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    • Design

    Meet the innovative designers who won the International EDIDA 2018 awards

    APR 20, 2018 | By Paola Carimati
    CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Winning design for EDIDA 2018 Bathroom: Immersion by Neri & Hu for Agape; The EDIDA 2018 for the Seating category was won by the 'Fil Noir' by Christophe Delcourt for Minotti; Right: Green Light by Olafur Eliasson for Moroso takes the prize for the Furniture category; True Velvet Collection by India Mahdavi for Pierre Frey.
    CLOCKWISE, FROM LEFT Zaha Hadid Design's Cove kitchen for Boffi; EDIDA 2018 winning design for Floor Covering Hayon X Nani by Jaime Hayonfor Nanimarquina; Wings Bed by Jaime Hayon for Wittmann;; 'Arrangements' by Michael Anastassiades for Flos.
    CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT EDIDA 2018 Young Designers Architect Azusa Murakami and artist Alexander Groves from Studio Swine; Manila by Paola Navone for Baxter; BeoSound Shape by Øivind Alexander Slaatto for Bang & Olufsen; Wedgwood Bowl on red sphere by Lee Broom for Wedgwood bags the Tableware category; Formafantasma's Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin have been awarded the Designer of the Year 2018 EDIDA
    Photography by Andrea Garuti; Styling by Elisa Ossino Studio.
    Our annual reveal of sterling products and superlative talent – presenting this year’s international EDIDA winners handpicked by ELLE DECOR editors from 25 countries at a ceremony held in partnership with MGallery by Sofitel.

    DESIGNER OF THE YEAR – FormafantasmaAndrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin are, for all intents and purposes, leading the way in a new approach to designing as part of the industrial process. Last year, with farsighted intuition, Formafantasma decided to edge further towards large-scale industry, temporarily distancing themselves from the world of art design galleries. The works they presented last year at Milano Design Week were unforgettable. Among these are the Blush Lamp and WireRing lights for Flos: the first exploits the potential of a dichroic lens to project ‘brushstrokes’ of colored light onto the wall; the second is a luminous circle magically fixed to the wall by an electric cable stretched between two ends.

    Website: www.formafantasma.com
    YOUNG DESIGNER – Studio SwineThis Japanese –British duo takes an interdisciplinary approach to design: all of Architect Azusa Murakami and artist Alexander Groves’ works straddle the spheres of art, design and cinema, blending poetry and research to create spectacular installations. Studio Swine’s works have been widely exhibited at institutions and design weeks such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Pompidou Centre in Paris, Milano Design Week and the Venice Art Biennale. All of their work hinges upon their curious desire to explore important issues through careful research into materials and manufacturing systems, and they are known for promoting their own brand of design activism.
    Website: www.studioswine.comBATHROOM – Immersion by Neri & Hu for AgapeWhen it comes to wellbeing, more and more often the western world looks to eastern cultures for inspiration. That oriental mood provided the inspiration for the first bathroom project from this Chinese design practice.The designers approached the theme of bathing by considering the needs of younger generations who live in small apartments, with traditional oriental bathing vessels: its volume is created through depth rather than width. Minimal and elegantly proportioned, this tub is designed to allow a full-body bathing experience.
    Website: www.agapedesign.itBEDDING – Wings Bed by Jaime Hayon for WittmannHayon’s trademark figurative language is used for this flying carpet of a bed. The rationale of this design is focused on the wings on either side, which open and close as required for a good night’s sleep. If there’s a need for intimacy, the bed becomes a warm, protective cocoon, but if the aim is to provide a striking focalpoint for the room, then it becomes a comfortable, functional platform. The built-in bedside tables are covered in leather and equipped with movable LED spotlights, making them mini worktables.
    Website: www.wittmann.at FABRICS – True Velvet Collection by India Mahdavi for Pierre FreyWhen it came to creating her first collection of interior textiles, the “Queen of Colour” chose velvet. Her passion for bright hues goes back to her Iranian-Egyptian culture and her memories of a cosmopolitan childhood. “After decades of beige and white, colour is now dressing our living rooms”, declares the interior designer with conviction; with this collection of almost 80 shades, along with two prints, one with a diamond pattern and one striped pattern.
    Website: www.pierrefrey.com FLOOR COVERING – Hayon X Nani by Jaime Hayonfor NanimarquinaThe childlike patterns are somewhat misleading, for there’s nothing elementary about how this carpet is made. On the contrary, the Spanish designer got to grips with tufting, a special manual technique for weaving woollen yarns, and experimented with new interpretations, for a startling end result. At first glance, the chaotic jumble of lines and colours seems like a pencil sketch, but look closer and a fantasy world emerges, populated with turtles, lips, hands, stools, animals… Reach out and stroke it, and you are drawn into the creative inner workings of Hayon’s mind.
    Website: www.nanimarquina.com FURNITURE – Green Light by Olafur Eliasson for Moroso‘Green Light – an artistic workshop’ is an ethical participative project that the Danish-Icelandic artist presented at the last Venice Art Biennale: his idea was to invite refugees to collaborate on buildingmodular lamps that project green light (the ray of hope). The bookshop and the lighting pieces are all based on the golden section rule, and are the result of an experiment which brings art closer to design, and design closer to projects to help asylum seekers.
    Website: www.moroso.it KITCHEN – Cove kitchen by Zaha Hadid Design for BoffiTurning a block of Corian into a sculptural element is proven to be possible. The Boffi island kitchen is the new star of contemporary conviviality and comes fully equipped with futuristic high-tech features. Cove is a compact system designed to integrate prepping and cooking functions with the shared enjoyment of food, gathering everyone around the snack bar. From now on, Hadid’s unmistakeable flair will reign supreme in the kitchen, rendered even more beautiful by Boffi’s expertise, which allows for a range of customised finishes.
    Website: www.boffi.com LIGHTING – Arrangements by Michael Anastassiades for FlosThe Cypriot designer creates ‘Arrangements’ is a modular system of geometric elements of light that can be combined differently, presented at the last Euroluce Fair. It consist of forms anchored elegantly to the ceiling, reminiscent of pieces of fine jewellery.
    Website: www.flos.com
    OUTDOOR – Manila by Paola Navone for BaxterThe Italian designer worked on the concept of minimising materials to enhance the decorative power of her creations. She used just a few natural, handpicked contrasting elements: Manila reed tubing (which gives the project its name), oxidised copper for the structure, and leather-wrapped technical cord for the woven seat itself. The chair also has a special tanning technique and Indian ink dye to improve light resistance, along with a series of accessories made from terracotta, cocciopesto and volcanic stone.
    Website: www.baxter.it SEATING – Fil Noir by Christophe Delcourt for MinottiThis project is built around the concept of a thread (which gives it its name, “fil” in French). The “thread” is what gives character to this chair, not only outlining its silhouette, but actually supporting and enveloping it. And the thread also conveys a specific design choice: the decision to use metal tubing. The design is perfected by the company’s know-how, which is tangible in the choice of details: from high rubber-content elastic belts to fire-resistant polyurethane foam.
    Website: www.minotti.comTABLEWARE – Wedgwood Bowl on red sphere by Lee Broom for WedgwoodThese micro-sculptures with a vaguely Art Deco feel are crafted by the skilled artisans who are masters of ‘jasperware’, a ceramics technique invented in the late 18th century. Vases and bowls are made up of basic geometric forms, highlighted by a specific choice of decoration. Future collectors’ items.
    Website: www.wedgwood.co.ukWALL COVERING – BeoSound Shape by Øivind Alexander Slaatto for Bang & OlufsenThe Danish designer gives shape to sound – quite literally, by transforming a traditional speaker into a wall covering consisting of hexagonal elements to combine at will. From now on, home interiors can not only benefit from a professional, recording-studio quality audio system, but will also be adorned by original, colourful compositions in Kvadrat wool.
    Website: www.bang-olufsen.com