World Hope Forum Germany
THE FUTURE OF WELLNESS
Curated by Ornamenta 2024
Saturday, July 6, 2024
15:00–18:00 Black Forest (CET)
9:00–12:00 New York (EST)
The demand for ways to deal with stress, both virtual and in real life, is at an all-time high. Thus, this edition of WHF, curated by the festival Ornamenta 2024, delves into the future of well-being. For centuries, Germany has embraced the concept of “kur” (spa), a holistic approach to healing that emphasises spending time in nature, utilising thermal waters and fresh air. While the privatisation of the country’s spa industry in the 1990s may have made these traditional experiences less accessible, different public initiatives are breathing new life into this tradition.
On Saturday, July 6th, join us for Germany's inaugural World Hope Forum, where seven invited speakers will showcase how design, architecture and craft draw inspiration from local heritage to create wellness solutions for stress, fatigue and isolation.
Lidewij Edelkoort
Co-Founder World Hope Forum
Li Edelkoort is a trend forecaster, publisher, humanitarian, design educator and exhibition curator. From 2015-2020 she was the Dean of Hybrid Design Studies at Parsons in New York where she founded a Textile Masters and the New York Textile Month festival. Her thought-provoking writings and podcasts have become increasingly popular at a time when she is regarded as an activist and champion for change. In 2020, she founded the World Hope Forum as a platform to inspire the creative community to rebuild a better society. She is also on the Creative Council for all of Gap Inc.’s fashion brands, advising the group on creative innovation and sustainable practice. In 2022, Edelkoort collaborated with Polimoda in Florence to establish an innovative new textile masters called From Farm to Fabric to Fashion.
PHILIP FIMMANO
Co-Founder World Hope Forum
Philip Fimmano is a trend analyst and consultant, contributing to Trend Union’s forecasting books, magazines and strategic studies for international companies in fashion, textiles, interiors and lifestyle. In 2011, Fimmano co-founded Talking Textiles with Li Edelkoort; an ongoing initiative to promote awareness and innovation in textiles through touring exhibitions, a trend publication, a design prize and free educational programmes – including New York Textile Month, a citywide festival celebrating textile creativity each September. He is the co-author of the design book A Labour of Love (Lecturis, 2020) and the co-founder of the World Hope Forum, a new platform for creative community building. Fimmano is the mentor of Polimoda's fashion forecasting masters and textile masters in Florence, and he is on the Board of Directors for the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe. Fimmano is also on the Creative Council for all of Gap Inc.’s brands, advising the group on innovation and sustainable practice.