New designers from around the world participate in 1616 / arita japan and present their collections for each series. The sensibility of the designers and Aritayaki are fused, bringing a new interpretation of Japanese tradition.

Teruhiro Yanagihara was born in 1976 in Kagawa Japan. After graduating from Osaka University of Art in 1999, he started to work independently and established his own company in Osaka in 2002, since 2011 based in Kyoto.

Stefan Scholten (1972) and Carole Baijings (1973) established Scholten & Baijings, Studio for Design, in 2000.

Pierre Charpin was born in 1962 in Saint–Mandé (near Paris) and graduated from the Beaux–Arts de Bourges in 1984.

Cecilie Manz was born 1972 in Denmark. Lives and works in Copenhagen.After graduation from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts - The School of Design in 1997 including studies at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, Cecilie Manz founded her own studio in Copenhagen in 1998.