Dr Kelly Meng — Conference Curator, Editor Luxury Studies: The In Pursuit of Luxury Journal

Dr Kelly Meng is a Associate Professor in Luxury and Cultural Studies and Head of Subject for Business Management and Marketing at Goldsmiths, University of London. She has led the MA Luxury Brand Management programme since 2017. Her research spans luxury brand management, international business, and cultural industries, focusing on the future of luxury through craft, heritage, sustainability, and human-centred innovation. She also investigates luxury across the Global South, seeking to bring greater visibility to overlooked markets, cultural traditions, and knowledge systems, and to develop more culturally nuanced perspectives on the global luxury landscape. Her current research examines how traditional craftsmanship can be sustained and repositioned within contemporary luxury markets. Before joining academia, Kelly held senior managerial positions within the international luxury and retail sectors. She serves on the Community Advisory Group of the Goldsmiths’ Centre, supporting initiatives that promote craft skills, education, inclusion, and emerging entrepreneurs.

Timur Kamalov — MD & CEO, Teplo

Timur Kamalov leads operational management at Teplo, looking after strategy, team, structure and processes. He brings over 10 years of experience in the global impact sector, having designed and led national and international programmes delivering measurable benefits to millions of people. Prior to joining Teplo full-time, he advised governments, NGOs and philanthropic organisations on strategy, operational effectiveness and programme management. Timur currently serves as a mentor for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Start-up Programme, supporting early-stage founders and emerging leaders. He holds an MSc (Hons) in Major Programme Management from Keble College, University of Oxford, and a BA (Hons) in International Relations from Webster University Geneva.

Charos Kamalova — Creative Director, Teplo

Charos Kamalova oversees the creative part of Teplo, responsible for collection curation, visual representation, media and communications. Starting her journey as a crafter in 2018, Charos began supporting independent designers and artisans, work that organically grew into what is now Teplo. With a deep passion for women’s economic empowerment and a strong understanding of the needs of designers and makers, together with Timur she has shaped Teplo into a platform that elevates creative talent and craftsmanship. Before Teplo, Charos led several entrepreneurial projects in the tourism and education sectors and served as a Commercial Advisor at the British Embassy in Uzbekistan. She serves as a Non-Executive Board Member of the Youth Entrepreneurs Foundation (Incubator) under the Youth Agency of Uzbekistan and is a mentor for the UK FCDO’s Chevening Programme. She holds an MA in Global Fashion Retailing from London College of Fashion, UAL (Chevening Scholar) and a BSc in Economics with Finance from Westminster University.

Yiran Duan — Founder, Yi Crafts

Yiran Duan is a London-based cultural entrepreneur, craft practitioner and founder of Yi Crafts, a studio that celebrates and reinterprets the textile heritage of Southwest China through contemporary practice. Originally from Dali, Yunnan, Yiran is a member of the Bai ethnic community and grew up in an indigo textiles family, where traditional craftsmanship shaped her understanding of culture, identity and making. After studying Costume at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, she established Yi Crafts in 2019 to foster cross-cultural dialogue through handmade textiles, natural indigo dyeing and traditional craft techniques. Her work explores the relationship between heritage, sustainability and contemporary design, challenging perceptions of luxury by highlighting the value of time, material integrity, skilled craftsmanship and cultural knowledge. Yiran has been featured by British Vogue and presented in partnership with organisations including the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum.

Bidisha Sinha — Zaha Hadid Architects

Bidisha was invited to join ZHA in 2005, after completing her Masters in Architecture & Urbanism at the AA, Design Research Laboratory under the guidance of Patrik Schumacher. She has over a decade of experience working on international projects through all work stages from concept to completion, stakeholder engagement, client liaison, and design quality control, within both the UK and Asian construction markets. She was project architect for the 2011 RIBA Stirling Prize winner, Evelyn Grace Academy – a £36m major education facility – through all stages of design and delivery, and for the Mathematics – The Winton Gallery at the Science Museum in London, completed in 2016, which received the RIBA award. She is currently working on large-scale projects in Asia, with a focus on interior design components, including delivering across public and private sector clients in the GCC region, Europe and Asia.