The Color Authority™

In this episode, Draga Obradovic and Aurel K. Basedow’s creative synergy, where "one plus one is three," combines industrial materials with the "material alchemy" of resin and glass. They view color as an emotional "gift and a subjective experience that cannot be replicated by artificial intelligence, which lacks the capacity for human feeling. Embracing the unpredictable nature of their materials, they advocate for a "handmade future" rooted in physical gesture and emotional discernment.
Draga & Aurel is a multidisciplinary studio working across art, collectible design, and product design, based in Como. Founded in 2007 by designer Draga Obradovic and artist Aurel K. Basedow, partners in life as well as in work, the studio now counts a team of 30 people active between design and in-house production. With a heterogeneous background spanning art, fashion, and craftsmanship, Draga & Aurel are internationally recognized for an original language that merges rigorous design methodology with an artistic approach to material and composition. Their first collections, Deshabillé (2007) and Heritage (2009), marked their debut in the design world and introduced a pioneering experimentation with the upcycling of vintage objects, reinterpreted through a contemporary sensibility. Their dialogue with design history continued through early collaborations with the Italian company Baxter, launched in 2009 and still ongoing, a partnership that helped propel Draga & Aurel onto the international stage.
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In this interview for the Color Authority podcast Studio RENS, the Dutch design duo composed of Renee and Stephanie, discusses their 17-year history of exploring the transformative power of color and material. Their creative synergy relies on a balance between Stephanie’s analytical structure and Renee’s creative, hands-on spirit, a partnership that allows them to embrace the freedom of experimentation without losing focus.
RENS is a design research studio specialized in the applied investigation
of colours and materials. Based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, we offer
customized designs and valuable insights through a multitude of practices
and services. RENS was founded in 2008 by Renee Mennen and Stefanie van Keijsteren. We pair a precise, almost mathematical approach to design research with hands- on material experiments and a keen eye for color. Across disciplines and in a variety of mediums, we work on collaborative, commissioned or self-initiated projects. 
RENS collaborates closely with clients and partners to get to the heart of the matter (and the color). Previous projects and partnerships with museums, companies, brands, and labels from all over the world include:
Spectrum Design, Piet Hein Eek, Samsung, Auping, Wolfgordon, Lacq, Cor Unum Ceramics, Desso, Tarkett, Moooi Carpets, Lighting Laboratory Leuven, Philips Innovation Services, Canon, Pode, Baars & Bloemhoff, Kruisherenhotel, Design Museum Ghent & Zuiderzeemuseum.
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In this episode, the Forecast Club comes together to unpack what really stood out at Milan Design Week 2026. Moving beyond the hype, they share honest reflections on shifting aesthetics, the rise of multi-sensory experiences, and the growing divide between design for the few and design for the many. From material-driven color stories to questions around relevance, affordability, and authenticity, this conversation offers a sharp, insider perspective on where design is heading next.
The Forecast Club is a global collective of leading, award-winning trend experts,  one from each country. While each member operates independently, they collaborate periodically on exclusive projects known as “Drops.” This podcast episode features the following team members: 
Alina Schartner, based in Austria, is an internationally recognised colour and interior design consultant, trend forecaster, and designer. She creates purposeful strategies, concepts, and collections for major brands. Her futures-focused approach, rooted in longevity, balances relevance, emotional and functional value, profitability, and sustainability. Alongside bespoke services, Alina shares her insights through keynotes, workshops, webinars, trend reports, and expert panels. Since 2021, she has also been the brand ambassador for RAL COLOURS, promoting colour literacy worldwide. 
Stefan ”Trendstefan” Nilsson, based in Sweden, is one of Sweden’s and Scandinavia’s most influential trend experts. Constantly on foot, he visits fairs and world cities to scout the latest in design, lifestyle, sustainability, retail and hospitality. He looks for new colours, shapes and objects, but the main driver is to try to analyse new demands regardless of if they are for Gen Z or regular men on the street. These insights are shared in various magazines and at seminars all over the world. He is a regular contributor to magazines like Elle Decoration, Residence, Plaza as well as morning shows on TV and radio. Trendstefan runs his own digital platform Trendstefan.se since 2006 and the trend seminar “Stora Trenddagen” since 2011. On the side he curates exhibitions both at fairs, museums and how own mobile exhibition platform Designgalleriet. Swedish magazine Rum have listed Trendstefan as one of the most influential people in architecture and design in Sweden. Trendstefan is also the founder of The Forecast Club. 
Susanna Björklund, based in Finland, is a futures thinker, trend analyst, journalist and a designer. As a Senior Lecturer she teaches emerging talents at LAB Institute of Design, LAB University of Applied Sciences. Susanna is also an international speaker and moderator for panel discussions. Susanna is known for curating and producing SIGNALS, the official trend exhibition of Habitare, the interior fair of Helsinki, 2015-2022, linking visual and societal trends. Her passion is design and to look for changes in everything around us, to analyze and cluster those signals into thinking where the futures might be heading. Societal shifts, design for the planet and changes in consumer behaviour as well as in values are interesting ingredients for her work.
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This episode features Ramy Elnagar, founder of White Mirror, talking about how color acts as a frequency and a sensory tool to bridge the gap between our inner and outer worlds. Ramy elaborates on his studio's philosophy of "experiences as medicine," which utilizes nature-inspired awe and sensory congruence to move beyond mere engagement toward profound physiological and psychological transformation. The conversation explores the future of "secular spaces of worship" ultimately advocating for intentional design that helps individuals navigate loneliness and environmental anxiety through clarity, quietude, and ritual.
As the founder of White Mirror, a wellness innovation studio at the intersection of science, arts, and technology, Ramy believes the environments we design shape us, influencing how we think, feel, and connect. Guided by this philosophy, he applies evidence-based approaches to create spaces, experiences, and interventions that improve quality of life across the hospitality, real estate, automotive, and wellness sectors. He works toward building the future we want to live in, exploring how wellness can become part of our spaces and systems. Ramy’s holistic approach to human health addresses our emotional, psychological, spiritual and physical wellbeing through what he calls “experience as medicine.” 
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Louise Byg Kongsholm explains in this episode that companies must navigate "trend stuffification" by distinguishing between short-term noise and long-term strategic patterns that address fundamental human needs. She advocates for life stage segmentation over traditional demographics and warns that AI should be treated as a tool rather than a business strategy to protect the essential human "creative spark". 
Louise Byg Kongsholm is CEO of pej gruppen – scandinavian trend institute, a company with more than 50 years of experience in decoding trends and making them actionable for Scandinavian companies.
She works as a trend researcher, author, speaker and advisor across Scandinavia. She is also editor-in-chief of three professional magazines and has written several books on topics such as trend sociology, the future of retail, life stage segmentation and creativity. She is known for translating complex societal and cultural shifts into clear strategic insight.
Her work centres on zeitgeist analysis, megatrends and consumer behaviour, with a strong focus on how uncertainty, values and cultural change shape markets and everyday decision-making. Rather than treating trends as isolated phenomena, she analyses patterns, signals and underlying drivers. From this perspective, colour is not a discipline in itself, but a visible expression of deeper cultural moods and collective states of mind.

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