The Savannah College of Art and Design presents SCADstyle

SAVANNAH AND ATLANTA, GEORGIA — The Savannah College of Art and Design is thrilled to announce SCADstyle 2023, celebrating the trends, innovations, and creative visionaries transforming all facets of design. The 17th edition of the university’s signature series, this dynamic three-day event in Savannah (April 11–12) and Atlanta (April 13) features conversations with top design stars who share of-the-moment inspirations exclusively with SCAD. Covering fashion, beauty, interior design, architecture, graphic design, advertising, and beyond, SCADstyle offers unparalleled access to experts, influencers, and icons and provides exclusive networking opportunities with the industry leaders defining the future of design.

Featured SCADstyle guests include iconoclastic designer Anna Sui, Vogue Mexico and Latin America head of editorial content Karla Martínez de Salas, fashion designer and LUAR founder and creative director Raul Lopez, global vice president of design for Coca-Cola Rapha Abreu, international creative leader Jean Batthany, and head of digital content at SSENSE Steff Yotka.

In addition to an insightful talk and book signing with Anna Sui and a conversation between Karla Martínez de Salas and Raul Lopez, Savannah programming also includes a panel on the power of the digital space with fashion content strategist Stephan Rabimov and Steff Yotka; a discussion on the future of beauty with senior vice president of global marketing and strategy at Tom Ford Beauty Dexter King and Anna Ayers, co-founder and CEO of Rahua | Amazon Beauty, Inc.; and a talk and book signing with Waterworks co-founder and author Barbara Sallick. Surface Magazine will also bring their signature Design Dialogues series to SCADstyle with a panel discussion centered on biophilic design with Studio Dror and Supernature Labs founder Dror Benshetrit and INC Architecture & Design founding partners Adam Rolston and Drew Stuart.

In Atlanta, SCADstyle presents a look at the future of the sneaker industry with FCTRY Lab co-founder and former head of the Yeezy Innovation Lab at Adidas Omar Bailey and a discussion on the intersections of art and design in advertising with Rapha Abreu and WeUsThem founder Faten Alshazly (SCAD M.A., broadcast design, 2010), following her appearance with Jean Batthany in Savannah. Renowned color expert Leatrice Eiseman will also lead an exploration of color and trend forecasting and Elizabeth Lowrey, director of interior architecture at Elkus Manfredi, will share insight on the unlimited possibilities of an inclusive, interdisciplinary approach to design.

In addition to Anna Ayers and Faten Alshazly, SCADstyle 2023 features standout SCAD graduates from the university’s DeSole School of Business Innovation Hannah Harris (B.F.A., business of beauty and fragrance, 2022), creator of Brown Girl Hands and brand marketing coordinator at Summer Fridays; Meghan Preiss (B.F.A., industrial design, 2017; B.F.A., service design, 2017), manager of CX design integration design strategy at Delta Air Lines; and Feifei Sun (B.F.A., advertising, 2008), executive editor of brand communications at McKinsey & Company, who will discuss their creative careers and SCAD experiences.

More than 17 of the university’s top-ranked degree programs are represented in SCADstyle 2023 programming, including fashion, interior design, architecture, luxury brand management, fashion marketing and management, business of beauty and fragrance, creative business leadership, advertising, graphic design, and industrial design. SCADstyle is one of the university’s most anticipated events, providing an expertly curated platform for students to engage directly with industry leaders, further preparing SCAD students at an elite level to launch their creative careers before and after graduation.

SCADstyle 2023 is free and open to the public.

Follow @scaddotedu and use #SCAD and #SCADstyle to join the conversations on Instagram and TikTok.

Schedule of events

All events are free and open to the public. Savannah events take place at the SCAD Museum of Art theater, 601 Turner Blvd., unless noted. Atlanta events take place at FORTY event space, 40 SCAD Way NW.

Tuesday, April 11

Creative Executive: Empowering Women Leaders with Faten Alshazly and Jean Batthany
9 a.m. | Savannah
SCAD alum Faten Alshazly, co-founder and chief creative officer of the full-service ad agency WeUsThem, and global creative executive Jean Batthany share their experiences as creative leaders advocating for inclusion in the workplace and equitable change in their industries and communities.

Panelists
Faten Alshazly, SCAD M.A., broadcast design, 2010; co-founder and chief creative officer, WeUsThem @fatenalshazly @weustheminc
Jean Batthany, global creative executive @jeanbatthany

Moderated by Jane Zash, SCAD graphic design professor

Essential Interiors: Creating the Optimal Environment with Barbara Sallick
11 a.m. | Savannah
Barbara Sallick, co-founder and SVP of design at Waterworks, shares her global design expertise and recent projects. After the conversation, Sallick will sign her new book, The Ultimate Bath. @bsallick @waterworks

Hive Mind: SCAD Grads Creating Buzz with Hannah Harris, Meghan Preiss, and Feifei Sun
2 p.m. | Savannah
SCAD alumni from degree programs in the university’s De Sole School of Business Innovation reflect on their creative aspirations and connections and how their time at SCAD guided their career paths.

Panelists
Hannah Harris, SCAD B.F.A., business of beauty and fragrance, 2022; creator, Brown Girl Hands; brand marketing coordinator, Summer Fridays @hannahharris__ @browngirlhands
Meghan Preiss, SCAD B.F.A., industrial design, 2017; B.F.A., service design, 2017; manager of CX integration design strategy, Delta Air Lines @meghanpreiss_
Feifei Sun, SCAD B.F.A., advertising, 2008; executive editor of brand communications, McKinsey & Company @feifei_sun

Moderated by Wendy Ogden, SCAD B.F.A., graphic design, 1994; SCAD business of beauty and fragrance professor

World of LUAR: The Constant Curiosity of Tomorrow with Raul Lopez and Karla Martínez de Salas
5 p.m. | Savannah
Raul Lopez, founder and creative director of LUAR, and Karla Martínez de Salas, head of editorial content for Vogue Mexico and Latin America, discuss Lopez’s resilient career and how commingling his New York influences and Dominican culture both informs his design philosophy and propels his staying power in a demanding space. @luar @karlamartinezdesalas

Wednesday, April 12

Restyling the Scroll: Content Strategies for Fashion Feeds with Stephan Rabimov and Steff Yotka
11 a.m. | Savannah
Award-winning journalist, content strategist, and emerging markets expert Stephan Rabimov and Steff Yotka, head of digital content at the global luxury retailer SSENSE, discuss fashion as a platform for connectivity in the digital space and content-based strategies for encouraging self-expression and creating community.

Panelists
Stephan Rabimov, fashion critic and content marketing expert @depesha
Steff Yotka, head of digital content, SSENSE @steffyotka

Moderated by Dirk Standen, dean of the SCAD School of Fashion

Beyond Sustainability: Designing with Nature to Reimagine the Future of Cities with Adam Rolston, Drew Stuart, and Dror Benshetrit
2 p.m. | Savannah
INC Architecture & Design’s Adam Rolston and Drew Stuart join Dror Benshetrit, founder of Studio Dror and Supernature Labs, to survey the state of sustainability and discuss the solutions made possible by biophilic design.

Panelists
Dror Benshetrit, founder of Studio Dror and Supernature Labs @studiodror @supernaturelabs
Adam Rolston, creative and managing director and founding partner of INC Architecture & Design @theadamrolston @inc.nyc
Drew Stuart, development and construction director and founding partner of INC Architecture & Design @drewcstuart @inc.nyc

Moderated by Jenna Adrian-Diaz, associate editor at Surface magazine

Beauty Ambassadors: Strategies for Global Success with Dexter King and Anna Ayers
5 p.m. | Savannah
Tom Ford Beauty’s Dexter King and SCAD alum Anna Ayers, founder of Rahua | Amazon Beauty, Inc., lend insight on their international approaches to leading sustainable and luxury brands and the future of the industry.

Panelists
Dexter King, senior vice president, global marketing and strategy, Tom Ford Beauty @tomfordbeauty
Anna Ayers, SCAD B.F.A., fashion, 2001; cofounder and CEO, Rahua | Amazon Beauty, Inc. @rahuabeauty

Moderated by Meloney Moore, SCAD associate dean of the De Sole School of Business Innovation and associate chair of business of beauty and fragrance

Cultural Arcana: The Artistry of Anna Sui
7 p.m. | Arnold Hall, 1810 Bull St., Savannah
Beloved designer Anna Sui and SSENSE’s Steff Yotka trace the lived and learned experiences that guide Sui’s design vision and her career as fashion’s definitive counterculturalist. A book signing with Sui follows the conversation. @annasui @steffyotka

Thursday, April 13

New Notions: Recalibrating Big Design with Elizabeth Lowrey
9 a.m. | Atlanta
Elizabeth Lowrey, principal and director of interior architecture at Elkus Manfredi Architects, shares insight on the game-changing opportunities that full-service design firms make possible and how she’s re-inventing the workplace for the new hybrid world. @elkusmanfredi Moderated by Challie Schafer, SCAD interior design professor

The Art of Living: Color Trends and Forecasting with Leatrice Eiseman
11 a.m. | Atlanta
Executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training, Leatrice Eiseman deciphers the hues and harmonies that will resonate in the future and the major influences driving these trends. @leatriceeiseman

Moderated by Honor Bowman, SCAD M.F.A., painting, 2014; dean of the SCAD School of Fine Arts and School of Visual Communication

The Art of Branding: Intersections of Design and Advertising with Rapha Abreu and Faten Alshazly
2 p.m. | Atlanta
Rapha Abreu, global vice president of design at The Coca-Cola Company, and SCAD alum Faten Alshazly, co-founder and chief creative officer of the full-service ad agency WeUsThem, discuss the creative crossroads of brand identity, design strategy, interactive design, and more — and how to create relevant, multidimensional experiences that transform global audiences into brand devotees.

Panelists
Rapha Abreu, global vice president of design, The Coca-Cola Company @rapha.abreu
Faten Alshazly, SCAD M.A., broadcast design, 2010; co-founder and chief creative officer, WeUsThem @fatenalshazly @weustheminc

Moderated by Judy Salzinger, SCAD associate chair of advertising

Innovation MVP: Elevating the Sneaker Game with Omar Bailey
5 p.m. | Atlanta
Co-founder and CEO of FCTRY Lab, Omar Bailey holds court on footwear’s impact on culture and shares his experience founding FCTRY Lab and working at huge global brands. @theomarbailey @fctrylab

Moderated by Q. Williams, SCAD B.F.A., industrial design, 2011; SCAD accessory design professor; co-founder and chief global designer, Q4SPORTS

Media Contacts

JJ Maxwell
AVP for Public Relations
[email protected]
912.525.5362

Scottie Walden Albertson
Director of Public Relations
[email protected]
470.637.4161

SCAD: THE UNIVERSITY FOR CREATIVE CAREERS

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow.

SCAD enrolls more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 120 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator.

SCAD is No. 1 in the U.S. according to Art & Object’s 2023 Best Art Schools ranking, with additional top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in an exceptional alumni employment rate. For the past five years, 99% of SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 10 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.