Everywhere we go, design surrounds us. Whether it’s on a billboard, carefully presented in the curated coffee table book, or the everyday clothing item, all these elements find their origins in the idea of the designer.
Photography courtesy of Hublot
This year, the annual Hublot design prize took place in London on the 15th of October, with 8 finalists competing for the title. Christian Bracht, SLEEK’S publisher, had the honour to attend this event. Out of all applicants, an expert jury consisting of Marva Griffin Wilshire, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Alice Rawsthorn and the duo behind FormaFantasma, created a longlist of 20 designers, out of which 8 will make it to the award ceremony.
Photography courtesy of Hublot
“For us, the Hublot Design Prize is a reminder of where we have come from, the reasons for our success, and a tribute to the designers and artists with whom we have worked”, states Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of the brand Hublot. In his speech, the CEO addresses the “spark” which is an instant moment in the mind of the designer that has the power to change everything. Furthermore, he adds, that the Hublot Design Prize is a precise “catalyst for talent, an opener of doors”. Design and transmission fuel the brand.
Photography courtesy of Hublot
This year, the eight artists who made it into the final round were Ben Graz, a digital artist born in Switzerland and based in New York, Christoph John, who founded PINWU Design Studio, a laboratory experimenting with Chinese materials and craftsmanship, Eva Feldkamp, who founded the agency All in Awe, Federica Fragapane, who converts figures, data and statistics into striking and original visual works, Thebe Magugu, an African Fashion Designer who won the LVMH prize in 2019, Theresa Bastek, who founded Studio Plastique in 2017, Irakli Sabekia, who creates installations about our relationship with natural and artificial elements and finally, Mohammed Iman Fayaz who explores the topics of race, diversity and gender in his illustrations.
Photography courtesy of Hublot
After careful consideration, The “Pierre Keller Award” has been awarded to Federica Fragnapane and Eva Feldkamp, for 15’000 CHF each. What stung out to the jury, was Federica’s meticulous design process, which is underlined by unique research into new ways of visualising urgent social, political and ecological issues. Eva’s work, called “All in Awe”, is focused on generating creative opportunities for social and environmental impact.
Photography courtesy of Hublot
Finally, the highlight of the evening, the 6th edition of the iconic Hublot Design Prize was awarded to Mohammed Iman Fayaz, for his outstanding work on the independence of expression, cultural diversity and gender. A name to note down, we can expect exciting things from him in the future.