Presenting the honourees of the 18th edition of the ELLE DECO International Design Awards (EDIDA) India

Presenting the honourees of the 18th edition of the ELLE DECO International Design Awards (EDIDA) India. This year’s ceremony, hosted at the iconic Mukesh Textile Mill in Colaba, Mumbai, was an evening of beachy whites and fiery reds.

EDIDA Designer of the Year KUNAAL KYHAAN SEOLEKAR
Just two years after winning the EDIDA India Young Talent 2017, Kunaal took home the most coveted award for his 2019 designs. The soon to be unveiled Terracotta and tentatively named Galaxy collections amalgamate contemporary and cultural features in keeping with his aesthetic. While the inspiration behind his ventures— studio HAUS and KOY is Japanese culture, the designer adds warm tones and earthy textures to pieces in order to make them one of a kind and appealing to a wider audience. Website: www.koy.store

EDIDA Interior Designer of the Year FARAH AHMED MATHIAS & DHAVAL SHELLUGAR
The first to be awarded in this category, Farah and Dhaval of FADD Studio strive to keep their designs fresh and unconventional. Their motto is quite simple—to do everything and say ‘no’ to nothing. Their Bengaluru based studio is well known for deciphering past and present trends in quirky yet practical ways through a variety of projects, ranging from residential to commercial. Website: www.faddstudio.com

EDIDA Young Talent SHASHANK GAUTAM
With his design studio Mianzi, Shashank takes sustainable living and decor a notch higher. He uses bamboo to design sturdy everyday objects such as the Butterfly chair, Mushroom lamp and Lotus stool. He aims to provide employment to local artisans and create a plethora of eco-friendly products. Website: www.mianzi.in

EDIDA Student of the Year RADHIKA DHUMAL
Currently pursuing her Master’s degree from the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, Radhika drew inspiration from nature for the Elytra Coffee Table. The structure of the interactive table resembles the movement of a beetle’s wings. Email: radhika_d@nid.edu

EDIDA Furniture JOINT WINNER PRIYANKA NARULA
Inspired by the opening mechanism of an envelope, the Lifafa chair, made in rattan, is both comfortable and space friendly. Through her practice The Wicker Story, Priyanka aims to bring about sustainable innovation. Email: prelabds@gmail.com

EDIDA Furniture JOINT WINNER ROOSHAD SHROFF WITH AMBRITA SHAHANI TUCKWELL
Rooshad and Ambrita crafted the Fossil table to freeze a moment in time. It features flowers, plucked in the spring, which is then pressed into reclaimed Burma teakwood giving it a stable, 3D essence. Website: www.rooshadshroff.com

EDIDA Bathware AMANDINE SCHIRA
Using terracotta for her conceptual designs, Amandine imbibes the simplicity of early civilisations like the ancient ruins of Dholavira for Mi & Gei’s glocal bath fixtures that are made using brass and copper. Email: studiolafrench@gmail.com

EDIDA Lighting AHSAN ANSARI
The Shunya lamp by Ahsan for his practice Clay Architecture & Interiors is a set of three light fixtures that are made of marble, copper and enamel. Inspired by the Mughal era, each of the illuminators showcases different phases of the moon. Website: www.clay.net.in

EDIDA Wall Finishes & Coverings SAIF FAISAL
The founder of Nuance Studio and EDIDA India Tabletop and Furniture 2017 winner centres his designs around simplicity, sustainability and geometry. Seeking inspiration from the golden ratio and the Fibonacci series, he creates Fibonacci tiles, which are 10 times stronger than conventional concrete and 30 per cent lighter. Website: www.thenuancestudio.com

EDIDA Kitchen JOINT WINNER HARPREET PADAM
The past recipient of EDIDA India Tabletop 2018, won for his Substance collection that reimagines textured kitchenware—containers and bowls—in papier mâché. Email: harpreet@unlike.in

EDIDA Kitchen JOINT WINNER SHREELEKHA LAKSHMIPATHY
An alumna of the School of Architecture and Planning, Chennai and IIT Bombay, Shreelekha reinterprets the traditional SouthIndian coffee maker in stoneware and cork for her venture Beatroot Co. Website: www.beatrootproducts.com

EDIDA Tabletop AKANKSHA DEO SHARMA & IINA VUORIVIRTA FOR IKEA
Collaborating for IKEA’s ‘Better Air’ initiative— which aims at reducing air pollution—Akanksha and Iina crafted the Förändring series that comprises lampshades, vessels and mats, all made using leftover rice straw. Website: www.ikea.com

EDIDA Bedroom VEERAM SHAH & NISHITA KAMDAR
The creative duo has collaborated to foray into furniture design with POD (Pieces of Desire). Part of their first collection is The Nest, a bespoke cradle with an inner bowl in solid teak while the outer one also uses rattan and brass ribs. Website: www.needapod.com

EDIDA Fabrics JOINT WINNER AKILA SESHASAYEE & PANKAJ KEHR
Known for their original and uncompromising design philosophy, Akila and Pankaj use fabric as a medium to explore Indian art at Toile Indienne. Their winning entry: The Art of Architecture – Textiles in tribute to BV Doshi, pays ode to the legendary architect. Website: www.toileindienne.com

EDIDA Fabrics JOINT WINNER ASHITA SINGHAL
At Paiwand Studio, Ashita ensures that textile waste is sorted, cut into strips and then handwoven to create eco-friendly fabric. With this series of products, she wishes to introduce sustainable design and curb pollution. Email: studiopaiwand@gmail.com

EDIDA Flooring ARIANE THAKORE GINWALA
The Ahmedabad based interior architect is known for restoring indigenous techniques of designing furniture. Ariane bagged the award for handcrafted rugs from This and That’s Forest Collection, which is inspired by her visit to the Borneo forest.Website: www.thisandthat.in