Design Academy Eindhoven (DAE) congratulates Lidewij Edelkoort, who has been awarded the prestigious Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Award 2012. The trend forecaster is 'a leading authority in the field of fashion and design', according to the judges. She has been given the award in recognition of her entire oeuvre.
Next November, Edelkoort will receive a sum of 75,000 Euros, plus an additional sum of the same amount to create a culture fund. It will be up to Lidewij Edelkoort to formulate the goals for the fund herself.
The entrepreneur - born in 1950 - started her career as a stylist at the Dutch department store Bijenkorf. While working in Paris she made a name for herself as a trend forecaster. Her consultancy agency Trend Union boasts an impressive international clientele in the fashion, automotive and cosmetics industries. Besides giving lectures and seminars about trends and design across the globe, she has also set up her own think tank, Studio Edelkoort, and manages the social media platform trendtablet.com.
Edelkoort was Chair of DAE’s Executive Board from 1999 - 2008. During this period she boosted the growth of the brand DAE and helped the school become a well-known international institute of excellence.