In Pursuit of Luxury

Grant Gibson is one of the UK’s leading design, craft and architecture writers. His work has been published in The Observer, New Statesman, The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, and House & Garden, to name just a few.

During a long career in magazines, Grant has been editor of Blueprint, deputy editor of FX, and acting executive editor of the RIBA Journal. More recently he has been editor of Crafts and a contributing editor of the Dutch architecture title MARK. He was also the launch editor of the London Design Festival Guide and co-founded Real to Reel, the UK’s first film festival devoted to making.

In 2019, he launched the critically acclaimed podcast, Material Matters with Grant Gibson. Three years later the show was transformed into a new fair at Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf. Material Matters 2023 takes place at Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf from 20-23 September.

Marc Chaya is CEO and co-founder of perfumery house Francis Kurkdjian.

Marc was inspired by creativity as a child but his parents encouraged him to follow a career in business. Having started his career at EY a global consultancy, Marc made partner in record time, at the age of 32. It was during this time that he met Francis Kurkdjian, already an accomplished perfumer having invented scents for Jean Paul Gaultier. What struck Marc was how little recognition perfumers had. And he set out to change that. In 2009 the house of Francis Kurkdjian was born. It is now a global player in the world of fragrance.

Nadia Tuma-Weldon is Global Head of Thought Leadership at McCann Worldgroup, and Executive Vice President of Truth Central, the agency’s global intelligence unit. She was named to Luxury Daily’s Luxury Women to Watch in 2021 list.

She has nearly 10 years of thought leadership experience, leading global pieces of research on topics as varied as globalization, sustainability, affluence, privacy and age. As Global Head of Thought Leadership, Nadia guides the organization in producing elevated insights that both unearths hidden truths across global culture, and leads to greater business impact.

Carl was born in the Austrian Alps surrounded by biodynamic and organic smallholder farmers. At 15, he started studies in graphic design and communications, and later specialized in brand strategy. He then did a year of volunteer work with street kids in Ecuador, where he met his wife. Social and environmental impact guides his work, along with the belief that nature is the ultimate luxury. At 27, he co-founded To'ak, a sustainable luxury chocolate brand that works to preserve an ancient cacao variety in Ecuador. A few years later, he co-founded Xoca, an upcycled cacao-based CPG, and Orijin, which focuses on digital supply chain management and transparency.

Adam Brand is the 4th generation co-owner of M&S Schmalberg the flower makers in New York. M&S Schmalberg, founded in 1916, is the last remaining manufacturer of artificial flowers in the New York City garment district. Using the same vintage manufacturing process since 1916, they provide exquisite quality and a level of artisanal customization that is not that easy to come by anymore. 

Some of their vintage flower moulds date back to the turn of the century. Their studio is amazing, it is like going back in time to when personal customer service was the forefront of any artisanal company. Aside from seeing thousands of amazing flowers you can meet the makers whose pride in their work is phenomenal, as is Adam’s passion for what he does.

Philip Hanson is a young driver to watch, in the field of endurance sportscar racing. During his short career he has already smashed records and competed in prestigious races such as Le Mans 24 and Rolex 24 Hours, at Daytona, alongside two-time F1 champion, Fernando Alonso.

Phil was crowned World Endurance Champion, the youngest driver to achieve this, won the European Le Mans Series and was the youngest ever Brit to win the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, in September 2020. 

Kathryn started her career in the wonderful world of tailoring at Gieves & Hawkes in 1996, rising to the position of Head Cutter, the first woman to do so in the entire history of Savile Row. She founded her own tailoring house in 2012 and is the world’s only female Master Tailor. Breaking tradition, she offers tailoring for both men and women focusing on the needs of the client rather than a set house style.

T Michael is a bespoke tailor/ designer /artist with a conceptual approach to men’s tailoring inspired by his love of sartorial traditions and his passionate quest for a different narrative within tailoring, design and creativity, that celebrates stylistic and cultural diversities present in today's zeitgeist. He is known for his meticulous attention to details and for his garments’ impeccable construction. T Michael’s work include: The T KIMONO, NORWEGIAN RAIN and his eponymous label T-MICHAEL.

Join us for a thoroughly engaging chat as we discuss the influence of Japan, different things that inspire his creativity and not being inspired by fashion.

Jenny King has run an established embroidery studio for 20 years. Specialising in free hand satin stitch embroidery created on Irish machines the studio offers all aspects of design and development , production and bespoke. 

Jenny King Embroidery now counts amongst its clients and ever-growing list of high profile designers including Erdem, Vivienne Westwood, Aspinal of London, Roksanda, JW Anderson and Olivia Von Halle. As well as developing embroidery for clients in the fashion industry the studio also works with interior designs, artists  and a number of Theatre, Film and costume designers including Royal Opera House, Shakespeare's Globe and Royal Shakespeare Company. 

Having been at the forefront of women’s’ fashion for almost three decades, Jo Hooper has worked as a buying director and design director for some of the largest retailers including Freemans Debenhams and John Lewis. Her newish venture, NRBY, focuses on women who more than ever are working from home or part-time and are not always looking for clothes that are about the 9-5 or the big event. Jo has always been attracted to the Japanese concept of one-mile wear and set out to create exactly that: looking good, feeling good clothes in beautiful natural fabrics. We chat about her approach to fashion, the changing fashion landscape, and of course luxury.

Crombie was founded in 1805 on the River Don in Aberdeenshire and it has been the choice of royalty, presidents and popstars ever since.

It ceased trading at the start of the pandemic in 2020 and was acquired by Gordon and his partners early in 2022. Gordon has a history with the company, he was head of wholesale between 2011 and 2014 and was responsible for getting it into the best stores around the world, in some 35 countries. He also introduced new product lines including rainwear, knitwear, leather goods and accessories.

Gordon built a reputation as a highly regarded and connected band professional with international market expertise, positioning brands with the most prestigious retailers in the world. across menswear, womenswear, footwear and accessories.

As Managing Director he was responsible for revamping and relaunching a new updated version of Kirk Originals. The new version of the brand has been, and still is, hugely influential in the sunglasses market. 

As a consultant Gordon has continued to work for various brands in MD roles as well as writing for publications like the FT Weekend before leading the acquisition of Crombie which was completed in February 2022. 

Stefan Sagmeister has designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s a two time Grammys winner and also earned practically every important international design award.

While his work is steeped graphics, he has also directed a film, created furniture, made products, designed a watch and ventured into clothing. His books sell in the hundreds of thousands and his exhibitions have been mounted in dozens of museums around the world. His exhibit ’The Happy Show' attracted way over half a million visitors worldwide and became the most visited graphics show in history.  A native of Austria, he received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York.

His motto is “Design that needed guts from the creator and still carries the ghost of these guts in the final execution.”

Stefan Sagmeister has designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s a two time Grammys winner and also earned practically every important international design award.

While his work is steeped graphics, he has also directed a film, created furniture, made products, designed a watch and ventured into clothing. His books sell in the hundreds of thousands and his exhibitions have been mounted in dozens of museums around the world. His exhibit ’The Happy Show' attracted way over half a million visitors worldwide and became the most visited graphics show in history.  A native of Austria, he received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York.

His motto is “Design that needed guts from the creator and still carries the ghost of these guts in the final execution.”

Stefan Sagmeister has designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s a two time Grammys winner and also earned practically every important international design award.

While his work is steeped graphics, he has also directed a film, created furniture, made products, designed a watch and ventured into clothing. His books sell in the hundreds of thousands and his exhibitions have been mounted in dozens of museums around the world. His exhibit ’The Happy Show' attracted way over half a million visitors worldwide and became the most visited graphics show in history.  A native of Austria, he received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York.

His motto is “Design that needed guts from the creator and still carries the ghost of these guts in the final execution.”

Ted Bradley is a lighting designer located in Boulder, Colorado. Not your traditional designer as he started, or rather ended a career as a Google product manager to focus on lighting design. 

Having been told that it would be very difficult or impossible to design the porcelain lighting sculptures he envisioned, he took it upon himself to prove everyone wrong. After 12 months, hundred hours and as many failures, Ted launched his business in February 2021, and his business has flourished.

Ted says that in his sculptures, he aims to capture a moment of beauty in the natural world and bring it to life with handmade artistry that imbues it with meaning. Of that pursuit he says, that's a calling worth pursuing for a lifetime.

Brian Woodrow is a Senior Design Director at Tomas Pearce Interior Design. In his role, Brian leads a team of creatives and designers on projects that range from multi-million dollar homes and expansive retreats to luxurious residential high-rise towers and private condos. 

Prior to assuming his role at Tomas Pearce, Brian was involved in the design and development of an array of vacation homes, private casinos, hotels and ultra-luxurious resorts, including Jade Mountain in St.Lucia. Brian earned his Bachelor of Arts from the Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University). 

Tomas Pearce is an internationally-recognized design firm known for its bespoke commercial and residential spaces, and it is the firm behind some of North America's more iconic residential developments and private mansions.

Ron Arad was born in Tel Aviv educated at the Jerusalem Academy of Art and later at the Architectural Association in London. He co-founded the design and production studio One Off with Caroline Thorman in 1981 and later, in 1989, Ron Arad Associates architecture and design practice and in 2008 he set up Ron Arad Architects.

Ron was awarded the Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) in recognition of his ‘sustained excellence in aesthetic and efficient design for industry’ in 2002, and was awarded the London Design Medal in 2011.

He was professor of Design at the Hochschule in Vienna from 1994 to 1997, and later Professor of Design Products at the Royal College of Art in London. In 2013 he was elected as a Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Art in London.

Ron Arad’s constant experimentation with the possibilities of materials such as steel, aluminium or polyamide and his radical re-conception of the form and structure of furniture has put him at the forefront of contemporary design.

Inspired by an old family photo album from the decades before her birth, Maya set out to capture, by way of scent, these moments in time, these tropes of familial life, set within their frames. 'What did it smell like?' The small Swedish summer house surrounded by mercurial forests or the visits to her grandparents’ sparsely furnished flat on Sunday afternoons, she sought to bottle the spirit connected to the classic 1970's Scandinavian idyll, combined with the soul of her esoteric Gambian heritage.

Clare Campbell, having found her inner rebel with a cause, founded the Prickly Thistle in 2015, a new purpose that would weave everything she cared about into a single passion.

Clare's rebel journey was clear to her despite the difficulties that she knew lay ahead. She had to restore a future for powerful story telling tartan designs, and eventually return artisan tartan weaving skills and disruptive product collections back in the Highlands of Scotland. Prickly Thistle was destined to become a brand of endurance.

Matteo is the founder and creative director of Mucca. His multidisciplinary background in architecture, graphic design, illustration, and typography facilitated his early business successes and inspired his decision to create a New York branding and design agency. Under his lead, Mucca has solved numerous design challenges and created uniquely successful work for global companies like Sephora, Shinsegae, Whole Foods, Victoria’s Secret, Barnes & Noble, Rizzoli, Adobe Systems, and Target.

Natasha’s practice has been notable for crossing media genres, drawing on references from a diverse range of cultural, historical, aesthetic, and technological sources. Her work encompasses brand identities, environmental design, multi-scale exhibitions, signage systems, print, motion and interactive graphics, created in collaborations with global tech brands, consumer startups, cultural institutions and non-profit organizations. Her recent clients include high-profile tech companies and startups, such as Google, Waze, Galaxy Digital, NYDIG (pronounced Ny-Dig), Lightmatter, and Magic Leap. 

Ollie Dabbous is a Michelin starred chef famed for stripped back fine dining who has worked at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, Hibiscus, Mugaritz, Noma, L’Astrance, The Fat Duck, WD-50 and Pierre Gagnaire, before returning to London to take the position of head chef at Texture and then opening his own restaurant, Dabbous in 2012. Since closing in 2017, he opened Hide in 2018 to critical acclaim. Hide was awarded a coveted five stars in the Evening Standard, GQ restaurant of the year, as well as a Michelin star…. all within six months of opening. Joins us on a crafted culinary journey

Sam Bompas and Harry Parr first came to prominence through their expertise in jelly-making, but the business rapidly grew into a fully-fledged creative studio offering food and drink design, brand consultancy and immersive experiences across a diverse number of industries. Sam focuses on storytelling, and underlying narratives that define the experiences he and his team create. The team explore the idea of gastronomical experiences around the world including stories from the Incense Road in AlUla’ and an exploratory British menu of a carefully designed and curated AI experience, created by a diverse melting pot of UK visionaries presented in New York. Join us for a fantastic insight into the vision and legacy of an architect of taste, Sam Bompas.

On this episode of the IPOL podcast I am speaking with Simon Erlanger, Managing Director of Isle of Harris Distillers. As an expert in the international development of premium spirits brands, Simon has worked for amongst others, Diageo and for over a decade he was Commercial Director of Glenmorangie. After the sale and integration of the business into LVMH, he left the Company and in 2015 joined the Isle of Harris distillery, where, as Managing Director, he oversees the creation of the island’s first spirits, generating sustainable employment for Harris. Simon commutes between Edinburgh and the Outer Hebrides, the final leg on a Royal Enfield when weather allows.

Coinneach is from the Isle of Lewis, the furthest north of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. There is no doubt he loves baking and the Hebrides, both of which led him to launch the Hebridean Baker in 2020 – to share his love of food and the island, foraging, and motivating his followers to learn a little Gaelic. He lives by an old Gaelic saying ‘there is a time for everything’ and it is this that inspires him to to embrace traditional baking, photography and telling tales of the island

Paul is a ground-breaking and inspirational chocolatier who is at the forefront of British chocolate innovation. Never the conformist, and as an alchemist, he continues to push the boundaries of taste by combining what may seem to be unusual ingredients. His passion for his craft and his cutting edge creativity has won him numerous awards including Outstanding Chocolatier by the International Chocolate Awards. Join us for a chat about all things chocolate.

Paul is a ground-breaking and inspirational chocolatier who is at the forefront of British chocolate innovation. Never the conformist, and as an alchemist, he continues to push the boundaries of taste by combining what may seem to be unusual ingredients. His passion for his craft and his cutting edge creativity has won him numerous awards including Outstanding Chocolatier by the International Chocolate Awards. Join us for a chat about all things chocolate.

Right from the start, Jim McMillan knew that finding the best Mānuka bush and having access to remote locations meant building great relationships with landowners throughout the country’s best Mānuka honey-producing regions. As it’s always been, a big part of Jim’s job is working closely with farmers, local Iwi and the Department of Conservation. He’s dedicated to protecting New Zealand’s unique environment, while working with these landowner partners to leave the land in a better state for future generations.  Full ownership from hive to jar means Jim stands behind every drop of the honey the True Honey Company produces is fully traceable, back to where it was harvested. As the industry grows, Jim is dedicated to making sure that honey lovers worldwide can trust The True Honey Co. name for high rated, ethically produced and top-notch quality Mānuka honey.

Taro Asano is one of only a handful of practicing ‘Kajiya’, the art of swordsmithing, in Japan. He started smithing knives and swords in 1997 as an apprentice, and continues to master his craft through continued practice at his workshop in Hashima-city near Nagoya in Japan. We discuss all things Katana, how he became a Kajiya, his view of luxury, his continued journey to make the perfect sword and knife and his passion for his craft.

The Revd Dr Richard Sudworth was appointed as the new Secretary for Inter-Religious Affairs to the Archbishop of Canterbury and National Inter-Religious Affairs Adviser for the Church of England in 2018.

The post resources the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church of England in relating to the great world faiths – nationally and internationally, as well as at a local parish level. He advises the Archbishop on his engagement with other religious communities, both nationally and internationally, resources the Archbishop and the Church of England on Inter Religious relations and develops a national strategy for mission and ministry in multi-religious contexts.

Kresse Wesling is one half of Elvis & Kresse a circular company set up in 2005 to solve the problem of material ending up in landfill. They started with London’s decommissioned fire hose. None go to landfill anymore. They also reclaim parachute silk, auction banners, and printing blankets to name a few of the other materials. They upcycle the materials and ethically handmake them into sustainable luxury bags and accessories. 50% of their profits go to charity. To date Elvis & Kresse have rescued over 200 tons from landfill. Their workshop runs on renewable energy and they believe in ethical production and all their pieces are handmade by their craftsmen, who are all treated fairly and equally.

Lanificio Leo, founded in 1873, is the oldest textile factory in Calabria. The company represents a perfect mix between the enhancement of traditional know-how and a strong propensity for craftsmanship and innovation. The history is as important as the future and they still use machinery dating back to the 1890s. Now in the hands of Emilio Leo who as chairman and creative director of Lanificio Leo is particularly interested in low-tech processes and the unconventional use of technology.

Luxury to me is always grounded in heritage and provenance. My guest on this episode evokes exactly both those qualities. Andile Dyalvane is one of South Africa’s foremost ceramic artists. Guided by a deep spiritual connection to his Xhosa ancestors, Andile’s complex, large-scale ceramic artworks are a metaphorical vessel through which he seeks to honour his cultural traditions and share his journey of healing. His medium of clay or “umhlaba” (mother earth) is, at its most fundamental, a life-affirming connection to the soil. But by providing a medium for storytelling, it is also an essential energetic link to his past, present and future.

It is safe to say that my guest on this episode of the IPOL podcast is fanatical about globes. Peter Bellerby started Bellerby & Co Globemakers the artisan globemakers based in London in 2008. The company has its roots in his search for a globe for his father’s 80th birthday. Fortunate for us he was unhappy with everything he found on the market so he set out to make one himself. And more than a decade later Peter employs a team of 20 that include cartographers, illustrators, engravers, woodworkers, painters, and makers. His journey is inspiring, and one that epitomises the drive to preserve dying craft and craftsmanship.

If you have ever travelled in a premium cabin on an aircraft it is more than likely that Adam White’s company, Factory Design has been responsible for its design. Adam is a leading product designer specialising in aircraft cabin and product design. He has worked with amongst others, Etihad, Aer Lingus, Four Seasons and Virgin Atlantic and won numerous design awards for his work.

Bobby C. Martin Jr. sets the relentless standard of design and vision for Champion Design, the agency he founded, with Jennifer Kinon, in 2010. He has partnered with a wide range of clients such as Amazon, Apple, MTV and The Studio Museum in Harlem. He recently illustrated his first children’s book “Have I Ever Told You Black Lives Matter” (Tilbury House). In 2017, Fast Company named Bobby one of the Most Creative People in Business. Champions Design was also named one of the 30 Most Important Companies in Design in 2019.

Casey Campbell is the Managing Director, North America at Gameloft one of the world's top mobile games publishers. He focuses on connecting brands with a highly-engaged audience through mobile games and compelling rich media. He manages all Sales and Business Development activities in the U.S. & Canada. By turns disruptor and disrupted, Casey has unique insight into this dynamic and growing sector that now includes luxury brands.

Kathryn Sargent started her career in the wonderful world of tailoring at Gieves & Hawkes in 1996, rising to the position of Head Cutter, the first woman to do so in the entire history of Savile Row. She founded her own tailoring house in 2012 and is the world’s only female Master Tailor. Breaking tradition, she offers tailoring for both men and women focusing on the needs of the client rather than a set house style.

This week’s episode of the IPOL Podcast is the second of our Special Visionary Women discussion panels recorded live at the IPOL conference. The panel, made up of 4 of our 8 Visionary Women have shaped our future in a creative and imaginative way, championing new ides that are both bold and empowering. Joining us are Jessica Helfand / Design Observer, Effie Kanyua / Director of Communication and PR at Hearst publications, Charlotte Keasing / Director of Corporate Affairs and International at Walpole and Alison Lloyd / Creative Director at Ally Capellino

Rosy Greenlees OBE, is Executive Director of the Crafts Council, a national charity in the UK promoting the value of craft and making to society through its research and advocacy, support to craft businesses, public projects and craft education in schools. The Crafts Council has supported thousands of makers through its talent development programmes and through her work, Rosy who is also passionate about the importance of giving children and young people a craft education, continues to advocate not only for craft teaching but creative teaching at all levels of education and beyond.

Roger Smith is a master craftsman. He is one of very few watchmakers who makes a watch from start to finish. He set up his studio in 2001 with an unswerving ethos to craft watches to a peerless standard of horological excellence. His journey has been one of continual discovery and he has spent the last decade exploring the future of mechanical watchmaking. This has taken him into previously unexplored territory. Today, he is working at the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking performance and he and his team are applying next generation science to what has always been regarded a traditional art form. He believes in staying true to the tradition of British watchmaking which has always been about discovery.

Join Lydia Slater – Editor in Chief Harpers Bazaar, Catherine Scorey – Chief Operating Officer at All Saints and John Varvatos, Bijou Abiola – Director of Strategy and Consumer Insights at L’Oreal Luxe and the designer Maria Grachvogel for this, the first of two Special Issues of the Visionary Women Live podcasts recorded at the IPOL Conference. We discuss vision, women in business and communicating luxury.

As a child Raffaella spent a lot of time watching her father preparing the embroidery, organizing all the materials for the embroiderers, making technical artworks and checking the finished work for some of the biggest fashion houses in the world. She was well prepared for the world of fashion despite this not being her initial career choice. She, however decided to join her father at the family company in 1996 and took over as MD in 2020. Her collaborations include Giorgio Armani, Etro, Versace, Valentino and Dolce Gabbana. Inspired by her father’s love of embroidery she continues to innovate in a world defined by craftsmanship. 

Stephen started his career during the late 1970s. He has become one of the most acclaimed milliners making millinery seem modern and compelling in materials that are often radical in design and range from refined to whimsical. He is always at the forefront of fashion where his hats routinely grace the most celebrated magazine covers, enliven window displays of the world's most stylish stores and frame the faces of everyone from Boy George to Lady Gaga. He works from his studio in London and with some of the biggest design houses in the world. His collaborations include Thom Browne and Christian Dior. Join us for a chat about life, inspiration and a love affair with hats.

Theo started designing jewellery in the 1970s and opened his first studio on Fulham Road in 1980. For over 40 years he has been designing and making his own original, beautiful jewellery and silverware by hand in his workshop and studio in London’s Fulham Road. His attention to detail is what sets him apart from other jewellers. This and his acute understanding of craftsmanship and materials. We chat about the design process, Ozzy Osbourne and the swinging 70s

In this, the final episode of season two we meet Kyre Chenven one half of the duo who set up Pretziada a creative practice on the southwest corner of Sardinia. Kyre and her partner, Ivano Atzori, work with artisans on resuscitating local craft.  Together they work symbiotically as cultural translators: writing and photographing the particularities of the island, reproposing new designs of classic pieces, producing original designs of international creatives and assisting the artisans to shape their future trajectory. They promote the heritage of a territory through words, photography and a collection of design objects made with local artisans.

Christopher Lutterodt-Quarcoo (CL-Q) is a creative entrepreneur, awarding-winning director of 'Hertz' (BFI Future Film Festival: Best Documentary currently on BFI Player) and writer. Operating on the axis of design, politics & film he is the director of THE ADV_™ an immersive forum, developing; empathy, insight and foresight through weaponised empathy. Christopher is also the founder of the research archive Unmaterialised™, which uses design to investigate political influences on global narratives, beliefs & systems.  

Sonya Walger is an actor and author, she stared on Broadway in the original production of Frost/Nixon, and she has been in way too many films and TV series to name all of them. Here are a few, Lost, Sleeper Cell, CSI: NY, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. , FlashForward. Parenthood and most recently For all Mankind where she plays an astronaut, Molly Cobb, the first woman on the moon.

Theodore Diehl, horologist at Richard Mille. Theo has had a varied and exciting career. He was originally conservatory trained as a harpsichordist and Early music specialist and worked many years as an A&R manager and producer. In the 1990’s, he made a change to watch journalism, and worked with all the major watch magazines and newspapers including the Financial Times (UK). It was during this time that he met Richard Mille. He joined Richard’s fledgling company as one of the first three people to work there. Theo is the company spokesman, horologist and historian.

Sacha is 3rd generation Rose leading Derek Rose, a leisurewear company specialized in Feel-good Living. Sacha joined in 2003 and has transformed the business into one of the UKs leading leisurewear companies. It is refreshing to speak with someone who is so open about business, his passion for technology and how his business is about more than just making money. 

Margaret is the Sales Director for Harris Tweed Hebrides and has over 20-years experience working in textile manufacturing, retail, rural economic development, and community sustainability. As a proud Hebridean and a native Gaelic speaker, she has spent her life surrounded by the Harris Tweed Hebrides® industry which forms the backbone of the fragile island economy in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. She is now part of the team at Harris Tweed Hebrides leading the next exciting stage in the lifecycle of Scotland’s most famous handwoven woollen textile.

Kevin Bethune – An accomplished designer and innovator, Kevin started his career as a mechanical engineer working in the world of nuclear power plants. He then turned to work in a different kind of engineering, that is design engineering. Although quite different fields the thinking is much the same. Be innovative and come up with solutions to complex problems. Since then Kevin has designed some of the most iconic Nike sneakers. Not being fulfilled designing footwear, he moved on to pursue a career in design innovation, creative thinking and 'unlocking human potential through the creation of empathic and holistic experiences.'

Father Andrew More O’Connor is a Roman Catholic Diocesan priest ordained by the Archdiocese of New York in 1996 and is currently the pastor at Saint Mary Grand on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In addition to his service of the Archdiocese, he is a visual artist and feels that church and art must go together like subject and verb, more so now because the paradigms of the sacred shift along with our lives. Andrew is also a designer and founder of Good of Conscience a non profit clothing company. 

Christopher J. Berry is Professor Emeritus (Political Theory) and Honorary Professorial Research Fellow. He works at the interface between politics, history and philosophy and has written many books and papers, on Luxury and especially on aspects of the Scottish Enlightenment.  On a wider front he has an interest in what he calls 'the philosophical anthropology of politics' (what it is about being human that appears to call forth a response that is labelled political).

Catherine Scorey Jobling.

Catherine is the Chief Operating Officer at Allsaints where she has overall responsibility for all product, men and women. There are many entrepreneurial women in the world of fashion, but very few make it to the highest level of management. Fewer still have contributed so much to the success of a British brand in the competitive world of the international fashion industry.

Lydia Slater.

Lydia is the Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar UK, overseeing it’s print, digital and experiential offering. She has expanded the Bazaar at Work programme and launched the Bazaar Summit, an annual conference that champions the career woman, bringing together Bazaar’s high-net worth readership with women leaders from around the world; an initiative that has become a pillar of the brand.

Jessica Helfand.

Jessica is internationally acclaimed in her area of work as a designer, writer, and educator. She received both her BA in graphic design and architectural theory in 1982 and her MFA in graphic design in 1989 from Yale University. With William Drenttel, she co-founded The Winterhouse Institute and with Michael Bierut, Design Observer. She has written for many national publications, including The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Aperture and The New Republic. She is the author of numerous books on design and cultural criticism, including Paul Rand: American Modernist (1998), Screen: Essays on Graphic Design, New Media and Visual Culture (2001) and Reinventing the Wheel (2002). Her critically acclaimed Scrapbooks: An American History (Yale University Press, 2008) was named that year’s best visual book by the New York Times. Her most recent publications include Design: The Invention of Desire (2016), Culture is not Always Popular: Fifteen Years of Design Observer and Face; A Visual Odyssey (2019).

Effie Kanyua - Director of PR & Comms - Hearst UK.

Effie has a wealth of PR and communication experience having worked at some of the world’s leading agencies including: Shine, Weber Shandwick, Splendid Communications and M&C Saatchi on accounts for global brands in all sectors from drinks to tech including Diageo and Samsung.

Alison Lloyd - designer - Ally Capellino.

Ally started Ally Capellino in 1979 at the time when British Fashion was probably at its most edgy and ground-breaking. She was also one of the first British designers to break Japan. Famous for her understated style, she moved from clothing to bags almost 40 years ago continuing to design practical, long lasting pieces that are as discreet as they are functional and durable. Ally is and has always been a visionary and still one of the few successful women in fashion leading her own business

Helen Brocklebank – CEO Walpole.

Helen is the CEO of Walpole the official sector body for UK luxury. Founded in 1992 as a not-for-profit organisation, it counts more than 250 British brands in its membership and is recognised as the voice of British luxury. Walpole’s purpose is to promote, protect and develop a sector worth £48 billion to the UK economy and the jewel in the crown of UK business. Helen is prolific in her support for all things British and all things luxury. In addition to supporting and promoting some of the most internationally recognisable British brands she is also a champion for education and the role of women in the board room.

Maria Grachvogel - Designer.

Obsessed with the idea that clothing can transform your body, your mood and your confidence Maria experiments with innovative cutting always keeping the woman who wears the clothing front of mind. She is personally committed to preserving the craft of luxury fashion and is working with a technology partner to reimagine the future of fashion. One could easily describe Maria is a fashion architect instinctively interested in materials, shape, form and flow. Today we talk to Maria not only about her clothes but about embracing change in a changing world…

Bijou Abiola – Director of Consumer Insights L’Oreal Luxe.

Bijou is a proven innovator with over 10 years of driving growth in customer-centric businesses through creative strategies and compelling storytelling. Developing omni channel businesses for brands like Dior, Chanel, Bobbi Brown, Ralph Lauren and DVF, her collective experience across multiple retail categories produced a differentiation strategy that delivered over $220M in sales for a major department store in the U.S. In her current role, she partners with business leaders within L’Oréal’s Luxe division to convert data-driven insights into actionable customer acquisition and retention strategies.