Natalie Chanin

Natalie "Alabama" Chanin is an American fashion designer from Florence, Alabama. From 1976 until its closure in 2005, Tee-Jays Manufacturing was one of the largest employers in the Florence textile industry. Chanin's business now operates as a clothing manufacturer on the grounds of the former Tee-Jays company and is now a part of the zero-waste fashion movement. Her design company uses organic cotton fabric in their designs, which is said to be sourced sustainably from seed to fabric. Chanin's "open source" philosophy means that patterns and techniques for some of her garments are openly available through books and workshops. Founded by Chanin, Alabama Chanin and The School of Making have been passionate about designing and crafting products of the highest possible quality and integrity for over two decades. The design-build teams of artisans, makers, writers, artists, hand-embroiderers, and creators make thoughtfully, with honesty, pride, and commitment to people and planet. They make by hand and heart—forging relationships from farm to factory and beyond. Chanin believes there is beauty in creating garments and products that age into the life of the wearer and user, and that good things take time—and last a lifetime.

alabamachanin.com

@alabamachanin

Mary Evers

Mary Evers was born in Dublin and, at just a year old, emigrated with her family to the Mashriq region. Her father was a UN field service officer during the early years of Palestinian refugee camp establishment and support. Throughout her youth, the Evers moved frequently, allowing Mary to experience a rich variety of educational settings before she studied osteopathy and naturopathy in London, later establishing her own clinical practice. Since retiring in 2015, Mary volunteered with BEANSTALK, supporting children with reading difficulties, and became a fellow with In Place of War (IPOW), a charity championing the arts in areas affected by conflict. Mary is a committed anti-war activist and humanitarianism, with a lifelong focus on the empowerment of women and the rights of the Palestinian people — a cause deeply rooted in her upbringing. A pivotal moment came during a trip to Uganda, where she witnessed a local theatre group perform using Theatre of the Oppressed methods, pioneered by Augusto Boal. The use of theatre as a tool for community dialogue, problem-solving and social change deeply resonated with her. The experience solidified Mary’s belief in the power of the arts to foster collaboration, heal communities, and address injustice. This has culminated in Stitch Their Names, an ongoing tribute to the innumerable lives lost in Gaza, honouring each individual through the act of stitching their names into fabric. In a world that reduces profound loss to mere statistics, the project affirms the humanity and individuality of every person. The project confronts the brutal reality of life in Gaza—where entire families have been erased, and entire generations wiped out. Each stitched name ensures their stories do not fade into the anonymity of mass graves or the silence of destroyed homes.

stitchtheirnamestogether.com

@stitch.their.names.together

Julia Watson

Julia Watson is a designer, educator, and author whose work advocates for the integration of traditional and Indigenous knowledge into climate resilient design. From an early age, she engaged with First Nations ecological perspectives, developing a deep understanding of how human and natural systems co-evolve, a worldview that guides her work. She is the author of 'Lo–TEK: Design by Radical Indigenism (TASCHEN, 2019) and 'Lo–TEK Water: A Field Guide for TEKnology’ (TASCHEN, 2025), and the leader of the global Lo–TEK movement and the field of TEKnological Urbanism. Her work is deeply collaborative, co-created with Indigenous authors and communities. Julia founded the Lo–TEK Institute, advancing nature-based education, and the Lo–TEK Office of Intercultural Urbanism, guiding interdisciplinary teams in culturally grounded, place-based design where the landscape is treated as the foundational technology of the built environment. As she so poignantly says, "What gives me hope is the growing recognition that ancient knowledge systems hold keys to solving our most pressing environmental challenges—and that we're finally listening.”

lo-tek.com

@juliawatsondesign

Order a copy of Lo—TEK Water (2025) www.lo-tek.com/product-page/lo-tek-water-taschen-2025-available-in-usa-november-30th-2025

Wim Pijbes

Wim Pijbes is director of the Rotterdam based philanthropic foundation Droom en Daad (meaning "Dream and Do") which empowers the City of Rotterdam with innovative cultural projects, including the recently-opened FENIX Museum of Migration. Wim is an art historian and emeritus General Director of the Rijksmuseum. His initiatives there included the museum’s transformation and grand reopening in 2013. He also initiated the transformation of the Rijksmuseum gardens into a beloved green open air gallery for free sculpture, launched Rijksstudio, and the open-content museum, the first digital application to offer images of the museum’s complete collection to everyone, free of charge. His strategy made the Rijksmuseum the largest museum on the web worldwide. Now at FENIX, he oversees an art museum that takes visitors through the lived experiences of migrants. These stories speak of love and separation, coming home and feeling at home, navigating identity and searching for happiness; an institution that speaks of hope and humanity, overlooking the very Rotterdam docks where millions of lives left and arrived over the past centuries.

fenix.nl/en

@fenix

James Bailes

James Bailes is an entrepreneur and strategist committed to fostering sustainable growth and meaningful impact across industries. As the co-founder of Castleton Capital, James leads initiatives to provide flexible capital, strategic networks and in-house expertise to accelerate value creation for partners. As a director at Singita, a globally renowned ecotourism brand redefining luxury safari experiences, James contributes to the organisation’s 100-year mission to safeguard Africa’s wilderness for future generations. Singita seamlessly blends conservation, community development, and world-class hospitality, reflecting James’s passion for sustainable investments and purpose-driven ventures. With a focus on creating lasting impact, James’s work at both Castleton Capital and Singita underscores his dedication to innovation, environmental stewardship and empowering communities.

singita.com

@singita_

Pride Maunatlala

Pride Maunatlala is Singita’s Chief Marketing Officer. With deep expertise across industries and continents, she blends a profound understanding of global cultural landscapes with a passion for storytelling. In her role, she's guiding Singita into a new chapter defined by richer narratives and more intuitively curated experiences. Pride believes in the transformative power of hospitality and nature, the sense of care they can both offer and inspire, and that creating opportunities for people to experience Africa’s wild spaces intimately fosters a deeper commitment to protecting them.

singita.com

@singita_

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 co-founded the World Hope Forum with Philip Fimmano as a platform to inspire the creative community to rebuild a better society. Launched in 2020, PROUD SOUTH is a mesmerising visual book that celebrates the creative forces from the southern parts of the planet. Through the colourful and expressive lens of contemporary fashion, photography, styling and art, Edelkoort and Lili Tedde bring together emerging and established talents from wide and far, illustrating that the axis of global creativity has indeed dramatically shifted. In 2025, Edelkoort is launching a second edition of PROUD SOUTH focusing on craft and design. Of the movement, she says, “A southern generation of creatives is standing up, expressing local craft, embracing regional materials, recognising ancestral practices and cherishing indigenous values.”

@lidewijedelkoort