What is the relationship between spirituality and fashion? Where has spirituality played a role in inspiring the way we dress throughout history? How can we consume fashion responsibly keeping the well-being of individuals and the planet in mind?
Join former fashion trend forecaster meditation teacher Gemma Gambee Lewis, and a dynamic panel of experts, as they explore the presence of the spiritual (and the lack thereof) within the fashion industry and how we can shape our future with the choices we make.
The panel will feature designer Henriette Ernst of ROUND + SQUARE, international trend forecaster Rita Nakouzi of 4.5 Productions, international beauty photographer Kenneth Willardt of Kargoe, and Jasmine Etoile Aarons of VOZ.
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About the Panelists:
Gemma Gambee Lewis: After a 20-year career in international fashion modeling, trend forecasting, and brand building for clients from Chanel to Levi's and so many others in-between, Gemma is most at home when sitting in meditation and teaching what this practice has generously given. She classically trained for more than two decades in the traditions of Yoga, Bhakti, Vedanta, and Tantric Shaivism. When she is not meditating, she's wrapped up in other creative pursuits like drawing, painting and deep-diving brand strategy work in the fashion, art, design, and film industries.
Henriette Ernst is a fashion designer with over twenty years of international experience in design and branding.Through her career, Henriette has worked in the luxury market with designer brands such as Céline, Jil Sander, Calvin Klein Collection and Dries Van Noten. Maintaining an influential, behind-the-scenes role throughout her career, Henriette is deeply respected within the fashion industry for her distinct aesthetic, creative approach, and focused methodology. She is the Founder & Chief Creative Officer of ROUND + SQUARE, the conscious fashion brand driven by values and vision to bring together style, substance and sustainability in support of gender equality. 30% of the brand’s sales profits go to Equality Now. Promoting the hashtag, #IWEARCAUSEICARE, Henriette's pieces truly embodies what beautiful and meaningful fashion looks like.
Kenneth Willardt honed his talents in his home country of Denmark before relocating to New York and shortly thereafter making it his home. Over his career Kenneth has captured an impressive array of images that epitomize our contemporary concept of Beauty. Although his work varies in tone and subject material his finely structured compositions all possess a timeless elegance that draws us in. He is most widely known for his compelling beauty imagery. His work has been featured internationally in magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, and GQ . His advertising clients include: L'Oreal, Maybelline, and Shiseido.
Rita Nakouzi is a trend forecaster and brand strategist. She is the founder of 4.5 Productions, a trend and luxury branding boutique agency. Their projects focus on beauty, digital, brand development and retail environments. Their clients include and are not limited to Mark Seliger Studio, Swarovski, Poppy King, Alice Roi, WGSN Group, Promostyl, MCM, The One Hotel and Victoira's Secret.
Jasmine Aarons is a Product Design Engineer from Stanford who spent years working with indigenous artisans in South America with a Haas Fellowship. She consulted Fair Trade foundations for two years in design, production and commercialization. Jasmine founded VOZ, an ethical luxury fashion brand that combines the design elements of the West and the craftsmanship of indigenous women all over the globe.