Introducing The Talents Program at Ambiente

“Think local, act sustainable” – this is how you could describe the design approach that is currently driving many young designers towards sustainable innovations and product alternatives. This trend is also reflected in the Talents promotional program at Ambiente from 7 to 11 February 2025. With strong concepts and a high level of creativity, 28 young design talents from eleven countries will be providing clear impetus for the world of consumer goods of the future.

What drives the young generation?

What solutions are they pursuing? And who could become the design stars of tomorrow? The curated Talents area at Ambiente in Interior Design Hall 3.1 provides possible answers. This year, participants are coming to Frankfurt from countries such as Finland, Japan, Poland, Sweden and the USA. What unites them is their desire to redesign the product world. They often find the ideas for this on their own doorsteps.

One example is Laura van de Wijdeven from the Netherlands. She was inspired by her country’s immense egg production to create a new type of bio-based material. In her LVDW studio, she developed a ceramic raw material from eggshells that can be composted at the end of its life and used to create soils or floor tiles. At Talents, she will be presenting a selection of the decorative objects that she has created using “eggshell ceramics”.

Zi-Yu Elaine Chou from Taiwan combines the traditional tea ceremony with ecological responsibility: her SADOU tea table uses an innovative method to utilize excess brewing water for the growth of hydroponic plants. At the same time, the tea waste is dried and re-used for environmentally friendly household cleaning, among other things. The “Interior Lifestyle Award Tokyo” brings designer Hana Mitsui to the Talents. Born in the USA, she now lives in Japan. In her own studio, she transforms traditional Japanese textile art into modern designs for a contemporary lifestyle. She consciously focuses on upcycling, making her creations particularly resource-friendly.

Serious support

With the Talents program, Messe Frankfurt specifically promotes newcomers from all over the world and cooperates with international design awards and initiatives such as the German Design Graduates. Many of the Talents gain their first international experience here. Ambiente therefore not only provides them with space and trade fair stands, but also supports them by their own presentation and communication.