HBF’s Collab-HER-ation Panel turned their showroom into a vibrant hub on Tuesday, buzzing with the creative energy of more than 80 guests.
Acclaimed designer Lora Appleton of the Female Design Council led a captivating panel discussion featuring industry powerhouses Casey Baxter (HBF), Mel Saenz (Juniper Lighting), Alda Ly (ALA Studio), and Ghislaine Vinãs (Ghislaine Vinãs Design).
“Building the right team comes organically. I have the best team—I honestly built the dream team. What’s important is fostering like-mindedness, leading with compassion, and being empathetic—my vision is our vision. There’s no ego in any of this.” – Casey Baxter, VP, General Manager, HBF + HBF Textiles
“Trust is crucial in collaboration. Because I trust Casey, I trust the HBF team, and I trust my team—I knew we could really make something unique. Working together with our teams felt like we were all striving to create something special with considered materials in a very deep way.” – Mel Saenz, VP, Relationship Management, Juniper Lighting
“One of the advantages of working on a female-led team is that we’re really designing for ourselves—we call it designing “selfishly,” which just means we’re approaching a project with what we would want out of a space—asking ourselves, “What do we want to see?”” – Alda Ly, Founder + Principal, ALA Studio
“You get to a point where you know what you’re good at and what you’re not good at—and you’re totally comfortable with that. From that point, you build a team where you support each other in your weak spots.” – Ghislaine Vinãs, Interior Designer, Ghislaine Vinãs Design
HBF’s New York showroom isn’t just a space, it’s an experience.
A vibrant tapestry woven by the combined artistry of ALA Studio and Travis Clifton. Stop by anytime to celebrate the transformative power of female collaboration.