Cover The speakers at Business of Design Week (BODW)
The speakers at Business of Design Week (BODW)
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The annual event brought together the design industry’s top talents in Hong Kong and beyond
Business of Design Week (BODW) 2024, an annual Hong Kong event that celebrates design, innovation and brands, took place from December 5 to 7.
This year, the summit, themed Inter/Section: Design Artistry and Innovation, saw more than 15,000 attendees, with a rich, thought-provoking line-up of over 40 keynote speeches and panels conducted by more than 50 speakers from around the world, including renowned British architect Thomas Heatherwick; mainland China’s most illustrious couturier Guo Pei; and Julia Capp, the head of Paris-based architectural firm RDAI, which designs Hermès stores around the world.
BODW 2024 explored a variety of topics: urban futures; brands and retail resurgence; craftsmanship and material mastery; culture and digital aesthetics; and AI and future tech aimed at tackling the increasingly complex challenges faced around the world.
The event was organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre (HKDC), with France as its partner country. Its lead sponsor was the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Hong Kong government, and it also counts the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) as its co-organiser.
Here, we look back on what three of the event’s key speakers shared on the significance of the event and how it impacts both business and design.
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Thomas Heatherwick
Above Thomas Heatherwick at BODW
Thomas Heatherwick at BODW
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Thomas Heatherwick is one of the UK’s most prolific designers and the founder and design director of the London-based Heatherwick Studio, which has more than 30 projects in development.
At BODW, Heatherwick was a keynote speaker at Humanising Cities: A Thousand-Year Vision, where he dived into the conference’s influence as well as his philosophies surrounding architecture and design.
“[BODW is] not just any conference. it’s an incredible network and family of people, who connect us to others in the world [and] bring us out of our bubbles.”
“Ninety-nine per cent of buildings don’t have character [and] are too flat, too serious, too monotonous, too boring. I wish for a world where it’s common for buildings to be interesting—and weird if it’s boring.”
Guo Pei
Above Guo Pei at BODW
Guo Pei at BODW
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Mainland China’s most illustrious couturier Guo Pei is the founder of her Beijing-based atelier Rose Studio. She is the first and only Chinese designer to become a guest member of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the official body that recognises haute couturiers.
During her keynote, Craftsmanship & Material Mastery, Brands and Retail Resurgence, she said, “The topics discussed at BODW concerning tradition, culture, beauty, artistry and spirit—all of these belong to the ‘intangible’. So too are the highly valued traits of human creativity and imagination. But how can we make our ideas tangible? The answer to that is methodology, technique and artistry.”
Julia Capp
Above Julia Capp at BODW
Julia Capp at BODW
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Julia Capp, CEO of Paris-based architectural firm RDAI, shared her experiences working on Hermès stores worldwide, as well as luxury hotels and private residences.
“In the office, we have this motto of ‘making it together’. We believe that the future of design is people, context, time and family. That’s how we get projects done, and I think that’s also why we are here today at Business of Design Week—because we all want to share with and learn from each other.”
Read more: The architect behind Hermès’s beautifully designed shops on balancing elegance with local flair
Eric Yim
Eric Yim is the chairman of the Hong Kong Design Centre, which is BODW’s organiser.
He addressed the crowd at BODW’s opening day, where he spoke of how the summit is able to connect people—and break new boundaries—when it comes to design.
“The focal point of this exceptional international summit [is to] ignite our creativity, expand our horizons and drive us towards new frontiers of design excellence. We firmly believe that you are here today because you share that vision with us.”
Christile Drulhe
Christile Drulhe, the consul general of France in Hong Kong and Macau, spoke about the connection between Hong Kong and France—it is the partner country of this year’s BODW.
“2024 has been a landmark year for France and France-Hong Kong relations. From hosting the Olympics and Paralympics—in which Hong Kong performed really well—to celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China. … Business of Design Week provides the perfect finale for this special year, highlighting the close cultural and business ties between France and Hong Kong.”
Andrea Lo was the Executive Editor of Tatler Hong Kong and Editor of Tatler Macau.
Born in Canada and raised in Hong Kong and England, she started her career in journalism in 2012.
Follow her on Instagram @andreastephenielo.
