Talent show
Ideas-led creative agency Alpha Kilo works closely with companies to best understand their needs. Using global contacts across the media to develop concepts and implement action plans, Alpha Kilo’s strategies go beyond communication, addressing each company’s specific goals and expanding brand awareness in a thoughtful and engaging way. Here we profile a handful of the game-changing creatives on their client list. alphakilocreative.com 01 Johan Liden co-founder, aruliden
Swedish-born Liden worked for MAC Cosmetics and Nike’s Converse division before co-founding maverick brand strategists Aruliden in New York to bridge the gap between design and marketing. The agency’s clients have included Alessi, BMW and Microsoft.
02 Rinat Aruh co-founder, aruliden
A former vice-president of marketing at Gap and global strategy manager for Mini Lifestyle at BMW, in 2006 Aruh co-founded product design and brand consultancy Aruliden, whose success with start-ups to large companies is driven by the simple is better approach.
03 Noé Duchaufour-lawrance designer
A multidisciplinary designer with a creative aesthetic rooted in nature, Duchaufour-lawrance founded studio Neonata in Paris in 2003. His attention to detail makes his interior design and furniture pieces the very definition of modern elegance and luxury.
04 Joost van Bleiswijk designer
Van Bleiswijk is a prolific Eindhoven-based designer who works with brands like Moooi and Bernhardt Design, as well as creating his own collections. Best known for his ‘no screws, no glue’ designs, he focuses on making things with great care, using lasting materials and heritage processes in a distinctive way.
05 Brendan Mcgetrick curator, global grad show
Mcgetrick previously worked as an editor for OMA. After curating the Russian Pavilion for the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014, he turned his attention to the Global Grad Show at Dubai Design Week, bringing together rising talent in a groundbreaking exhibition.
06 Nick Cronan co-founder, branch
Cronan worked at The North Face, fuseproject and as Ammunition’s design director for Beats by Dre before co-founding industrial design agency Branch in 2013. The son of Michael Cronan and Karin Himba, his Californian design roots inform his aesthetic and process.
07 Josh Morenstein co-founder, branch
Morenstein was creative director at fuseproject prior to founding San Francisco industrial design agency Branch. With clients ranging from L’oréal to Google, his work in the family metal foundry informs the studio’s work and brings craft and detail to each product.
08 Kiki van Eijk designer
Van Eijk strongly represents the new generation of Dutch designers. She has designed for the likes of Hermès, Moooi and Bernhardt Design, but primarily works on her own collections. Her highly collectible work is exhibited at galleries and fairs around the world.
09 Joe Gebbia co-founder, airbnb
After graduating from RISD, Gebbia founded Airbnb in his San Francisco apartment in 2008, and has helped grow it to more than two million listings in over 191 countries. More recently, he founded Samara, Airbnb’s in-house design and innovation studio.
10 Brad Smith founder, wayward wild
Adapting the approach of Silicon Valley incubator programmes, former Virb CEO Smith founded Wayward Wild to help young publications and content creators find their way through financial investment, business mentorship and design consultation.