Contemporary Craft and Entrepreneurship Take Center Stage at IE School of Architecture & Design

Madrid, 26 March 2026 – As part of the Craft & Care lecture series, IE School of Architecture & Design hosted a roundtable bringing together designers and artisans working at the intersection of design and craft. Moderated by professor Saskia Bostelmann, the conversation explored how material knowledge, collaboration, and entrepreneurial models are shaping the future of craft in architecture, fashion, and design. The discussion reinforced that making is as much a technical as it is an ethical act, as craft embodies authenticity, attention, and responsibility - qualities that challenge the speed and disposability of contemporary production.

Founded to strengthen the visibility and international reach of contemporary Spanish craftsmanship, SACo brings together practices committed to excellence and innovation rooted in tradition. The panel featured representatives from LZF Lamps, a lighting company known for its handcrafted wood veneer luminaires; Mayice Studio, a design and architecture practice exploring material-driven design; Atelier Aletheia, a fashion and textile studio working exclusively with natural dyes; and Iloema, a platform connecting contemporary artists with traditional embroidery workshops.

The conversation began by tracing how each participant first entered the world of craft. For Marta Alonso Yebra, co-founder of Mayice, working with materials emerged organically from architectural practice. Early projects led the studio to produce their own objects, beginning with wood and later experimenting with glass and ceramics. A first commission for a blown-glass lighting collection required months of development, revealing how deeply the design process can be shaped by the characteristics and constraints of a material.

For the Atelier Aletheia team, the path began through experimentation with natural dyes, which evolved into a rigorous research process into plant-based pigments. Colors are extracted from natural sources and determine both the rhythm and duration of production. The slow pace of natural dyeing requires respecting the time of the material itself. In this context, they explained, "luxury becomes linked not to exclusivity but to care - meaning attention to process, the possibility of error and correction, and the pursuit of excellence through patient craftsmanship."

Silvia Delgado de Torres, co-founder of Iloema, highlighted the urgency of preserving endangered craft knowledge. Many Spanish embroidery techniques, she explained, are transmitted informally from generation to generation and lack institutional training structures. Iloema was created precisely to safeguard this heritage while opening it to contemporary experimentation. "Through collaborations between artists and artisans, traditional techniques can evolve and remain relevant, demonstrating that innovation can be a strategy for preservation," Delgado de Torres noted.

Mariví Calvo, co-founder of LZF Lamps, shared how the company emerged from early experimentation with wood veneer in artistic projects and collaborations with creatives from different disciplines, leading the studio to develop a distinctive material language. Today, LZF’s handcrafted lighting pieces combine artisanal production with contemporary design. "The challenge of sustaining craft-based production remains constant in a global market dominated by inexpensive mass-produced goods," Calvo said.

Participants addressed the viability and scalability of craft, the relationship between manual production and industrial manufacturing, and the role of collaboration within creative industries. They agreed that initiatives like SACo demonstrate how networks and associations can generate synergies, allowing designers and artisans to share knowledge, reach new markets, and amplify their voices collectively.

The speakers emphasized that partnerships - whether with companies, cultural organizations, or other designers- are essential for sustaining craft-based practices. Equally important is the ability to communicate the narrative behind a product: its process, its material intelligence, and the human labor embedded within it.

The roundtable also reflected on the changing perception of craft today. Compared to a decade ago, participants agreed that craftsmanship now enjoys greater recognition and visibility, partly thanks to digital platforms that allow artisans to communicate the stories behind their work and connect with new audiences. Yet challenges remain, particularly regarding training and generational renewal. "Without stronger educational structures and institutional support, many craft techniques risk disappearing," Silvia Delgado de Torres noted.