etc. Over the years, he has contributed articles for many international magazines and publications and he is visiting professor at several design colleges. In 2011, he curated the fourth edition at the Triennale Design Museum in Milan, entitled “The Dream Factories: people, ideas and paradoxes of Italian design factories”. Alongside his role as head of design management, Alberto is involved in the production of his own high-quality organic wines “La Signora Eugenia e il passero solitario”.
Alberto Meda
Considered one of the most representative figures in contemporary Italian design, Alberto Meda was born in Lenno Tremezzina, Italy in 1945. After grad...Read Moreuating with honours in Mechanical Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano in 1969, he worked as the technical manager of Kartell and Alfa Romeo Auto as a consultant. Thanks to his applied science background, he brought with him a pragmatic perspective that translates to his works. Over the years, Alberto worked as a freelancer with reputed companies like Alfa Romeo Auto, Alias, Alessi, Arabia-Finland, Cinelli, Colombo design, Brevetti Gaggia, JcDecaux, Ideal Standard, Luceplan, Legrand, Mandarina Duck, Omron Japan, Philips, Olivetti, Vitra, Caimi brevetti, Tubes etc. He has showcased a wide spectrum of designs that not only modern in form but also organic in feel. His exceptional ethic earned him his continued collaboration with Swiss manufacturer Vitra that resulted in memorable seating pieces such as the MedaPro and the newest design from 2005, the MedaPal. He has several prestigious awards to his credit such as Compasso d'Oro (1989) and Createur de l'Année (1999). Today, Alberto runs his own design studio in Milan and is also a lecturer at the Domus Academy and the Politecnico of Milan.
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
Ashiesh Shah
Principal Architect, Atelier Ashiesh Shah
One of the most recognisable names in the design and architecture industry today, Ashiesh Shah weaves creations that take cues from world cultures and...Read More history. He is an award winning architect and interior designer, who has many renowned accolades and an impressive roster of projects that includes several homes, and high-end restaurants and stores under his belt. Famed one among the more astute collectors of contemporary art from the Indian Sub-continent, the creative considers himself an eclectic collector, whose taste spans centuries and continents. His passion and persistence for all things design is matched with his love for art is reflected in the spaces he imagines that display a strong aesthetic balanced by his dexterity at reinventing tradition in a modern context.
Ayush Kasliwal
Ayush Kasliwal, an alumnus of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, is one of India’s leading design thinkers, practitioners and advocates fo...Read Morer artisans. Ayush is Creative Director and Co-founder of AKFD & AnanTaya – interdisciplinary design companies based in Jaipur, India with business practices that reflect social consciousness, sustainability. His design versatility is expressed in the extensive projects undertaken including the VIP lounges and the Mudra installation at the T3 Delhi International Airport, New Delhi, Kiosks at theT2 international Terminal, Mumbai, Handmade in Rajasthan logo for the Government of Rajasthan, various retail spaces and restaurants and hospitality projects such as Narendra Bhawan, Bikaner. He has been a recipient of numerous domestic and international awards such as winner of first Messe Frankfurt, India 2015, EDIDA India Designer of the Year 2013 etc. The UNESCO Award of Excellence has also recognised his designs in 2007 and 2008 and 2016. His work is informed by traditional crafts and artisans and it reflects a deep understanding of mythology, architecture and culture through a contemporary aesthetic. He believes that “Objects are messages in physical form”. He in collaboration with his wife, entrepreneur and architect, Geetanjali Kasliwal provide a sustainable livelihood to 4000 artisans and their communities.
Bindu Vadera
Considered one of the leading architects in the country, Bindu Vadera owns Varya is a chic interior solutions store in the epicentre of New Delhi. The label proves interior design consultation for private residences, corporate offices and commercial spaces with a sophisticated design and planning service.
Carlo Ratti
Architect and professor, Carlo Ratti, studied engineering at the Politecnico di Torino and the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris befor...Read Moree obtaining his MPhil and PhD in architecture from the University of Cambridge, UK. Currently, he teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he directs the Senseable City Lab along with heading his design practice at Carlo Ratti Associati. He has also co-authored over 250 publications as well as contributed to various design and architecture publications. His work has been exhibited worldwide at venues such as the Venice Biennale, the Design Museum in Barcelona, the Science Museum in London, GAFTA in San Francisco and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Deepikka Jindal
The Creative Director and M.D. of JSL Lifestyle Limited, Deepikka Jindal is famed for being the driving force behind the brand’s success and recogni...Read Moretion. The company JSL Lifestyle Limited manufactures lifestyle products and modular kitchens in stainless steel under the label arttd’inox. It is under her able guidance and vision that arttd’inox is today celebrated as one of India’s leading luxury brands. Following her passion to promote stainless steel in all its forms, she also founded the art gallery known as The Stainless, where she patronises artists to create beautiful pieces of art in this material, giving them all infrastructural and financial support. Providing the artists the technical and financial support through the gallery gives the artists a platform to understand this material and create their works. She has had several successful exhibitions with various artists through this gallery. Over and above her professional commitments, she is involved in philanthropy as the Chairperson of Jindal Stainless Foundation – the CSR wing of Jindal Stainless Limited. She along with her dedicated team, through structured programs, reach out to the community via sustainable models in areas of education, skill development, women empowerment, farmers intervention program, health programs, environment and climate change management to name a few.
Dikshu Kukreja
An architect and an urban designer, Dikshu Kukreja is Managing Director and Principal Architect of renowned firm C P Kukreja Associates. He has a Bach...Read Moreelors and Gold Medal in Architecture from School of Planning and Architecture to his credit. He attended the prestigious Taliesin Fellowship at Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture, USA and received his Masters of Architecture & Urban Design from Harvard University. He was elected the founding Vice President of Asia GSD, which grew to become one of the largest student organisations at Harvard University. He has worked in India, France and USA and has lectured and taught at institutions both in India and abroad. He is a member of the Council of Architecture and American Society for Regional Planning, USA and an Associate with Indian Institute of Architects. CPKA is an ISO 9001-2008 certified firm that has been selected by one of the world’s leading Architectural Journals, ‘World Architecture, U.K’ amongst the top 100 Architecture Firms in the world. This young architect who is looking forward to create buildings which can be in the realm of water and air has been felicitated as young and the most sought after Architect in India and is also being chosen as face of 21st century architecture in India.
Gayathri Shetty
Founded in 1993 by architects Gayathri Shetty and Namith Varma, GNA is a Bengaluru based avant garde architecture firm with a branch office in New Del...Read Morehi. Gayathri started her journey by pursuing architecture from BMS College of Engineering in the city. She is also a member of the Council of Architecture, the Indian Institute of Architects and the Indian Institute of Interior Designers, and have been recipient to several coveted design awards. Her design philosophy has always been to work closely with the client on helping them realise their dream. Today, the company’s team comprises of senior designers like Nanda, Sudhir PS and Gowri Rao, who have over 15 years of relevant experience to their credit along with other architects, engineers and multidisciplinary professionals with a wide range of design expertise spanning from traditional structures to progressive technologies. GNA has imagined projects across India that include academic institutions, leisure and hospitality resorts – hotels, large scale industrial projects, corporate offices, interior fit-outs, apartments, malls, technology parks, designer private residences and also social responsibility projects like tribal housing, schools and hospitals. Their designs almost always nature inspired and deep rooted in Indianess with a very simple form follows function approach.
Humberto Campana
Humberto Campana founded Estudio Campana in 1983 along with his brother Fernando. As he grew up under Brazil’s military reign he decided to become a...Read More lawyer to attain freedom from the system and change the world. But deep down inside he always wanted to be an artist, having realised this he joined forces with his brother and started their very own design practice. Their work is known for giving a new life to mundane and ordinary materials along with infusing Brazilian characteristics in all their work. They have been honoured with the Designer Of The Year award at Design Miami in 2008 and have also won the Designers Of The Year at Maison and Objet award in 2012
Kaif Faquih
With a philosophy that revolves around innovative, responsible and environment design as well as human needs, architect Kaif Faquih spearheads multidi...Read Moresciplinary architecture and interior firm Faquih & Associates India in partnership with architect Bahaar Faquih. The Mumbai based company is best known for its continuous evolution in its design thinking that is energy and ergonomics conscious and goes beyond the visual aspect combined with ethical luxury. The creative’s roaster of distinguished clients include Unichem laboratories, JK Group of Industries, Shahrukh Khan, Bharat Diamond Bourse, Taj group of Hotels and Jewelex amongst many more. The enterprise has also commenced a new division that focuses on high quality urban design.
Kamal Malik
Founder and principal architect Malik Architecture, Kamal Malik was born and raised in Shimla in the pristine environs of the Himalayas. This is why e...Read Moreven today nature remains the major source of his inspiration. He completed his architectural studies at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in New Delhi before the inception of the firm 40 years ago. Today, the firm comprises of architects, interior designers and services consultants and have designed a number of prestigious projects in India and overseas. Their professional philosophy of providing a comprehensive design solution and harnessing of new technologies has resulted in innovative and dynamic solutions in the field of architecture and interiors. They are touted as one of the few offices in this country that enjoy an integrated capability of architectural, structural, H.V.A.C., electrical, mechanical and interior designing. The firm has won numerous design competitions. The veteran creative has also delivered lectures on diverse subjects such as sustainable design, landscape, healthcare design, hospitality design, design of research institutes, educational design, and relevance of sociology in design and interiors as an intrinsic part of architecture.
Kohelika Kohli
Kohelika Kohli believes that the job of an architect / interior designer cannot be simply based on one’s credentials. An equally important role is p...Read Morelayed by one’s experiences and exposures to people, places and cultures. At 17, she went to Millfield School in Somerset, England to do her A-levels. After Millfield, she received her formal education as an architect from Pratt Institute of Design in New York and graduated in May 2004. After graduation, she returned to India and in October 2004, started her own architectural firm, Kohelika Kohli Architects. Since 1999, she has been a Director in her mother’s company, Sunita Kohli Interior Designs Pvt. Ltd. and is now the Managing Director. The firm is a research-based interior design and architectural restoration company that specialises in the design of public buildings and hotels and the restoration of heritage properties. As part of her job, Kohelika designs and executes half a dozen architectural and interior design projects a year – working in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England. She also develops contemporary furniture for homes and hotels under her sister companies Sunita Kohli & Company and K2INDIA. The companies are driven by the pursuit of excellence and quality; a strong belief that our surroundings directly influence the quality of our lives- whether in the work place, at home or the public spaces in between.
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.
Madhav Raman
An architect and urbanist, Madhav Raman is the co-founder of Anagram Architects. Led by him and the other co-founder Vaibhav Dimri, the firm is famed ...Read Morefor their works in architecture, installation, urban design and material innovation. The firm is often experimental in nature, where each project is developed with a distinct, independent framework. Award-winning and internationally recognised, they are touted as amongst the top emerging practices in the world with a commitment towards delivering deeply contextual designs that encourage sustainable lifestyles. Keenly involved in academia, Madhav conducts a design studio at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi where he also guides dissertations, seminars and research papers. He also moderates the annual Design X Design roundtable in Delhi which aims at building discourse around Indian design across disciplines and writes regularly for various publications. He has presented talks at many prestigious forums and has conducted several lectures and workshops at renowned institutes. Anagram Architects’ work has been premiated at the Architectural Review’s World Emerging Architecture Awards 2007, the Cityscape Architectural Awards 2008, 2010 & 2016, the Wienerberger Brick Awards 2010, the SAIE Bologna 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Holcim Award for Sustainable Construction2011, Asia Pacific Design Awards 2012 and the International Design and Architecture Awards 2013.
Matteo Cibic
Matteo Cibic is a famed product designer and art director based in Milan. Since 2003 he has been leading the urban and architectural research for Cibi...Read Morec Workshop, where he developed and directed the Microrealities and New Stories New Design presented at the Venice Biennale and the Shanghai Biennial. Since 2006 he has worked as Creative Director and Art Director for renowned architecture, design and advertising companies and handles the brand image and communication for various Italian and international fashion brands. He helmed the store design and retail concept of the new Furla and National Geographic stores worldwide. Since 2012 he is a Global Shaper at Economic Global Forum at the Milan Hub.
Pankaj Vir Gupta
A licensed architect in the United States and a registered member of the Council of Indian Architects, Pankaj Vir Gupta is the co-founder of New Delhi...Read More based vir.mueller architects. After pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia, Pankaj went on to receive a Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Architecture at Yale University. In 2003, Pankaj along with creative Christine Mueller co-founded the eponymous firm vir.mueller architects. The company has been a recipient of the Fritz-Höger Award for Excellence in Brick Architecture in 2014 along with several other noted awards from the world over such as American Institute of Architects, the Foundation for World Education, the George Nakashima Foundation for Peace and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts etc. Today, at every scale, the firm emphasises the integrity of material and craftsmanship, establishing a fundamental relationship between the physical environment, and the art of making architecture. The professional work of vir.mueller architects has been widely published and awarded in North America, in Europe, and in India.
Paul Mathieu
Paul Mathieu is a progressive furniture designer, who has carved a niche for himself through his interior projects and product designs for reputed br...Read Moreands from around the world. Paul's unique signature style is evident in his works, which reflects harmony of nature and tailored geometry infused with graceful modernism. With a degree from prestigious art and design establishments in France as well as England, the French creative is adept at imagining products using an array of materials from Murano glass to bronze. He currently divides his time between New York, Aix-en-Provence, Udaipur and Murano.
Peter D’Ascoli
Artist and designer, Peter D’Ascoli is the creative director of Talianna Studio that specialises in textile design. A New Yorker of Italian descent ...Read Morewho has made India his adopted homeland, Peter believes design is the application of aesthetics to build a product within technical limitations. Fascinated by India’s rich and diverse culture and history, his textile collections are a celebration of native heritage.
Pramiti Madhavji
17 years ago, Pramiti Madhavji was one of the Founding Editors of ELLE DECOR India. Now, she is the Editorial and Content Director at Ogaan Media ELLE...Read More DECOR India. Although she started her career in client servicing and had numerous stints, Pramiti believes ELLE is where she can put her creative conceptualisation to good use. Pick up any ELLE DECOR India magazine, and you'll find Pramiti's strategic and creative curation in every page.
www.elledecor.in
Follow her here:
Instagram- @pramiti_madhavji
Raffaella Mangiarotti
Milan based architect and designer, Raffaella Mangiarotti pursued a graduation degree in liceo Classico Ugo Foscolo, Pavia, Italy, followed with Maste...Read Morer of Architecture in Politecnico di Milano, 110 cum laude to equip herself with the necessary skill set. To further hone her talent, she got a PhD in Industrial Design in Politecnico di Milano, on Environmental Impact of electronic product: study of a new assessment methodology to improve the design. Today, she teaches industrial design and fashion design in Politecnico di Milano, and works as a researcher, promoting researches on design, design workshops, writing. She works also as an industrial designer, as Raffaella Mangiarotti design and as deepdesign, with M. Bazzicalupo and is the Creative Director for Italian brands Serralunga and Manerba. Having worked with an array of brands, she has been a recipient of several awards like Red Dot design Award in two consecutive years, IF design Award, Good design Award, Interior Innovation Award in at IMM Cologne, Green Dot award etc.
Regis Mathieu
The vanguard of French lighting company Mathieu Lustrerie since 1992, Regis Mathieu believes his roots have driven him to amalgamate the three traditi...Read Moreons of research, technology and art in the conceptual designs of his chandeliers.
After pursuing an MBA and Diplome De Sup De Co, Regis immediately joined his family business with an objective to craft intricate illuminators and give these ornate pieces the respect and stature they deserve globally. He has been instrumental in realising several iconic chandeliers, reviving antique lighting the world over including in the Laxmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara, the Opera Garnier, The Galerie Des Glaces De Versailles etc. and has also invented a revolutionary LED bulb that reproduces a halo-like effect and colours of a real candle.
Always in search of excellence, he has developed techniques to facilitate the packaging, storage and transport of decorative lights. Today, the maverick wears many hats of an artisan, entrepreneur, expert, car and chandelier collector, designer and philanthropist.
Instagram: @regis_mathieu
Sanjay Puri
Principal Architect, Sanjay Puri Architects
Sanjay Puri, the principal architect of Sanjay Puri Architects, India has been a speaker and a judge at numerous international architecture events inc...Read Moreluding the Leading European Architects Forum, The World Architecture Festival & The Perspective PLAN events held in London, Amsterdam, Bologna, Milan, Venice, Barcelona, Singapore, Berlin & Belgrade. His firm founded in 1992, has won 100 international architecture awards including 4 Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture & Design’s International Architecture Awards, 8 World Architecture Festival Awards, 12 World Architecture Community U.K Awards, the Leading European Architects Forum Award, 5 Architizer New York Awards, 3 Hospitality Design New York Awards, 14 MIPIM Architecture Review Awards and several more. He has been consecutively been awarded Construction World’s India’s Top Ten architects awards for the last 11 years. The company has successfully completed over 600 projects totaling over 60 million square feet. With ongoing and completed projects in over 40 Indian cities, they have won projects in the U.S, Spain, Montenegro, Mauritius and the UAE. Today, the firm comprises 72 architects, who continue their quest for creating sustainable design, charting new territories of spatial perception simultaneously imbibing the intrinsic values of Indian heritage and culture within their design solutions.
Sarita Handa
A creative history student, Sarita Handa was always inspired by the heritage of India. Being an army officer’s wife, travelling was constantly on th...Read Moree charts and with this exposure came her realisation of her love for textiles. This is when she started her professional journey in the early 1990s and founded her eponymous brand as Sarita Handa Exports – a design and manufacturing company started with nothing but her love for textiles and zeal to make a mark. The mission of the company was to empower women and give them an opportunity to earn a livelihood and increase their quality of life. After 25 years in this industry, the visionary has achieved what she set out to achieve – beautiful products, crafted with love and promoting the greater good. Today, the firm under Sarita Handa, her daughter Suparna Handa and Capt. Puri has a strength of 3000 employees with a core design team staying true to the Sarita Handa legacy and transmitting it on a daily basis in all the new collections. The company opened their first retail store in Khan Market, New Delhi in January 2005 followed by outlets in Sultanpur, New Delhi and Mumbai and partnerships in Bangalore, Chandigarh and Kochi.
Sonali Bhagwati
Sonali Bhagwati is the President of New Delhi based DPA – an integrated design consultancy firm having decades of experience in campus, building and...Read More interior design. She graduated from CEPT, Ahmedabad with honours, and during that period was a recipient of a Scholarship from L’Institute Francaise D’Architecutre to work in Paris for a year. Sonali has been felicitated with numerous awards like 11th IIID MK Awards in 2006, Architect of the Year Award in 2008 & 2012 by Zee Business and India Home Awards respectively. She is acknowledged amongst top twenty architects of India by several publications and has also been extensively covered. She has been involved in various urban level activities, while actively participates in seminars/ workshops organised by government and private organisation. She loves brain storming design ideas with her team because she firmly believes that every project is a team effort and each member of the team contributes to it.
Sou Fujimoto
Born on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, Sou Fujimoto’s childhood explorations of the wooded landscape of the region developed his lasting love for ...Read Morethe natural world. This abiding interest has been reflective in the maverick’s works that invokes environmental places such as forests and caves. After graduating from the University of Tokyo with a degree in architecture in 1994, he established an eponymous firm, Sou Fujimoto Architects, in the Japanese capital in 2000. Today, this architect’s innovative residential structures and institutional projects represent a fresh approach to the relationship between architectural space and the human body. With offices in Tokyo and Paris, Sou is renowned for delicate light structures and permeable enclosures, his design of the 2013 Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, London and a host of innovative projects in his home country. A speaker at ID Symposium 2017, Sou Fujimoto will be Presented by FCDI. Photo courtesy David Vintiner
Theron Carmine de Sousa
Partner, FWC LLP
Theron Carmine de Sousa (TC) is Consulting Director, Business and Brand Strategy at Ferry Wharf Communications LLP, with a presence in Mumbai and Sant...Read Morea Clara CA, USA.
FWC is a strategy and design firm that offers strategic solutions in the Design Thinking space and has a unique model for business and restructuring strategy for product related start-ups. It is essentially a consulting and advocacy firm that combines multi-vertical expertise, where recent work has delivered exceptional results. He has worked as an Independent Creative Strategist and Advisor to a series of international companies as well as The Brand Advisory Council.
His degree in Communication and Philosophy from Denison University, and post-graduate work in Media Strategy, along with his 17 years of experience working with over 40 luxury, finance and hospitality brands have equipped him to be a part of the Advisory Board of JBL Enterprise and Ballard Pier Associates.
Vibhor Sogani
Known for his experimental style, artist Vibhor Sogani, an alumni of the prestigious National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad started his own design pr...Read Moreactice in 1994. He has made a strong mark in the areas of art and light based installations through which he explores diverse materials such as steel, brass, bronze, stone and mixed medias as well. His work has a very modern aesthetic that is appealing to an international cosmopolitan audience. This is also reflected in the materials he uses such as stainless steel. His installations the – “Sprouts” spread across 6 acres in New Delhi has become a landmark and is one of India’s largest and most visible art works. He was also invited by the Prime Minister’s Office to showcase his works at Mahatma Mandir in Gujarat.
