The Color Authority™

In this episode, the Forecast Club comes together to unpack what really stood out at Milan Design Week 2026. Moving beyond the hype, they share honest reflections on shifting aesthetics, the rise of multi-sensory experiences, and the growing divide between design for the few and design for the many. From material-driven color stories to questions around relevance, affordability, and authenticity, this conversation offers a sharp, insider perspective on where design is heading next. The Foreca...

Louise Byg Kongsholm explains in this episode that companies must navigate "trend stuffification" by distinguishing between short-term noise and long-term strategic patterns that address fundamental human needs. She advocates for life stage segmentation over traditional demographics and warns that AI should be treated as a tool rather than a business strategy to protect the essential human "creative spark". Louise Byg Kongsholm is CEO of pej gruppen – scandinavian trend institute, a com...

Jerusalemite designer Lameice Abu Aker creates at the intersection of emotional resonance and cultural memory, exploring how form, color, and material embody the poetry of domestic rituals. Now based between Jerusalem and Milan, where she earned her Master’s in Furniture Design from Politecnico di Milano, her work fuses Mediterranean nostalgia with sculptural whimsy. In 2021, she founded Ornamental by Lameice, a studio dedicated to glassware that blurs the line between sculpture and tableware...

This first autumn podcast episode features Finnish fashion designer Sofia Ilmonen, who discusses her approach to creating modular, transformable garments that can be reshaped and reassembled like building blocks. Ilmonen details how her use of simple square or rectangular modules contributes to her sustainability goals. She also explains her focus on "sizeless" garments aiming to increase longevity by addressing the poor fit, which she identifies as one of the biggest reasons for discarding c...

Nieves Contreras talks about what inspires her and how she wants to take design, material and in particular color out of context. She explains how material and processing have become part of the innovative brand Lladrò, what are the challenges for the Spanish design market in the next years and how AI may influence the return to true craftsmanship. Graduated in Industrial Design as well as a Master's in Design Management from UPV in Valencia. She has developed a significant part of her ...

This episode is filled with information on intentional trends within a variety of industries yet with a special focus on the culinary industry. Cécile talks to us about how the the trend forecasting industry has changed with the current speed of information reaching us and how this has resulted more in trend provocation whereas there is a great need for trend curation to truly help out businesses in finding answers in a difficult economical climate. Cécile Poignant is French, born and r...

Australian Bree Banfield shares with us her passion for color surprises in interiors, how color comes intuitively to her and how the light down under changes the color game completely. Listen to our conversation and receive valuable insights to the color selection process for home interiors. With an extensive career spanning 30 years, Bree Banfield is an Interior Designer renowned for her expertise in trend forecasting and styling. A maestro in color, Bree approaches each project with a...

Which way better to start the new season than with Brazilian creative Michell Lott. In this episode, Michell shares insights on how he uses color to stay in touch with his emotions to navigate life more easily, how warm colors increase happiness for 2025 and how AI allows him to work quicker yet without taking over his creativity. Based in São Paulo, the multidisciplinary creator has made a name for himself by envisioning and delivering majestic, immersive, colorful, and playful produc...

Fernando Laposse is not only a true inspiration but a great storyteller. His designs are constructed throughout deep levels of culture, challenges, heritage and his great love for his home country Mexico. During our interview we talked about the essential importance of provenance, material, natural pigment and showcasing the story of indigenous communities and their daily struggles through his design work. Fernando Laposse is a Mexican designer with a degree in product design from Cent...

There is a reason why I picked this title and you hear that when you listen to the conversation. Stefan is a true trend hunter who never stops searching for the new as his curiosity brings him to over 30 fairs a year. In this interview we talk about what is trending right now, what is coming and we wonder about what the future may bring when it comes to color and its application. Stefan ”Trendstefan” Nilsson is one of Sweden’s and Scandinavia’s most influential trend experts. Constantl...

With Zuzanna we talk about just everything that is strategic design thinking to how to get out of our comfort zone to color-matching in plastics, to being the only woman in the room and how businesses need to understand that their brand is made of people. And all that while being brutally honest. Zuzanna started her career in 1998 at Philips Design and for years she contributed with SignalS of Change analyses to international visionary design projects. Then for almost 15 years she was involv...

Xiaojing is the first person on the podcast to talk with an Asian perspective on color, design experience and CMF as she talks about the many differences between eastern and western consumer trends, preferences and color perceptions. As one of the most well-known CMF designers in China, Xiaojing will give her view on what is happening in the field and not just in China. Xiaojing Huang is a renowned design strategist and trend expert, strategy director and partner of YANG DESIGN, chief ...

Part of learning about color is understanding it's many facets and cultural meanings. Laura Tofts passionately shares her perspective on color from a southern African point of view, describing Zimbabwe's color symbolism across pattern, natural pigments and minerals. Her goal is to bring global color conversations to Africa and spread its traditions with the world. Born 47 years ago in Zimbabwe to British immigrants, Laura grew up in the Capital City Harare and completed her High School...