Women in Design Panel Discussion
IDCS ◆ PDP ◆ WEB2103

30 June 2021 (Wed)
8:00pm – 9:00pm
Online via Zoom
20 PDP Membership Points
IDCS Members: $15
Non IDCS Members: $25
Student – IDCS Members: $10
Student – Non Members: $15
Join Agnes Kwek, Amy Picanco, Cherin Tan, Genevieve Gorder and Su Seam Teo to hear their personal journeys as they carve out unique niches and vibrant careers in the Interior Design industry in Asia Pacific and beyond.
The moderator will also be facilitating the following questions during the panel discussion:
- What are some of the unique challenges female business owners face in interior design?
- How can we encourage more women to enter the interior design profession?
- What support would you like the association and industry to provide you?
- What are the advantages of engaging a female interior designer compared to our male counterparts?
- Which woman in Interior Design do you most admire and why?
- What advice would you give young female interior designers today that no one shared with you and you learnt this lesson the hard way?
- In your opinion, would setting up a mentorship for female interior designers be beneficial for our industry if IDCS would support this initiative?
Ms Agnes Kwek (former Executive Director of Design Singapore Council) will be sharing her personal journey on how she championed the importance of Design in the Singapore Government and the initiatives she undertook to promote the Singapore Design brand internationally.
Agnes Kwek // Founder and CEO of Mind the System
Agnes has 20 years of career in the Singapore Government across defence, labour policy, community organisation and social welfare, public service innovation, land transport, and industry development. Thanks to her stint at IDEO in San Francisco in 2013, she is a policy-wonk-turned-designer; in particular, a systems designer focused on complex economic and social issues. She loves combining futures foresight, systems thinking and human-centred design. Her last role with the Singapore Government was Design Ambassador for Europe and North America, where she promoted the Singapore design brand and designers to these regions, and connected with overseas Singaporean creatives. She is lives in Paris, France.
Amy Picanço // Founder and Design Director of Aym Design
Originally from the UK, Amy relocated to Singapore in 2009 and, in 2013 founded Aym Design. Over the last 7 years, she has established a reliable reputation for creating highly efficient planning solutions and branded design concepts for both commercial office spaces and hospitality projects across the region. “I believe that when a space is designed well it will spark a connection with its user - it will function smoothly, look great and feel right”.
In addition to her work at Aym Design, Amy sits on the board of the Interior Design Confederation of Singapore (IDCS).
Cherin Tan // Founder and Creative Director of LAANK
Cherin is the Founder and Creative Director of LAANK, an interior architectural studio based in Singapore with a team that’s spread across Singapore, Thailand & Philippines. With an academic background in interior architecture, Cherin has almost 15 years’ worth of experience in the fields of architecture and interior design. Covering both residential and commercial, Cherin has worked on a wide range of projects spanning across industries such as F&B, retail, hospitality and offices. With a simple mission to put human needs and brand desires at the core of all that she does, LAANK aims to redefine the way that people view, use and feel space.
Genevieve Gorder // Celebrity Designer
Genevieve Gorder's soulful style and genuine enthusiasm have made her one of America’s favorite interior designers for years. She is the founder and director of the Genevieve Gorder home brand, a television host and producer, home product designer, contributing author, and global ambassador for home and human rights. Gorder has appeared and been featured in over 20 lifestyle shows around the world. Currently, you can find Genevieve on Netflix, TLC, HGTV, Sony Channel Asia, Bravo, Amazon and as a regular contributor on The Racheal Ray Show.
A two time Emmy nominee and design host at the Obama White House, Genevieve has built multiple lifestyle collections for home. From rugs, textiles, wallpaper and stationary to a full line of furniture and decor for Crate & Barrel.
Off Air and internet, Genevieve designs for a diverse group of clients and companies. She has guided many hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, cities and private clients towards their design fantasies. As an ambassador for Oxfam she travels the globe using her influence to fight global poverty, hunger and injustice using her platform of home to empower women and girls worldwide.
Genevieve resides with her husband and daughter in Manhattan.
Su Seam Teo // Partner at LTW Designworks
After joining the firm in 1993, Su Seam quickly proved her innate design talent with multiple hotel completions across Southeast Asia and China, and was subsequently made partner in 2000 when the firm was renamed as LTW Designworks. As an experienced and highly sought-after designer, Su Seam has designed hotels with Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-La, Park Hyatt, Conrad, Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis, as well as several boutique and independent brands, solidifying her reputation for uncompromising excellence in hospitality design and keen attention to detail.
Su Seam participates frequently on design panels as a guest speaker and juror, and is a judge in the prestigious AHEAD Asia Design Awards. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design in the USA with a double degree in Fine Arts and Interior Architecture.
Nida Seah // Editor, epicure
Nida is an accomplished content creator with more than 20 years of editorial and project management experience. She has worked for both independent and large media companies including Mediacorp and SPH Magazines. Not only has she written for titles such as Solitaire, Her World, Female and The Peak, she has also conceptualised and produced branded videos and online content for fashion and lifestyle clients such as Estee Lauder, The Hour Glass, CapitaLand and SingHealth. She joined Media Group in 2020 and is currently editor of epicure, a gourmet lifestyle magazine for bon vivants.