Women who design, create and boost Dune

Talk about the 8th March is talked about women and the equality desires in the feminine key. To place women at the centre, not only for what it is but also because of what it means. International Women’s Day, previously known as International Working Women's Day, commemorates the women’s struggle for their participation in society and their integral development as people. Each year on this date, women’s historical struggle for their rights, gender equality and universal suffrage is commemorated. Choosing this date in honour of socialists and suffragettes’ women’s movement of the early 20th century who struggled for rights equality, better job conditions and the right to vote.

In 1908, a group of women workers in New York working textile industry started a strike to request better work conditions and salary equality. As a result, in 1910, the Second International Socialist Women Conference, celebrated in Copenhagen, the idea of establishing an International Women’s Day in honour of these women was suggested.

Without the female figure, much of the creative essence of Dune would not be understood. With the clear purpose of creating materials which surprise and emit singular project designs. We explore the technical and aesthetic possibilities that ceramics offer us. All these are to achieve offering different and innovative products in the 5 Continents. Our added value is also the special sensibility for the aesthetic and feel of our pieces. We use stone, glass, metal or wood in the lining, flooring, mosaics and washbasins with rare beauty and singularity, offering originality and versatility to the architects and interior designers.

As a result, we work with architects and interior designers who use our ceramic pieces to create memorable spaces. For this reason, and taking advantage of the 8th of March, we would like to pay tribute to every one of them for choosing us as a reference partner.

Rafaela collection, in the feminine key

We start with the Brazilian architect Rafaela Zanirato, whose projects highlight the miscellaneous trends in which the Brazilian craft has a key role. The collaboration whit her goes beyond it, and we have created the Rafaela collection: tiles and a craft washbasin in which cast leaves are used in contrast with the porcelain coldness

This creation is a clear reflection of the female sisterhood as Rafaela Zanirato takes as a reference the renowned Brazilian craftswoman Clarice Borian, who embroiders designs and words on tree leaves. Thanks to this inspiration, the architect proposes a series in which the stitched natural leaves take centre stage.

Design For Peace and Elena Maksymchuk

In the same way, the Ukrainian designer Elena Maksymchuk also takes a special part in Dune. Not only for her projects with the seal of Dune, but this designer and her studio We Art also starred in the solidarity design initiative Design For Peace, put the last summer, in which more than 100 interior designers showed their projects as current Uranian situation support.

The Brazilian architect Carla Carer and Tres Manzanas Creativas's studio project, led by the designer Elena Soriano, was chosen as the best by a professional jury in which the female figure was in the majority. In this sense, of the six members of the jury, in addition to Elena, five were women: Gina Rosete (architect), Gabriela Pessuto (architect), Lutzía Ortiz (head of ITC's Habitat Trends Observatory) and Begonya Segura (Product Manager and Marketing Director of Dune).

Women who make possible Dune

Apart from the collaboration and participation in the supportive initiative, we cannot forget the work of Gina Rosete, Carla Carer and Gabriela Pessuto. Talking about the Dune projects is a synonym for talking about their work and design notions.

On the one hand, the Mexican architect Gina Rosete led the Tropiqa studio, an interior design and architecture company that works everyday to be the most recognised and influential company in the commercial and hotel interior design sector. Its expertise level is more than evident: they have designed around 15.000 hotel rooms for different hotel chains, in five different countries.

The Brazilian architect Carla Carer does not lag. Her work is focused on achieving customer dreams and, to do that, she creates projects with soul. Her special style combining Dune’s products is distinctive in her designs.

Likewise, the young architect Gabriela Pessuto is making a name for herself and is committed to a decorative style that perfectly combines the needs of the client and the latest trends. The best example of her use of Dune ceramics is the showroom of our Portuguese subsidiary Gama Uno. In this exhibition space, Pessuto masterfully uses ceramics as a common thread and water as the protagonist.

Karime Peña is also a knowledgable professional who chooses Dune in her projects. The Mexican designer uses light as a core element in her projects and finds in the Shapes series her greatest ally to boost light. Certainly, her projects radiate beauty.

Another designer who finds in the Shapes collection her reference is Galina Medvedeva. Her work conjugates and uses space, shape and volume perfectly. In her projects, she mixes these properties to create logical, operational, ergonomic and attractive interiors.

Helen Granzote also chooses the Shapes collection in all their versions. This architect and interior designer creates different and sophisticated projects thanks to exploring all the possibilities that offers the design. The maxim of her work is that you have to see, feel and live.

Maria Sofronova, who leads Neo House, is an interior designer who highlights her risky combinations of materials, colours and textures. That is the reason why Dune’s tiles are the perfect fit for her shoe. All things you consider risky are keys to her projects.

Similarly Anna Elina explores creativity without limits. This interior designer works with the premise that projects should have environments that invite you to dream and that, at first glance, are unimaginable. Her projects break the barriers of design.

Renata Marques has completely clear that her projects transcend the aesthetic point of view. The Brazilian architect and interior designer creates interior designs that emit quality, luxury, greatness and excellence. As a result, our tiles bring all that she looks for.

On her behalf, Isabele Dalle knows that a space decoration has to be functional. Her works are characterised by creating adaptable solutions depending on the customer’s needs. She does not give up sophistication and, to achieve it, she chooses materials and endings that make a difference, as Dune’s ones.

Following the homage to women who set trends in interior design, Marta Rangel and Amanda Miranda create unique projects whose breathe their name. This interior designer couple always prioritises versatile architecture because their main objective is comfort for those who enjoy the space.

To complete this, we cannot forget Mariana Maran. This Brazilian architect and interior designer develops unique and exclusive projects in the contract and residential sectors. Her job is marked by lending personality to each room and creating a unique inspirational environment. Her projects are easy to recognise because of her aesthetic, really marked by the golden colour and geometric shapes. 

To all of them, thank you for exploiting all the possibilities offered by Dune ceramics. For our part, we create and design tiles that are linked to trends in fashion, architecture and design. Feminine sensibility overflows in each one of our collections. And if our Design team, led by Begonya Segura, Product Manager and Marketing Director, and Bárbara Ruisánchez, Product Designer, stands out for anything, it is for their ability to ensure that a tile transmits and has something to say.

Gender parity and labour equality in Dune

In Dune, we work and boost the gender parity and labour equality. For all these things and following the mission of this company, we have an Equality Plan that governs day by day. The labour and familiar reconcilement, equal opportunities and contractual parity between men and women are the keys in the equal present that we promote. In this sense, according to the latest official data, the presence of women in jobs in the ceramics sector does not reach 20%, while in Dune 40% of the staff are women.

So, we cannot close this post without saying THANK YOU to all the women who work at Dune because without them nothing would make sense. Designers, factory operators, sample operators, women who are in charge of customer service, quality, marketing or administration, distribution managers, shop sales-women... Thank you all! Thank you for setting the wheels in motion at Dune Ceramics and for bringing tiles to life that make people's lives more beautiful.