​Manuela Catania, an Italian designer currently based in Mumbai, India, defines herself as a Sensory Designer and Artist. Her career blends a profound passion for design, art and jewellery, complemented by her role as an educator since 2011.

In 2022, she founded Olfelita, an innovative brand that represents a "Sensory Realm." Each creation is infused with magic and colour, featuring jewellery, skirts and textiles that offer unique tactile and emotional experiences.

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"I design what I visualise in my dreams and what resonates with my soul.

My lifelong love for art and jewellery stems from my father, an Italian goldsmith-gemologist, who imparted to me the art of handmade craftsmanship, the harmonious use of colours in gemstones, and the elegance of gold and silver shapes."

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Manuela holds a Master's Degree in Architecture with honors from the University of Architecture in Palermo. She furthered her education with a Master in Jewellery and Accessories Design at Domus Academy in Milan and a Master of Arts from the University of Wales in 2009. Her exploration of the design world led her to specialise in Fashion Design at IED Moda Lab in Milan and Fashion System at the European Design Institute in Venice. During Milan Design Week, she showcased her inaugural jewellery collection crafted from Murano glass, which she developed in Venice.

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Her career took her to São Paulo, Brazil, in 2012, where she immersed herself in the country's vibrant design scene. Notably, she lectured on Fashion Design at Esmod University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and embarked on various international projects. In 2017, she initiated the sustainable design project Visionupia spreading her expertise across multiple countries. She also coordinated the "Shapes of Dreams" Sustainable Fashion Design project with children from the Children's House La Rosin in Bali. The same year, she organised the "Hong Kong | Palermo Fluid Cities" International Workshop between Raffles Design Institute Hong Kong and the Polytechnic School of Palermo, pioneering an innovative online urban design methodology.

Manuela has held significant roles as the Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing Programme Coordinator at Raffles Design Institute Hong Kong, teaching Interior Design and Fashion Marketing, as well as Introduction to Interior Design at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Division of Humanities. She also taught the final year project of Interior Design online for the University of Derby's Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Interior Design at Raffles Design Institute Guangzhou in 2020.

In recent years, she worked as Visiting Academy at the University of Saint Joseph - USJ Creative Industry Macao, focusing on Interior Design Studio with an emphasis on Sensory Hospitality Design. Additionally, she was the Jewellery Design Lecturer at AVA Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University, teaching also Sustainable Design Thinking and Wearables Design, while coordinating the "Art of Plastic" Sustainable Design Workshop in collaboration with Art Program HKUST+Vibes at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

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In 2021, Manuela curated the Sensory Textile Art Installation for the Hong Kong Pavilion at The Biennial Countless Cities 2021 "People Live Here - A More Human Approach" held at Farm Cultural Park in Favara, Italy.

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Currently, she works as the Unit Leader for Interior Design and Product Design at Istituto Marangoni Mumbai, India.

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