Originality in CMF: blueprints for emotional connection
Exclusive and invite-only event
8 April 2025 | Rossocorsa Milano Centro - Maserati Official Dealer, Milan, Italy
Join the conversation #CDNMilan
Originality in CMF: blueprints for emotional connection
Exclusive and invite-only event
8 April 2025 | Rossocorsa Milano Centro - Maserati Official Dealer, Milan, Italy
Join the conversation #CDNMilan
Originality in CMF: blueprints for emotional connection
Exclusive and invite-only event
8 April 2025 | Rossocorsa Milano Centro - Maserati Official Dealer, Milan, Italy
Join the conversation #CDNMilan
OVERVIEW
Join us in Milan for the third exclusive design night on 8 April 2025. Taking place during the renowned Salone del Mobile, Car Design Dialogues Milan will delve into the idea of originality in CMF design.
CMF design is not just about standing out — it’s about crafting vehicles that resonate on an emotional level while reflecting the ethos of the brand. In an era of stiff competition, CMF has evolved into a key player, bridging aesthetics, sustainability, and consumer aspirations. At its core, originality in CMF design stems from a deep understanding of a brand’s DNA and its audience. That demands a nuanced and strategic approach to material choice, which can encompass a spectrum of recycled textiles, bio-based plastics, and advanced sustainable coatings to leathers, brushed metals and wood. CMF designers must understand their role from multiple aspects while harnessing the possibilities of new technology to create a true emotional connection with the customer.
This year’s discussions will focus on three pivotal themes shaping the future of CMF design:
Technology: Discover dynamic materials like colour-shifting paints, 3D-printed textures, and crystal finishes to create personalised and seamlessly functional automotive interiors and exteriors.
Sustainability: Explore the potential of new materials, from recycled textiles and bio-based plastics to traditional materials with exemplary provenance, to create new forms and aesthetics that align with a sustainable future.
Brand: Gain insights into how luxury and premium brands balance originality with customer expectations, ensuring CMF design reflects their identity while forging an emotional connection with users.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to join us for a thought-provoking evening, learn from top decision-makers, connect with industry leaders, and explore the future of automotive design in the vibrant heart of Milan.
2025 Partners
Marquee Sponsor
Swarovski Mobility brings crystal lifestyle to the car industry with an entirely new class of design elements. Far more than merely decorative, crystal is recognized as a functional component that has set a new standard in interior and exterior design for premium and luxury cars.
From ideas through to finished products, Swarovski Mobility’s goal is to bring Swarovski’s pioneering spirit to new heights. Our combination of precision-cutting technologies with design and trend expertise has produced a prestige visual and haptic experience for the automotive industry. It enables us to help develop crystal elements for a wide variety of automotive projects, whether concept cars or serial production models.
Best practice drives everything we do – our IATF 16949 certification is testament to this. Set by the International Organization for Standardization, it represents worldwide recognition of our impressive technical specification and quality standards, from product development through to our manufacturing processes.
It underlines also an exciting vision for the future, one that will keep pushing our technical, artistic and innovation boundaries as we drive towards it.
Premier Sponsors
Bridge of Weir Leather has been at the forefront of the automotive industry for over a century. Their luxury, lowest carbon leathers create next-level interiors that continually raise the bar on performance.
Established in 1832, reimagined in 2021.
Pangea is a global leather supplier to the world’s leading automotive brands, providing material solutions that drive the future of natural interiors.
Headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Pangea serves its customers on four continents with nearly 3,500 team members. For more information, visit pangeamade.com, and follow us on LinkedIn
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Pangea is a global leather supplier to the world’s leading automotive brands, providing material solutions that drive the future of natural interiors.
Headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Pangea serves its customers on four continents with nearly 3,500 team members. For more information, visit pangeamade.com, and follow us on LinkedIn
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Ultrafabrics produces a range of premium, animal-free materials that is reshaping the world of performance fabrics. Crafted in its Japanese mill using the proprietary production process, Takumi™ Technology, the company’s passion is the creation of unrivalled sensorial experiences. Ultrafabrics’ continuous investment in innovation, research and development has resulted in a range of polyurethanes suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The brand’s growing client list of luxury brands spans many industries, from residential and contract furniture to upholstery for cars, yachts, airlines, and private jets.
Supporting Partner
LACKS CARBON FIBER is a division of Lacks Enterprises, a leading global manufacturer of decorative trim and carbon composites of unprecedented durability and beauty for the automotive markets. Lacks is privately owned 4th generation company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. employing over 3,000 people. All manufacturing is accomplished at our Grand Rapids facilities with annual sales of over 500 million dollars annually. Founded in 1961, Lacks success is driven by our desire to innovate while pursuing continuous improvement and service enhancements. Our commitment to industrial design, research & development is driven by the quest for constant technological advancement, enabling Lacks to remain a leading global supplier of components to the automotive market. Our diversified operations provide complete turnkey solutions that are the result of decades of experience in thermoplastic design, carbon composites, injection molding, resin chemistry, chrome plating, assembly, logistics and supply chain management, as well as global export and distribution capabilities. Not only are we innovative with our products and processes, we are proud to be innovative with care for our most important asset – our employees, their families, and our West Michigan environment.
https://lacksenterprises.com/business-applications/lacks-carbon-fiber/
Agenda
Originality in CMF Design
Gain insights into the pivotal themes shaping the future of CMF design. Uncover the transformative potential of new materials to create sustainable designs, explore how luxury and premium brands balance originality with customer expectations, and discover how dynamic materials like 3D-printed textures and crystal finishes can revolutionise automotive interiors and exteriors, offering seamless functionality and personalisation.
Jo Lewis
Head of colour & materials design
McLaren Automotive
Tiziana Mauri
Head of C&T design
AUDI AG
Lars Schmidt
Global senior vice president
Swarovski Mobility
Laura Brunet
Colour & material chief designer
Lancia
Brand Guardians
Hear from designer leaders in the premium/lifestyle space about what it means to oversee and manage a prestigious marque while striving to innovate and modernise.
Klaus Busse
Head of design
Maserati
Ben Payne
vp of design
Lotus
The discussions will be followed by a drinks reception, offering an excellent opportunity for attendees to network with industry peers in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere.
2025 Speakers
Laura Brunet
Colour & material chief designer
Lancia
Speaker
READ BIO
BIO
Laura Brunet is actually in charge of Lancia CMF design, where she works on Lancia line up from creativity phase to production.
The passion for beauty, creativity, pop culture and the curiosity about “how to do it” drove her to the design world: after the Eco Design degree at Politecnico di Torino, she joined Fiat group (now Stellantis) in 2010. She worked first on Fiat and Abarth (mainly 500 family, and 500e), then on Maserati, now on Lancia brand.
Klaus Busse
Head of design
Maserati
Speaker
READ BIO
BIO
Klaus Busse is design director at legendary italian brand Maserati where he has overseen models such as the MC20 and MCXtrema. Busse also heads up Stellantis Design Studio, which adds another dimension to his creative role. Busse has worked in Italy for nearly a decade as head of design for Fiat, Abarth, Alfa Romeo and Maserati. An experienced designer, Busse is well respected by his peers in the car industry and beyond.
James McLachlan
Editor
Car Design News
Moderator
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BIO
James McLachlan is editor of Car Design News, Interior Motives and Car Design Review writing, commissioning and editing the editorial output across digital and print. A design journalist for 14 years, James is interested in the intersection between car design, urban planning, technology and culture.
Jo Lewis
Head of colour & materials design
McLaren Automotive
Speaker
READ BIO
BIO
Jo Lewis is the head of colour & materials design at McLaren Automotive, where she oversees the creative vision, strategy, and delivery of materials and finishes across McLaren’s products, partnerships, and bespoke projects. With a background in textile design and engineering, she has previously worked for Group Lotus, Jaguar Land Rover, and Stella McCartney.
At McLaren, Jo has pioneered material innovations, including developing seven first-to-market automotive materials and launching the groundbreaking “Innoknit” textile on the McLaren W1. She also led bespoke design projects, such as the Speedtail collaborations with Hermès and unique customer specifications.
An advocate for women in design and STEM, Jo won the 2017 Autocar Women Designer of the Year award and actively promotes industry opportunities through McLaren’s "Driven Women" initiative.
Ben Payne
Vp of design
Lotus
Speaker
READ BIO
BIO
Bio coming soon.
Tiziana Mauri
Head of C&T design
AUDI AG
Speaker
READ BIO
BIO
Tiziana leads Audi's multicultural Color and Material team, guiding projects from initial concept ideas
to series developments. Design runs in her DNA, and her passion for details and pursuit of excellence
are integral to her daily work.
With a background in industrial design and a degree from Politecnico di Milano, Tiziana started her
journey in 2004 at the Alfa Romeo Design Center in Arese, where she collaborated in projects like the
8C Competizione, Brera, and Alfa Romeo 159.
Her curiosity and forward-thinking mindset led her to join the Audi Design team at the Concept
Design Studio in Munich in 2010. Now based at the Audi Design Center in Ingolstadt, Tiziana
coordinates the look and feel across Audi models, in strong collaboration with Audi Design Beijing and
Audi Design Loft in Malibu.
Lars Schmidt
Global senior vice president
Swarovski Mobility
Speaker
READ BIO
BIO
Lars Schmidt’s career spans both the automotive and jewelry sectors – an ideal background for his position today as Global Senior Vice President, Swarovski Mobility.
Following his studies, he spent the next five years in the fashion retail industry, forging a successful career with Porsche Design in Los Angeles and Singapore. He then switched to the jewelry industry, taking the position of Sales Director Asia Pacific & Middle East with Thomas Sabo in Singapore. His hands-on understanding of Southeast Asia’s markets proved fortunate for Swarovski, who recruited him for successive senior executive roles in that region.
He returned to the company’s Austrian headquarters in 2024 to lead Swarovski Mobility.
Previous Attendees
Testimonials
Thank you for organising a brilliant event here in Milan on Tuesday. I had a great time, it was wonderful to meet you in person and reconnect with so many colleagues and friends.
Florian Seidl, Design Manager, R&D Department Lavazza Group
Florian Seidl, Design Manager, R&D Department Lavazza Group
What a Car Design Night thank you, Car Design News for the invitation. Creme de la creme of a design world under same roof and lively discussions.
Kostas, Stylidis CEO and founder at Intended Future, Scientific Advisor at Geely Design Center
Kostas, Stylidis CEO and founder at Intended Future, Scientific Advisor at Geely Design Center
2024 Highlights
Venue
Date: 8 April 2025
Time: 17:30 - 21:00
Location: Rossocorsa Milano Centro – Maserati Official Dealer
Viale di Porta Vercellina, 16, 20123 Milano
Location: Rossocorsa Milano Centro – Maserati Official Dealer
Viale di Porta Vercellina, 16, 20123 Milano
