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  • The Furniture Makers’ Company announces the Design Guild Mark 2015 Awards for British excellence in design

    The Design Guild Mark Awards, now in their eighth year, have been announced for a total of 21 award recipients. The Design Guild Mark Awards promote excellence and raise the profile of British design and innovation. They recognise and reward designers working in Britain or British Designers working abroad. The award demands the highest standards in the design of furniture for volume production. Alexander Gifford, Chairman of the Design Guild Mark commented:

    “This year saw another record number of entries being held to some very high standards by a judging panel that increasingly represents diverse parts of the furniture industry. The entries were equally diverse, from contract to retail, from residential to hospitality and workplace, as were the applicants themselves. Chairing the judging process was a great honour, and watching the great minds in our industry critique the great output of British design was a real pleasure.”

    Chaired by Alexander Gifford this year’s eminent judging panel were:

    Simon Alderson – twentytwentyone Diana Monkhouse – Aukett Swanke

    Joanna Biggs – GA Design Jeremy Myerson – Royal College of Art

    Rosa Bertoli – Wallpaper* Philippa Prinsloo – John Lewis

    Sebastian Conran – Sebastian Conran Associates Pernille Stafford – Resonate Interiors

    All judges with an interest in an entry stood aside when that entry was being considered.

    Comments from the judging panel:

    Simon Alderson, Co-founder of twentytwentyone:

    “The judging of this year’s Design Guild Mark was involved and stimulating. The breadth of designs exposed specialist expertise within the group of judges, and provided for an invigorating day. At times contentious, the decision making was by no means straight forward. However, the quality was extremely high and the work of designers and manufacturers is positively lauded through the Design Guild Mark. The awards will no doubt reflect the enduring pedigree of British design.”

    Rosa Bertoli, Design Editor for Wallpaper*:

    “Judging the Design Guild Mark is an incredible opportunity that allows us judges to really get close to a great variety of designs, explore their construction in detail and test them first-hand. The range of works presented this year offered a panoramic view of British design, representing both a refined creativity and great manufacturing standards.”

    Sebastian Conran, Founder and Director of Sebastian Conran Associates:

    “It was good to see that British furniture design is doing such discerning design well, and is supported by the Company. Judging is a very thought provoking task that calls many issues into question; tangible things are easy to discuss, but it is the intangibles which are really important and often the most difficult to decide upon.”

    Diana Monkhouse, Senior Associate of Aukett Swanke:

    “Yet another year of outstanding contributions to the British furniture industry by talented, enthusiastic and accomplished designers. Often difficult but always keenly debated by the judges, the Design Guild Mark really does represent the ‘very best of British!”

    Jeremy Myerson, Director and Chair of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art:

    “Design excellence is an elusive quality but the Design Guild Mark judging session takes us to the ideas, the pieces and the designers who are capable of achieving it.”

    Philippa Prinsloo, Head of Design for John Lewis Partnership:

    “It was a privilege to be a part of the selection process at the Design Guild Mark this year and observe the rigorous process and healthy debate that takes place to build up this prestigious archive of British design.”

    Pernille Stafford, Managing Director of Resonate Interiors:

    “The Design Guild Mark submissions this year were, as always, an eclectic and exciting mix of clever design and manufacturing processes. It is always a real privilege to see the range of styles and attention to detail andbe involved in selecting exceptional work for an award.”

    Loki Sofa

     

     



     

     

     

    No. 24 Ocee HenRay Modular Seating

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    No. 3 Radius range

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Furniture Makers’ Hall 12 Austin Friars EC2N 2HE 020 7256 5558

    www.furnituremakers.org.uk

    clerk@furnituremakers.org.uk

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