Gabriela Sánchez y Sánchez de la Barquera, creative director of Vlisco will be speaking at DesignTalks 2022, the international conference and signature event of DesignMarch, exploring how design and architecture can help imagine and propose alternative futures and promote change. 

Gabriela Sánchez y Sánchez de la Barquera left Mexico for the Netherlands in search of a different perspective on design.

Her career since then has led her, via print design for Vlisco, to the foundation of a start-up in West and Central Africa, building a network of young creative talents in film, fashion, photography, music and illustration.

This start-up involved exploration of many far corners of Africa and required resilience and sensitivity towards cultural differences.

Its essence was again the search for a different design perspective and Gabriela had the opportunity to develop as an entrepreneur and innovator. She has transformed her initial research and experimentation into a new brand designed and made in Africa for young people around the globe. 

In 2019 Gabriela initiated a design project that has raised 1,5m dls to support women who are brutalized and used as weapons of war in the East of Congo. 

Now, as Creative Director of Vlisco, her focus is on how brands and companies use design to achieve success by transforming a 175 year old fabric manufacturer into a luxury brand in Africa. 

She is responsible for the direction and management of the design team, the brand’s luxury presence online and in 6 African countries, the omni-channel marketing communication, the product’s range DNA, the product and brand innovation for the 175 year old brand, and all the visual and aesthetic touch-points with the consumer.

DesignTalks 2022 will take place in Harpa on the 4th of May and is curated by Hlin Helga Guðlaugsdóttir. This year the event will be moderated by Marcus Fairs, editor-in-chief and founder of Dezeen, connecting the conversations to a wider context, highlighting its relevance to an audience across professional fields.

The programme will be an exploration of resilient approaches, regeneration and reconnection with traditional crafts and indigenious wisdom, experiments rewiring and rethinking current systems, the design of data and information, extended realities and speculation into the future as a form of creative and critical reflection of the now.

“It will be a celebration of imagination - and a moment for deep thinking.” - curator Hlin Helga

GSYSB will join Aamu Song and Johan Olin, artists and designer from Company, Anders Lendager, architect, CEO and founder of Lendager Group, Liam Young, sci-fi architect and director, Giorgia Lupi, information designer and partner at Pentagram, Stefán Laxness, architectural researcher and artist and Valdís Steinarsdóttir, designer.

A full day of inspiration on May 4th and stay tuned as we will announce more  speakers for DesignTalks 2022!

Ticket sales are now open - join us in Reykjavík!

DesignTalks 2022 - COMPANY, Aamu Song and Johan Olin, artists and designers

DesignTalks 2022 - Anders Lendager, architect,  CEO and founder of Lendager Group

DesignTalks 2022 - Stefán Laxness, architectural researcher and artist

DesignTalks 2022 - Giorgia Lupi, information designer and partner at Pentagram

DesignTalks 2022  - Liam Young, sci-fi architect and director

DesignTalks 2022 - Gabriela Sánchez y Sánchez de la Barquera, creative director

Share

Tags