Lazzaro Leather Launches New Travel-Themed Design Competition

Furniture World News Desk on 8/26/2015

Lazzaro Leather announced that it is sponsoring a new design competition for college and university students that celebrates the intersection of travel and design.

Themed "Places and Spaces," the competition invites students to use Lazzaro furniture and other materials to create an interior design - a room or setting within a room - that explores the unique style and experience of a special destination. To explain and bring their concept to life, students can submit as many original plans, drawings, renderings and photos as they desire in a digital format.

The goal of the competition is to support students during their formative stages and encourage them to explore new conceptual approaches to the layout of interior spaces, according to Lauri Cryan, president of Lazzaro Leather.

"Students are the future of our industry," said Cryan. "With this competition, we hope to challenge aspiring designers to think creatively about how furniture can be used to enhance the design, function and livability of today's - and tomorrow's - homes. Since our line contains a number of creative, travel-influenced pieces, we thought 'Places and Spaces' would be the perfect theme for students to explore."

Judges for the contest consist of a panel of respected professionals from the architecture and design communities including: Michelle Workman (Interior Designer at Michelle Workman Interiors), Elizabeth Harvey (Design Assistant at Denise McGaha Interiors), Meredith Heron (Interior Designer at Meredith Heron Design), Thomas Conley (President/CEO of the High Point Market Authority) and Catherine Smoak (Director of Design at Unilin - Mohawk Industries). In choosing the winners, judges will be considering four elements: creativity of the design; the conceptual and technical quality of the project; research and reflection on the location's culture; and reflection and thinking on global trends.

Three winning entries will be selected: first prize, second prize and one special mention. Each winner will receive $500, and adaptations of the winning designs also will be featured in the Lazzaro showroom during the October 17 to 22 High Point Market.

This market, Lazzaro will be exhibiting in a new 16,122-square foot showroom in the IHFC's Commerce wing, Space 1003. The company plans to introduce a variety of new furnishings during the show, including new leather seating, occasional items and an updated dining chair and barstool program. In addition, Lazzaro plans to expand its popular steamer trunk program, a series of leather-wrapped occasional tables inspired by vintage travel trunks.

Lazzaro Leather's "Places and Spaces" contest is open to any college or university student pursuing a degree in design or architecture. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 11:59pm. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 7. Submissions must be in a jpg format with a resolution of at least 300 dpi, in a vertical or horizontal format. The entries also must include Lazzaro furniture, a slogan or title for the concept and proof of payment of fees for the 2015-16 academic year.

For more details, and to see examples of Lazzaro products, visit http://lazzarogallery.com/. To submit entries, visit http://lazzarodesigncontest.com/.

About Lazzaro Leather: Lazzaro Leather is the exclusive distributor for the United States, Canada, Mexico and Costa Rica of Guangdong Lazzaro Sunton Leather Goods, a 26-year-old leather tannery and quality furniture manufacturer located in Shunde, China. The frames of Lazzaro's upholstered furniture and other furnishings are constructed of kiln-dried birch hardwood indigenous to the Shunde area that is virtually knot free and bolted for stability. Lazzaro uses only 100 percent U.S. cowhide in its tannery - covers that are known for being larger and having fewer defects. Lazzaro offers solid-color leathers with a slight waxy hand for its more contemporary designs as well as vintage antiqued leather finishes for more traditional models. Since the company tans its own hides, it is able to monitor the quality in all facets of the tanning process to ensure consistency as well as quality finishes.