The RIMOWA-Approved Young Designers Shepherding the Future of Design
You probably don't know the names of Elisabeth Lorenz and Marc Hackländer. And there's a chance that you won't know them in the future — such is the life of a behind-the-scenes product ideator! But there's an equally serious possibility that you or someone you know will one day have their life reshaped by their ingenuity.
Lorenz and Hackländer are two young German creatives from Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd, a university for applied design. They were selected from a pool of gifted up-and-comers as the winners of the 2025 RIMOWA Design Prize for Hottie, their tactile solution to menstrual pain.
Certainly, Lorenz and Hackländer deserve all the praise for coming up with and applying their ideas but it doesn't hurt that, like all the RIMOWA Design Prize finalists, they were mentored by an industry expert. And in their case, they got Nic Galway, adidas' Senior Vice-President of Global Design, a marketing master if there ever was one.
The RIMOWA Design Prize, established in 2023, is the luxury design house's way of setting up tomorrow's innovators today, rewarding a collective of talented young designers dreaming up the future of everything.
Lorenz and Hackländer weren't the only smart cookies in the batch but they did have the right stuff. We spoke with them and Galway about their winning design, the process, and the future.
Highsnobiety: Congratulations on the win! Can you explain Hottie for the layperson?
Lorenz and Hackländer: Hottie is a wearable device that helps relieve menstrual pain using a combination of gentle warmth and mild electrical impulses. It’s designed to be soft, comfortable, and discreet so you can wear it under your clothes and go about your day without being held back by cramps.
The device uses TENS — Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation — to send tiny electrical impulses through the skin. These signals stimulate the nerves, helping to block pain from reaching the brain and encouraging the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.
The technology is seamlessly knitted directly into the 3D-knitted fabric, forming electrodes that stay in close contact with the body for maximum effect. Everything is controlled via a smartphone app, allowing you to adjust both the intensity of the electrical impulses and the level of heat.
How was it working with Nic?
Nic pushed us to think beyond the current limitations. He encouraged us to envision how future technologies could enhance our design. How much smaller could the technology become in five or ten years? Could materials evolve to integrate smart textiles, resembling a second skin?
One of Nic’s key pieces of advice was to shift our mindset from designing a purely medical device to reimagining the product as a lifestyle item. We were challenged to think about who would buy it, how it should be branded, and how it could seamlessly integrate into everyday life. The turning point came when we shifted our focus from “form follows function” to “function follows form.”
Collaborating with Adidas gave us access to cutting-edge materials and technologies like 3D knitting, which expanded the design’s potential in terms of both wearability and aesthetics.
What's next?
Our vision for the design industry is one that embraces environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
As awareness grows about the impact of design, we see a unique opportunity to create products that are not only functional and innovative but also eco-friendly and ethically made, driving lasting change for a more responsible and sustainable approach to design. Our long-term goal is to continue developing the product, invest in its production, and bring it to market as a thoughtfully designed, socially responsible product that truly creates value and empowers women in their everyday lives.
Highsnobiety: How was it working with Elisabeth and Marc?
Nic Galway: Truly inspiring. What stood out immediately was their clarity of purpose and their collaborative approach. Whilst their initial submission was already quite advanced they remained very open to new thoughts and ideas and weren’t protective but, rather, curious of how they could take it further. Design isn't something you do alone — it's built through questioning and learning together.
How would you describe your role in shaping the finalized Hottie?
The beauty of mentorship is that it's not about seeing your fingerprints on the work, but witnessing how someone's own vision becomes more refined through dialogue. Instead of contributing to the design of the product, my main aim was to support them in building dimension to the project.
I encouraged Marc and Elisabeth to focus on the technical needs of the product but also to reflect on the human connection, which is vital for products worn on the body. And it was this through this conversation that the product shifted from a medical device into a consumer product that could sit within a modern lifestyle.
We also gave Marc and Elisabeth access to our adidas knit labs here in [Herzogenaurach, adidas HQ] so that they could learn from our engineers and explore ideas through prototypes.
Talk a bit about working with these young designers.
Having the opportunity to mentor young designers is very important to me. I was once given a similar opportunity, and that shaped my journey at adidas, so it's great to be able to give back.
Great design often happens at intersections where different perspectives and expertise meet. Elisabeth and Marc stood out to me by how they approached an important topic that in the past was not widely discussed, and reframed it through their vision and solution.
Also, it’s very enriching as I get to learn and see new perspectives. Each time I met with Marc and Elisabeth, I left the conversation feeling very positive about the future of design.
Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase.
