Six Accent On Design® Exhibitors Awarded For Excellence
New York, NY – Six companies exhibiting in Accent on Design® at the New York International Gift Fair® (NYIGF®) were presented with awards yesterday to recognize superior design creativity and innovative product design. Accent on Design runs through Thursday, February 3, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
“These Accent on Design participants have emphasized functionality, without compromising aesthetics, across a broad spectrum of product categories,” said Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “Their work stands out in a field of exemplary design.”
Awards were presented in the categories of Excellence in Product Design, Best Collection and Overall Excellence.
Excellence in Product Design:
Stelton (New York, NY) Pure Black Pure White knives forged from a single piece of stainless steel and coated in black matte titanium, and held on a single, white magnetic strip. A reinterpretation of the classic form, the judges liked its sleek, minimalistic high design. stelton.com
Excellence in Product Design:
Black + Blum (London, England) Hot Pot BBQ, a humorous take on the everyday barbecue grill. Made from stainless steel with a heat-insulating ceramic coating, the Hot Pot BBQ serves as a terracotta pot for growing herbs while concealing an actual grill underneath. black-blum.com
Excellence in Product Design:
American Design Club (Los Angeles, CA) Brendan Ravenhill’s Bare Light utilizes the natural electrical insulating properties of glass to create a light socket allowing the electrical components to be seen, yet safely protected. Judges appreciated the reinvention of the iconic object with its surprising use of materials. brendanravenhill.com
Excellence in Product Design:
Hongjie Yang Design (Chengdu, China) Veer, a soap dispenser that fuses function and style. Inspired by the shape of bamboo, the ultra modernistic form in stainless steel is a sleek alternative to the mundane.
Best Collection:
K Studio (Grand Rapids, MI) pillows, pouches and wall décor, which are charming, artistic interpretations with a nod towards eco-friendly design. The hand-stitched collection uses hemp, organic cotton and flax – a warm contrast to the strong, industrial designs found in Accent on Design. kstudiohome.com
Overall Excellence:
Creative Danes representing Menu (Copenhagen, Denmark) for innovation in outdoor, dining and living products, presentation and technology. Menu’s Scandinavian design originals boast clean lines with unexpected functionality to surprise and delight the user. Creative Danes’ use of QR codes allows the user – via free iPhone and Android apps – to immediately access product information and video on YouTube. creativedanes.com
Judging criteria included innovation, function, originality and design. The Accent on Designselection committee for winter 2011 includes: Miguel Calvo of Design & Research, Ilene Shaw of Shaw + Co! Productions, Kathy Thornton-Bias of The Museum of Modern Art, Wilma Wabnitz of Wabnitz Editions; and Noel Wiggins of Areaware.
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 summer edition will take place August 13-18, 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
