An inspiring podcast on everything you need to know about color!
Stay tuned for our next podcast with Mexican designer Fernando Laposse live November 26!
Honouring Identity with Jessica Bantom
This is a conversation every designer should be listening to as Jessica Bantom and I address the elephant in the room, designing inclusively for a more equitable world in which culture, identity and humanity is honoured. But how may you start that conversation at work or with your client? Jessica speaks from her own experience and research when she says, listen and just ask the questions to that person that indeed is so different from you. What role does color play in honouring identity?
Jessica Bantom is a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) practitioner and workplace strategist whose mission is to enable individuals to take immediate actions that create meaningful outcomes for historically excluded people. A graduate of the University of Virginia and Marymount University, Bantom is a skilled management consultant with over 20 years of experience, a compelling speaker, and a certified facilitator and coach with a passion for helping people and organizations activate the values of DEIB to become more culturally competent and thrive in our increasingly connected global economy. Bantom is also active in the interior design industry as an interior design and color consultant and as an engaged advocate committed to promoting DEIB in the industry and in practice. You can learn more about Jessica and her book, Design for Identity: How to Design Authentically for a Diverse World, at JessicaBantom.com.
Shooting Color with Ellen Mirck
How did a Dutch fashion stylist end up in the Milan and how does she mix her northern upbringing and style with the Italian? Ellen tells her story through her styling work around the world using color, fabric and texture to create luxurious yet cool stylings. She loves mystery which can clearly be seen through her work for Vogue Arabia. Ellen explains what intrigues her so much about fashion and how color fits into that world.
Ellen Mirck is a Dutch Fashion Stylist and sustainable editor based in Milan. She does fashion styling, art direction and brand consultancy. She is contributing editor of Vogue Arabia and also collaborates with magazines such as Vogue Brazil, Lampoon, Numerò Netherlands, Tank and Cap74094.
Her clients are Burberry, Max Mara, Hogan, Pomellato, Moncler, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fay, Tommy Hilfiger, Bvlgari, Converse, Benetton, Tod's, Bally, Palm Angels and many more.
Ellen used to live in London and work for Alexander McQueen and Hermès. She studied Economy in the Netherlands and graduated Cum Laude in Fashion Styling at Marangoni Milan. In her work she instinctively pairs the clean, graphic lines from Northern Europe with the warmth and a certain dramatic flair found in the South. She finds the precious in the details with interesting, nature- inspired textures. As a Stylist and Art Director, she'd say she more of a storyteller, really getting into the mind of the client to translate their vision and vivid imagination that might be slumbering underneath the surface. Ellen enjoys clothes, the beauty of them, but also believes in wearing your values.
The Future of Color Forecasting with Leslie Harrington
When color-minded come together you have great conversations, proof again is my episode with Leslie Harrington. Leslie talks color strategy like very few and explains the major pitfalls in selecting color. She believes the future of color forecasting lays in data to validate intuitively made color choices. How will AI influence the jobs of color professionals and how can the two sit side by side? Listen to this intriguing color talk now!
Leslie Harrington Ph.D is the Co-founder of HueData, a color intelligence company, and the Executive Director of The Color Association of the United States, a color trend agency since 1915 specialising in Fashion and Interiors/Environments. She currently is on the Executive Committee of AIC, a professional member of ISCC, is a professional member of ASID - American Society of Interior Designers. Leslie is the current President of AIC - International Color Association. Leslie has worked in the area of color strategy and color marketing over a 25+ year for companies such as Benjamin Moore and has been published and quotes in numerous publications such as The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The New Yorker, Oprah Magazine and aired on Dr Oz Show, CBS’s Live it Up with Ali & Jack, ABC's Good Morning America and many more.
Global Color Visions with Sara Forsmark
In this candid conversation I will talk with Sara Forsmark about the great challenges of creating a global color vision for the sports performance brand Adidas. How does she incorporate topics such as sustainability and inclusivity in her colourful work? Print and pattern is key in the world of apparel and footwear, how are they materialised in color visions? Sara is a fervent color advocate but even more so when it comes to debunking color perceptions and concepts, let's listen which ones nerve her the most.
Sara Forsmark is a creative who navigates and transforms the complex world of color into future forward color concepts and visions.
For Sara, color is beauty and currency; for life, humanity, design, brands and business. With color at the core, her ambition is to be a strong voice for color by creating awareness of all its qualities; as a creator of aesthetic experiences, to shaping meaningful connections between brand, culture and its audiences, and beyond.
With a big picture view, she contextualises worldly movements and growing disruptive shifts into brand relevant color insights and content; and fuses creativity with science; to craft, drive and lead way for new authentic and purposeful color expressions and stories; that speaks brand, debunks aesthetic norms and provokes emotion towards a better and different tomorrow.
Her work experiences span across a diverse range of categories and brands, a journey that started at agencies creating CMF designs for clients as LG, Hewlett-Packard and Bowers & Wilkins, before moving into the world of sports, shaping and steering brand global creative visions for color at adidas. A color design role she currently holds in the adidas Global Creative Direction team.
The Magical World of Crypto Art with Bruno Pitzalis
Before getting into the Crypto Art topic, Bruno gives a quick guide through the hot topic of metaverses, NFT's and how one can be part of the digital world. He also debunks some misperceptions that quickly had risen within the first year of the very existence of this new reality. While Bruno reveals his main inspirations within the Crypto Art movement, how he selects artists for his exhibitions and which artists are currently hot, he has a direct call to action to the creative community as the digital world is in great need of creative input. Listen to our interview and find out why color creatives are so necessary at this early stage of this new movement and what future role color has in this digital world.
Bruno Pitzalis is a Crypto Art expert, curator and sale advisor. In June 2021 he conceived and coordinated "Dystopian Visions", the first Crypto Art NFT auction in Italy for the Cambi auction house in partnership with SuperRare. Thanks to his twenty years experience of working in the field of communication and documentary direction, he has developed a peculiar vision and strategy for the creation of applied value. He currently holds the role of Communications and Brand Awareness at MoCDA (Museum of Contemporary Digital Art), head of MoCDA - The Foundry, cultural populariser of the Crypto Art scene, he is collector and collaborator of Artribune and has a column on Crypto Art.
Whirlwinds of Color with David Shah
Get yourself a cup of tea and a comfortable seat as you are about to listen to an exciting whirlwind of information on trends, fashion, textiles and of course color! David and I will talk about which trends were accelerated by the pandemic and which color directions will be key for the upcoming years. In this fast conversation we will talk about the future of fashion, health and merchandising in a world where supplies are short and consumers want comfort. David will also touch upon how the meta verse is influencing society and how it will bring color to a next level.
Publisher at Metropolitan Publishing BV (Textile View, Viewpoint Colour, PantoneView Colour Planner, Pantone Colour InstituteTrendhouse Kids, Trendhouse Youth Lifestyle and Trendhouse Casual/Athleisure). He is and has been a consultant working on design and marketing developments with many leading apparel and industrial companies, ranging from fashion to automotive. He is renowned for his speeches around the world on social and design trends. David has been visiting professor at the Royal College of Arts, London examining MA students in textiles as well as Associate Professor at ARTez, Arnhem the Netherlands, for the course on branding and marketing and Associate Professor at Renmin University, Beijing. He is also a peer member for the CBI Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Netherlands and is often called as an expert witness in legal matters.
The Color of Music with Julia Hamilton
Synesthesia has been a much discussed topic among color professionals and finally I got the chance to interview Julia Hamilton, an artist who uses her condition for her daily creativity. As Julia listens to music, she draws inspiration from the lyrics and sounds for the colors for her paintings. Julia not only sees colors when she listens to music, she also sees colors in letters and numbers. During this episode we will in depth discuss her experiences as a synesthete. Forget all logic you learned in color psychology and science, this is a very different episode on color!
Julia Hamilton enjoys creating intricate line drawings, mixed media paintings, and physical digital installations in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. She has loved creating art since childhood. After graduating from high school, Hamilton attended University of Cincinnati, majoring in Fine Art. She soon became disillusioned with art school, switching to Information Technology (IT). She graduated with a bachelor degree in Computer Science and has enjoyed a lengthy, successful career working in IT, all the while keeping her artwork as her true passion and stabilizing foundation. In 2017, Hamilton was able to make art her full-time profession, fulfilling a lifelong dream. She continues to work in IT but only part-time, allowing her to make her art practice her primary focus. In 2019, Hamilton received her Master of Fine Arts from Columbus College of Art & Design. During her graduate studies, she learned how to make physical digital installation pieces using new technology.
Currently, Hamilton continues making mixed paintings physical digital installations. She continues taking inspiration from her synesthesia and science. In 2020, she began working on a body of pandemic-themed work, which explores the ways our lives have changed in recent months.
The Healing Power of Color with Thelma van der Werff
How can color heal your past traumas? How can you use color to use your full potential and what do your color choices reveal about you? In this episode I will talk to Thelma van der Werff who's life mission is to heal people through color and help them get to their next step in life. In order to prepare for this interview, I had a private session with Thelma of which we will reveal some interesting findings and the first effects her work had on my life so far. This talk truly reveals the power of color and how it can bring along true change in our lives.
Thelma created her Colour Comfort Method from her desire to make the psychology of colour part of everyday life. She analyses the colours people commonly wear and use to reveal their hidden talents and potential, while identifying and reprogramming unwanted behaviour, thought patterns and feelings. She also co-created Colournostics, a coaching tool that uses a combination of psychology of colour and NLP. She has developed an online course about the psychology of colour, and regularly speaks at events, where people are constantly amazed with the accuracy of the information that their colour choices reveal. At the moment she is the President of the International Light Association, a platform for experts, practitioners and manufacturers who use light, colour or sound for health and wellness.
Born Dutch she now lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Multisensory Perceptions with Carmel Levitan
As first scientist on the podcast, Carmel invites the audience to look beyond color and design and broaden our perceptions as she explains how color connects to other senses such as taste and smell. Carmel will reveal why humans are so keen in connecting multiple senses and what the future is for multisensory experiences. She will talk in detail about her research in the field of cognitive sciences and how our food experiences in particular are influenced by many different aspects. Which colors indicate which of the five tastes? What is synesthesia and how many different types of this neurological condition exist? This episode brings color to a whole other level.
Carmel Levitan is a Professor of Cognitive Science at Occidental College, in Los Angeles, California. Carmel received her PhD in Bioengineering from UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, and was a postdoctoral researcher in Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. Carmel’s main area of research expertise is multi sensory perception, focusing on how the senses interact and how factors such as culture, emotions, and expectations mediate associations within and across the senses. Carmel welcomes the opportunity to connect with scientists and artists across the world.
Dreaming in Pink with Pavo Wong
Her sensitive character clearly comes forward in our conversation as Pavo explains how she picks up sensitivities in her direct environment, how she observes her own behaviour and feelings to understand which design direction to take. She will reveal how she picks the colors for her designs and how texture and fabric come into play. What advise does she have for young fashion designers, how does Pavo translate her fantasy-like dreams into a wearable collection, what is it like to work with your family day in and out and what is next for the Mexican world of fashion?
Pavo and Pamela Wong are the bright entrepreneurs behind the Mexican ready-to-wear fashion brand PINK MAGNOLIA.
It was Pavo, the creative dreamer, who began sewing custom designs during college (CENTRO) and selling them at the first Pink Magnolia small store in Polanco, Mexico City. At only 21 years old, Pavo quickly found herself with a growing reputation and a demand for her eye catching clothing and silhouettes. Not long after, she convinced her sister Pamela to step into a business advisory role, cementing the perfect balance and family legacy.
From there, a succession of opportunities came in the form of a Mercedes Benz Fashion Week runway invitation (one of many), and highly successful collaborations with Disney (like Lanvin, Pink Magnolia was tapped to design a wardrobe in honor of Minnie Mouse’s birthday), and Barbie; propelling the Pink Magnolia brand to global status.
With recent features in WWD, Vogue Mexico & Latin America, Marie Claire Hong Kong, and a spot amongst Forbes Magazine’s “Under 30 Rising Stars,” Pink Magnolia is forging a path for the woman who shines inside and out.
The Sweet Side of Color with Ramon Morató
Ramon is the first person on my podcast who is not a color expert or a designer, yet his creativity in the world of chocolate and pastry is highly inspiring. He will teach us how he uses color in his daily life, where he finds inspiration for his creations and what food trends he sees coming. We will discuss the challenges of colouring food naturally in a world that requires healthy food yet still wants to indulge. How can color innovate a bonbon, how is the world of desserts changing through our past experiences and what are important life lessons for young chefs out there?
Born in Manlleu, Barcelona into a family with no connections whatsoever to the world of confectionery, after completing his studies, Ramon Morató began his training in a number of different establishments.
He combined his studies with numerous courses offered at the school of the Barcelona Provincial Confectioners’ Association. During a period of stages at several of the best Spanish confectioners, he also went to important schools and technical centers such as ZDS Solingen, Germany and the Richard Conseil School in Lyon, France.
As the result of these years of work, his experience and his ongoing desire for innovation, he published “RAMON MORATO Chocolate”, which won the Best Cookbook in the World on the subject of Chocolate in 2007 at the distinguished Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
More recently, in December 2016 he published the book “Four in One” together with chefs Raul Bernal, Josep Maria Ribé and Miquel Guarro, on the occasion of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Chocolate Academy in Barcelona.
The possibility of connecting with many professionals in different fields gave him ample knowledge of the sector and helped him to realize his passion for teaching, researching and creating products related with the world of confectionery.
In recent years, this has brought him to teach courses, seminars and conferences all over the world, as well as special endeavors such as a collaboration project with Harvard University through the Alicia Foundation.
Currently he is Creative Director for the Cacao Barry brand.
The Language of Color with Karl Johan Bertilsson
Karl Johan Bertilsson is an intriguing person as you will hear, a great storyteller as he brings us along his journey towards color from a scientific point of view to the psychologic part of color as we will touch upon the topic of color semiotics. He will explain how one can communicate in color, how we may connect to others through color and use color as a an important message. Karl will highlight the fascinating differences in color perception between the European, Latin American, Russian and Chinese market. Teaching color is his true purpose and this comes forward very clearly in our chat.
Karl originally studied Applied Linguistics and he ran his own language school in Mexico for 11 years. In 1997 he moved back to Sweden and switched to the color language of NCS, becoming responsible for establishing NCS world wide. Since 1997, his full focus has been to support different Industries, the Architect and Design Community and Universities with color solutions.
His first Color Trend work shop was with CMG in 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina and since then he has worked continuously with colour trends globally, responsible for the NCS colour trends.
In 2016 he established his own design company MRKRL AB, offering design solutions of interiors, products and branding where the aesthetics, the function and meaning of colour always have a central function. His clients are mainly based in China, Europe and Russia. All of this while still consulting for NCS Colour AB as a Creative Director.
The Smell of Wool with Alicia Keshishian
Alicia will bring us along her journey as a rug designer and artist, she will explain the process of designing a handmade-to-order carpets by closely observing her customer and how her designs are translated into beautiful natural rugs in Nepal. We will discuss the difficulties of keeping creative juices flow in current times and what her point of view on color trends are.
Alicia is an award-winning designer with more than 40 years of professional experience as an art director, graphic designer, surface designer, illustrator, and color consultant. She holds a BFA in Design/Illustration from CCAC and was an artist-in-residence at The Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina. She currently produces a line of custom, handmade-to-order carpets and is a popular speaker, presenter and teacher on design and color. Alicia has owned and operated her own textile business as well as designed for various industries and corporations such as Papyrus, Bloomingdale’s, CBS Publications, New York Magazine, Parenting Magazine, Health/Hippocrates Magazine, Working Woman Magazine, Premiere Magazine, Image Magazine, RCA Records, American Craft Council. Her true loves have always been color and texture. Alicia comes from a long line of accomplished artists and her emergence as a rug maker is thanks to family: her Armenian-born grandfather, uncles and cousin are renowned Oriental rug authorities and collectors and that is why Carpets and color have been part of Alicia’s life as long as she can remember: the smell of the wool, the touch of the fibers, the variety of patterns all are in her DNA.
“Excellent series about color. It’s a complex topic and Judith approaches it from a variety of angles with her guests. Always entertaining and insightful. I look forward to listening to each episode and learning something new about color and the visionaries in the color world.”
— Review Apple Podcast