Creative, passionate and always monitoring our zeitgeist, Julia Stratmann is senior trend analyst at Livetrend. With her international background, Julia explored the Fashion Industry working for brands like Elie Saab, Hugo Boss, Isabel Marant and EachxOther. Today, she is evolving her analytical skill and innate creativity at Livetrend to help the fashion industry in its pursuit for innovation, inspiration and sustainability.

Ada Kokosar is an Italian-Slovenian fashion designer, stylist and creative consultant, born in Milan and active between Europe and New York. After studying at the Istituto di Moda in Milan and starting her career as a stylist at MTV Italia, she collaborated with international publications such as W Magazine, Vogue Russia and Glamour Italia, building a recognized profile within New York street style. She has designed capsule collections for the Swedish brand & Other Stories and consulting projects for brands and hotels, including uniforms for a Four Seasons property. She is also frequently invited to talks and interviews on female identity, image and the evolution of contemporary fashion.

Bojan Kostic is a senior communications and brand strategy consultant for the luxury sector and the founder of Nova Vox, a boutique agency based in New York. After more than twenty years in senior roles between Milan and New York, he led marketing and communications for Bottega Veneta Americas during the brand’s creative reinvention under Daniel Lee, helping generate strong brand desirability and a 29% increase in retail performance through a major CRM transformation. Previously, he was Vice President Communications Americas at Hugo Boss, where he supported the repositioning of BOSS Womenswear through editorial, celebrity and red-carpet strategies, and held senior roles at Giorgio Armani and Roberto Cavalli, building global PR platforms and high-visibility event projects. Educated at Bocconi and fluent in English, Italian and Serbo-Croatian, he combines the relationship capital of a PR executive with the vision and rigor of a marketing leader. Today he supports luxury and premium brands including Missoni, Etro, Jason Wu and Chanel in positioning, reputation and international growth.

Stephen is Managing Director with Phronesis Partners, the leading research and competitive intelligence firm. With Phronesis Partners he also acts as COO for Jing Daily, covering the business of luxury in China since 2009. Prior to Phronesis, Stephen was Managing Director of Vogue Business. Stephen is based in London.

Amina Means is the Founder and Creative Director of Nalebé, a luxury footwear house that merges cultural storytelling with modern Italian craftsmanship. Driven by a deep appreciation for heritage, architecture and the artistry of shoemaking, Means founded Nalebé to create footwear that celebrates individuality and elegance. Her designs translate cultural narratives into sculptural silhouettes, defined by refined materials, hand-applied embellishments and the brand’s signature hexagon motif - a symbol of harmony, strength and connection. Each Nalebé design is produced in Italy, reflecting a commitment to craftsmanship and timeless luxury. The brand has gained international recognition, including being named New Wave at Saks Fifth Avenue, where Nalebé was featured in three dedicated window displays on Fifth Avenue in New York. Through Nalebé, Means continues to explore the intersection of heritage and contemporary design, creating distinctive footwear for women who value artistry, confidence and cultural expression.

Andrea Torazzi is the CEO and Co-Founder of WUD, an Italian functional footwear brand born from three generations of family craftsmanship with natural materials. Founded with the mission to preserve artisanal expertise and ensure its relevance in the contemporary world, WUD represents the evolution of a family-run footwear manufacturer active since the 1950s — a heritage of knowledge, gestures and materials passed down through generations and shaped by the conviction that craftsmanship combined with responsible innovation is the most meaningful response to the changes reshaping the footwear industry. Positioning itself as an authentic alternative to mass production, WUD chooses complexity as a strength, not as nostalgia. At the heart of the brand is its signature flexible wooden sole, engineered from FSC-certified beechwood and recycled microporous rubber, and guided by four core principles — Craftsmanship, Comfort, Responsibility and Materials — to create footwear that is built to last and designed to be worn every day.

Pallavi was born and raised in New Delhi, India, and is settled in Birmingham, England with her husband. She has an MSc in Finance from Imperial College London and has worked in financial consulting and investing in India. Pallavi is not a designer by trade, but she has a deep connection with both art and the design and manufacture of footwear. Her family has been involved in the shoe trade for the last thirty years, giving her close exposure to footwear design and development. At the age of twenty-five, an ankle injury from running marked the beginning of her journey with barefoot shoes. Wearing barefoot shoes became an essential part of her life, helping her feel strong, fluid and efficient in everyday movement. Five years later, after experimenting with barefoot shoe brands from around the world, Pallavi started Paidal to address the gap she saw between elevated shoe design, quality and barefoot function. Growing up in India meant continuous exposure to art and design, and Paidal is the first time Pallavi is sharing her voice as an artist with the world. She has designed and curated every aspect of the brand’s visuals and copy, from the logo to the boxes and dust bags and the website. Paidal also aims to highlight India as a destination for shoes handmade by skilled artisans. Pallavi believes that barefoot philosophy is the way forward for footwear across all genres, and her aim is to narrow the gap between barefoot function and beautiful form through high-quality handcrafted leather shoes.

Ebuka Omaliko is a Nigerian footwear designer and Founder of Maliko, an artisanal footwear brand exploring the intersection of African craftsmanship and contemporary form. He approaches design as both a technical and cultural practice, transforming memory, history and human experience into sculptural footwear. His work is distinguished by a pioneering approach to integrating traditional Northern Nigerian hand embroidery with leather, alongside an expanded material language that engages weaving, woodwork and other artisanal techniques to push the boundaries of form and craft. A winner of the 2018 Green Access Competition at Lagos Fashion Week and a Lagos x Paris Laureate, Ebuka’s practice is rooted in sustainability, community and material innovation, working closely with artisans to preserve and evolve indigenous techniques. Through Maliko, he is not simply designing footwear: he is defining a new language for African craftsmanship in global luxury.

Creative, passionate and always monitoring our zeitgeist, Julia Stratmann is senior trend analyst at Livetrend. With her international background, Julia explored the Fashion Industry working for brands like Elie Saab, Hugo Boss, Isabel Marant and EachxOther. Today, she is evolving her analytical skill and innate creativity at Livetrend to help the fashion industry in its pursuit for innovation, inspiration and sustainability.

Trend Analyst responsible for monitoring the fashion market and identifying emerging movements, with a focus on the evolving tastes of the young consumer segment. Translating cultural and digital shifts into clear, timely updates that support strategic decisions and guide the development of future collections.

Entrepreneur, Creative and Collection Director, Barbara has been working in the fashion industry for 20 years. Starting her career in Italy, she launched her womenswear brand in 2003, beside her consulting firm. She spent the last 10 years in Paris as Creative Director of several French brands and as consultant for trend agencies. In 2018 she founded Livetrend, an innovative Fashion Trend Analytics solution, relying on Big Data and AI, in order to identify trends and analyse competitors in real time to help create and manage bestseller collections.

Emanuela Prandelli has a Ph.D. in Business Economics and Management from Bocconi University, where she is LVMH Associate Professor of Fashion and Luxury Management. At SDA Bocconi School of Management, she is the Associate Dean for Open Executive Programs and Senior Advisor of the Master in Fashion, Design, and Experience Management, which she directed for the past 9 years. She served as a Research Assistant at St.Gallen University and at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, where she was also Visiting Professor. She also was Visiting Professor at WU, Vienna. Her research focus regards fashion and luxury management, customer engagement and collaborative marketing, digital strategy and the process of innovation. She published several articles in leading international journals, such as Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, Journal of Interactive Marketing, International Journal of Marketing Research, Organization Studies, California Management Review, MIT Sloan Management Review and Journal of Business Venturing.

Stephen is Managing Director with Phronesis Partners, the leading research and competitive intelligence firm. With Phronesis Partners he also acts as COO for Jing Daily, covering the business of luxury in China since 2009. Prior to Phronesis, Stephen was Managing Director of Vogue Business. Stephen is based in London.

Sojean Son is a global strategy and brand executive with over 20 years of experience across luxury and consumer industries, including 12 years at LVMH in Paris and a decade at Samsung Electronics. Her work has spanned growth strategy, brand transformation and new business development - a career built at the intersection of luxury heritage and global consumer technology, giving her a distinctive lens on how brands earn relevance across markets, categories and generations.

Marco Formento is Executive Strategic Advisor for Luxury & Fashion AI at Deloitte Digital in Italy, where he helps brands move AI from experiment to operating capability. He spent 35 years as Chief Digital Officer in publishing and luxury groups, leading digital transformation across e-commerce, customer experience and data. His current focus is the places where AI is already producing results for premium and luxury brands, from supply chain and inventory to clienteling and customer experience.

Chungaiz Khan Mumtaz is a global fashion and luxury marketing leader, most recently Chief Marketing Officer of Marni. Previously a senior leader at The Business of Fashion and a strategist for brands including Nike, L'Oreal Group, Beats by Dre and Zegna, he has spent his career at the intersection of creativity, culture and technology. His perspective on AI is deliberately human: less interested in what machines can generate than in how brands can use them without sacrificing taste, originality or authenticity.

Stephen is Managing Director with Phronesis Partners, the leading research and competitive intelligence firm. With Phronesis Partners he also acts as COO for Jing Daily, covering the business of luxury in China since 2009. Prior to Phronesis, Stephen was Managing Director of Vogue Business. Stephen is based in London.

Andrea Jaccarino is Executive Creative Director of ACNE Italy, where he helps brands turn business and cultural challenges into creative ideas, experiences and communication platforms. He has more than 20 years of experience in advertising and marketing, working with leading Italian and global brands including Enel, Campari, Pirelli, Essity Group, Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, Danone and Pringles. His current focus is on how creativity, technology and AI can come together to create new opportunities for brands, from communication and content to customer experience and innovation. His work has been recognised at major national and international festivals, including Cannes Lions, Epica Awards, Clio Awards, Cristal Festival, ADCI Awards and IAB MIXX.

Trend Analyst responsible for monitoring the fashion market and identifying emerging movements, with a focus on the evolving tastes of the young consumer segment. Translating cultural and digital shifts into clear, timely updates that support strategic decisions and guide the development of future collections.

An engineer, he is Director of Arsutoria School, an international reference point for technical training in the footwear and leather goods sectors.
He develops training programs dedicated to the design, engineering and production of footwear and accessories, collaborating with major international luxury and sports companies.
His work focuses on integrating technical skills, creativity and new technologies applied to product development.

A bioengineer, she is Director of Politecnico Calzaturiero, a reference center for training, innovation and skills transfer in the footwear sector.
For years she has worked on developing new skills for the fashion system, coordinating training initiatives and research and innovation projects at regional and European level.
She is Cluster Manager of the Face Design Regional Innovative Network and a member of the Steering Committee of the TCLF Skills Alliance, dedicated to the evolution of skills in the textile, clothing, leather and footwear sectors.

Head of Training at Fondazione PIN – Prato Campus of the University of Florence.
He works in advanced training and the development of new skills, with particular attention to the fashion system and innovation in teaching.
Within the European Erasmus+ Blueprint METASKILLS4TCLF project, he oversaw the design and technical development of new digital, interactive and immersive learning content and experiences, from e-learning to augmented and virtual reality.

Footwear entrepreneur and Vice President of Assocalzaturifici with responsibility for Training and Career Guidance.

In the company she represents the second generation and is preparing to support the transition to the third, personally experiencing the challenge of transferring skills and know-how.

She brings this experience to her role within the association, where she works to bring new generations and companies closer together and to help build the professional skills the sector will need tomorrow.

Creative, passionate and always monitoring our zeitgeist, Julia Stratmann is senior trend analyst at Livetrend. With her international background, Julia explored the Fashion Industry working for brands like Elie Saab, Hugo Boss, Isabel Marant and EachxOther. Today, she is evolving her analytical skill and innate creativity at Livetrend to help the fashion industry in its pursuit for innovation, inspiration and sustainability.

Federico Demartini has worked for more than 15 years on digitalization strategies and integrated communication in the fashion industry. His main clients include H&M, Kering Group, ISAIA Napoli, Assocalzaturifici & MICAM Milano, Cotonificio Albini, Gruppo Marzotto and FASAC 1955. He runs an advertising agency and teaches fashion marketing methodologies and technologies at NABA.

A musician with dozens of rap productions behind him and an author for television, radio and digital media, Maurizio Ridolfo has worked in Italian streetwear for 20 years. He has collaborated with companies and brands including Nike, Adidas, Puma, Garmin, Oakley, Marcolin, Tommasini and Parajumpers. His deep knowledge of Italian and international subcultures has led him to teach at leading fashion academies and to curate exhibitions, including projects focused on footwear.