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oday, Itxaso describes her role less as a fixed title and more as a way of working. Over time, she has developed a broad, connective perspective that allows her to move between concept, design and creative direction, linking teams, processes and brand identity. Having spent many years shaping a language within a single company, she is now motivated by accompanying diverse projects, identifying their strengths and helping them grow with clarity and intention. Her focus lies in guiding ideas until they find their form, without losing their identity along the way.

She approaches each project as a system, starting from a core concept that defines what story is being told, with which resources and for whom. This framework allows decisions across product, production, communication and market to remain aligned. Her early exposure to craftsmanship continues to inform this process-led approach: a way of working grounded in materials, technique and the people behind them, rather than in the final object alone.

Chiara Ferrari: After more than two decades leading creative projects – first within a large international company and now independently – how has your understanding of creative leadership evolved? When do you most often encounter a lack of clarity in creative processes?

Itxaso Lecumberri: Over time, I’ve come to understand creative leadership increasingly through listening and accompaniment – less through imposing a vision, and more through deeply understanding context, people and the real possibilities of each project or brand. From there, it’s about making decisions with criteria and responsibility.

Very often, the lack of clarity appears right at the beginning, because the foundations of the project are not well defined. At that point, my role is to prioritise and help build a clear vision that allows ideas to grow – even within specific constraints – and enables teams to move forward with confidence.

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C.F.: Alongside your professional practice, you are also active as a teacher and speaker. Where are you teaching today, and how does teaching interact with your own practice?

I.L.: My interest in teaching began many years ago, when I created my own handbag brand in Barcelona. I discovered the value of exchange and everything you learn when you challenge yourself by explaining your own process.

For the past three years, I’ve been teaching on the Footwear and Bags Master’s programme at LCI Education G roup in Barcelona, accompanying students throughout the development of a collection and the full creative and directional process, always in connection with the realities of the industry.

A particularly meaningful recent experience has been my collaboration with IED Kunsthal Bilbao, where we approached art direction from a transversal perspective, bringing together students from fashion, product and graphic design. Teaching forces me to rethink and articulate ideas that are often intuitive. That exercise enriches my own creative practice and, I hope, helps form designers who are more aware of the impact of their work.