Accent on Design Awards Honor Design Excellence at NYIGF
New York, NY — Four Accent on Design® exhibitors were honored Monday for superior design creativity and innovative product design, with awards presented for Best Collection and Best Product Design. Accent on Design, which is one of 10 divisions of the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®), runs through Thursday, August 19, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
“Accent on Design is a platform for superlative design talent, and these awards are presented to the division’s most innovative resources,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president and. “These winners have achieved a superb blend of form and function in their product designs.”
Summer 2010 Accent on Design Award winners are:
Best Product Collection: Paul Smith for Stelton (Copenhagen, Denmark) “for reimagining Arne Jacobsen’s classic Cylinda-Line collection and introducing color in celebration of Stelton’s 50th year.” Manufactured in Denmark, Paul Smith for Stelton features AddColour, a series of stainless steel iced water, tea and coffee jugs, and French press with muted, bright or pastel colored handles. Available in nine color palettes, Dot features three small, medium and large jars and bowls in stainless steel with enamel tops and mouths. The collection’s bar set, Statement, includes ice bucket and tongs, cocktail shaker, martini mixer, glass coasters and serving tray in rich, black stainless steel. Each piece features a statement written by Paul Smith. www.stelton.dk
Best Product: Wabnitz Editions (Columbus, OH) for Boomerang Wok, by Royal vkb, for “its innovation in industrial design, solving an age old problem.” Designed by Nikolai Carels, its unique patented edge shape alleviates the stresses of cooking by reducing the skills necessary for an evenly cooked meal – just a simple push towards the curved edge of the pan turns the food easily. This aluminum pan is ideal for cooking eggs, fish and meat. www.wabnitzeditions.com
Best Product: Branch Lamps (New York, NY) by Rich, Brilliant, Willing as part of the American Design Club Collection, for “a modern classic used in a multitude of ways.” With bent wood arms attached to metal hubs resembling the branches of a tree, the chandeliers, floor lamps and table lamps filter light through perforated brass shades. Ebonized, natural and custom color wood finishes are available. www.richbrilliantwilling.com
Best Product: The Sasa Clock™ (Housatonic, MA) designed by Thorunn Arnadottir for HeadsUp Design Company Inc., for “its interpretation on the concept of time in an artistic and poetic manner.” Made of a polished stainless steel hub and beech wood beads, time can be read from a color coded necklace—with each bead representing a 5 minute increment. The necklace is available in both 12 and 24 hour versions; natural wood with white, “hour” beads and blue stained wood, with orange “hour” beads. www.headsupco.com
In addition to these award winners, the Selection Committee also applauded the direction of the following collectives: American Design Club, Object Design League, JOIN DESIGN Seattle. Together, these collectives – from New York City, Chicago and Seattle – are presenting the work of more than 20 young designers. Judging criteria included innovation, function, originality and design. The summer 2010 Accent on Design selection committee includes:
Miguel Calvo, Design & Research; David Alhadeff, The Future Perfect; Ilene Shaw, Shaw + Co! Productions; and Wilma Wabnitz, Wabnitz Editions Ltd.
For more than 25 years, Accent on Design has been the industry’s leading resource for design-led merchandise, presenting a dynamic juried collection of contemporary and innovative product lines from 200+ exhibitors across all categories.
NYIGF is the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace, with 2,800 exhibiting companies featuring an extraordinary breadth and depth of design-driven home fashion products and complementary giftware. Some 35,000 attendees from all 50 states and more than 85 countries worldwide are expected. The winter 2011 NYIGF will take place Saturday, January 29, through Thursday, February 3, 2011, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and Passenger Ship Terminal Piers 92 & 94. For information and registration, visit www.nyigf.com
