design — Blog — Be Original Americas

Carl Hansen & Søn, with more than a century of Danish furniture history, share their respect and passion for quality craftsmanship. Learn more about the process of bringing iconic furniture designs to life through product development, storytelling, and a commitment to innovative thinking. Alongside Brad Ascalon, an award-winning multi-disciplinary designer and the first American to collaborate with Carl Hansen & Søn, Mads Holm Rabjerg who oversees product design, they share how to design for the future while remaining true to a company’s heritage.

Emeco | Virtual Fellowship

Look behind the scenes at Emeco and learn what “Made in America, often by hand, mostly from recycled materials, but always to last” really means. A fun and informative talk between Gregg Buchbinder, CEO of Emeco, who’s passion and creative mind has guided Emeco to its worldwide success and his daughter, Jaye Buchbinder, Produce Development Manager. Both are strong advocates for producing and defending authenticity in design and our environment.

Fantini | Virtual Fellowship

We join Daniela Fantini in Italy and Riccardo Conti in New York as they take us through the essence of Fantini. Daniela took over her family business at age 28 and built it to be a worldwide leader in fixturing. We learn more about the company’s offices, factory, and the 11-room suite hotel, CasaFantini, designed by Piero Lissoni and deeply rooted on Lake Orta in Italy. We learn about the company’s passion for design innovation and environmental commitments to give water its best form.

Fritz Hansen | Virtual Fellowship

Christian Andresen, Head of Design at Fritz Hansen, shares his philosophy on design and the concept of designers being “design consultants.” Working with great young talents like Nendo, Jaime Hayon, and others, joining the great works of legends Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjaerholm, Christian has many thoughts on how this iconic company designs for its future.

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Georg Jensen | Virtual Fellowship

How often does one get an exclusive tour of the Copenhagen-based smithy and learn about the craftsmanship of fine silverware? Silver Manager, Jørgen Jacobsen, of Georg Jensen opens the doors to one of Denmark’s most celebrated design companies, alongside Jakob Mose Olesen, Marketing Director, North America.

Kartell | Virtual Fellowship

John James Jenkin, the colorful CEO of North America, of this colorful company, speaks to the use of new BIOmaterials and their impact on the future of design. He discusses how we will see a shift from Form + Function to Values + Function. Kartell, famous for the iconic Louis Ghost & Masters Chairs by Philippe Starck, as well as Componibili by Anna Castelli Ferrieri, continues to innovate with some of the greatest design minds in the world.

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Magis | Virtual Fellowship

Alberto Perazza, CEO, and Enrico Perin, Magis’ Design Manager, take us through the design process, materiality, and manufacturing process and give their insights on how they work with some of the best designers in the world while keeping the brand identity.

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Maya Romanoff | Virtual Fellowship

Join Joyce Romanoff, CEO, and Jennifer Block, VP of Business Development, for an engaging discussion about their extraordinary wallcovering company, MAYA ROMANOFF. Get a behind-the-scenes look at gorgeous wallcoverings being manufactured by hand in MAYA’s Chicago studio. Maya Romanoff has been a leader in handcrafted surfacing materials for over 50 years and is recognized today as the largest multi-disciplined manufacturer of luxury wallcoverings.

Pablo Designs | Virtual Fellowship

Pablo Pardo, Creative Director and Founder, Pablo Designs, provides a view into the studio which started with a single design, bringing insight into the creative process, design collaborations, and how Pablo Designs manages the challenges of the production process from concept to finished goods. Pablo touches on the studio's devotion to human-centered design which elevates our experience with light.

Yellow Goat Design | Virtual Fellowship

Yellow Goat Design knows a thing or two about custom designs. The company creates, engineers, and fabricates lighting, screens, and works of art unique to every single project. Hear about their expertise on the design and fabrication process, understanding messages, recognizing the users of a space, and applying all of this to create a powerful product tailored specifically to each environment.

In Conversation with Øivind Slaatto

Danish designer, Øivind Slaatto always tries to find simple and obvious yet poetic design solutions, which are often inspired by the world of nature. Along with John Edelman, Be Original Americas Ambassador and Design Consultant, he took to the virtual stage to touch on the importance of great design, better solutions, and the influences in nature that informed the Louis Poulsen Patera lamp.

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A Pivot in Design - #DoingWellbyDoingRight

How can design make an impact? With a remarkable global response from Be Original Americas’ members, everyone is helping in any way they can. Learn how our members are #DoingWellbyDoingRight

What's Next for the Design World?

Carey Schuster, CEO & President of Yellow Goat Design shares her thoughts and advice on the future of the design world.

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