The Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) announced that the Furniture Design Award (FDA) 2012 and PLATFORM 2012 are now open for participation.
Both PLATFORM and the FDA, which recognise excellence, achievement and innovation within the furniture design industry, will be showcased and presented at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2012/29th ASEAN Furniture Show (IFFS/AFS 2012), Deco Asia 2012 and Hospitality Asia 2012 from 9 to 12 March 2012.
"The Furniture Design Award celebrates the very best achievements in furniture design, an industry that continues to innovate, surprise and defy boundaries here in Singapore and around the world," said Mr Simon Ong, Chairman of Design Development, SFIC.
Now into its 19th year, the FDA is introducing the overarching theme, “LOVE, THINK, DESIGN GREEN”, based on the concept and execution of sustainable design, to reflect the rise of social and eco-consciousness among the general public.
“As the ‘captain of the industry’ , the Council has a vital part to play in educating designers about the importance of designing, manufacturing and packaging eco-friendly furniture pieces that future generations can appreciate and enjoy. In the months to come, SFIC will be doing its first bit to educate the public on sustainable design and living by embarking on a series of talks for our students and prospective participants local and abroad,” added Mr Andrew Pang, Vice Chairman of Design Development.
Since its founding in 1993, FDA has grown in presence worldwide and till today, continues to recognise the talent and diversity that exists across the entire furniture design ecosystem. For example, FDA 2011 received submissions from 14 countries, including Australia, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Philippines, United Kingdom and the United States.
Previous FDA winners are a spectrum of local, regional and international names as well. Noteworthy FDA alumnus include Anon Pairot, a Thai designer who has, since receiving the Award, been churning a long list of world-recognised accolades and featured prominently in the critically acclaimed Milan Fair; as well as local designers, Gabriel Tan and Wendy Chua, founders of OutofStock, whose works have been produced by France’s Ligne Roset. It also counts Japanese designer Nendo, and Nathan Yong of Nathan Yong Design, whose products are being carried by famous international brands such as Living Divani, amongst its alumnus.
Other than creativity, marketability and functionality, the entries for FDA 2012 will also be judged according to the new themes, namely, renewability, efficient use of sustainable materials and low energy use in manufacturing process. The FDA will be presented under the following categories:
- Grand Award
- Honourable Mention Award
- Merit Award
- Best Use of Material
As the Award is increasingly becoming a platform for exchange and networking of global furniture manufacturers and designers, SFIC has since last year extended the call for participation to international students and designers as well. The upcoming year is no exception. The Students category is open to any student studying in local and international arts and design institutions and the Designers category welcomes participants local and worldwide that are aged 40 years and below as of 9 March 2012. The members of the FDA 2012 panel comprise prominent industry personalities and renowned international designers.
FDA 2012 can be entered online at www.furnituredesigndna.com and entries submissions start on 1 June 2011 and close on 1 September 2011. A full list of categories, deadlines and award criteria is available at the website.
FDA 2012 will be organised with the full support of DesignSingapore Council, International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, SPRING Singapore, American Hardwood Export Council, DesignS, Designers Association Singapore, Interior Design Confederation (Singapore), Singapore Institute of Architects and IFFS Pte Ltd.
Continuing on with the spirit of providing promising young furniture designers an avenue to present their designs to members of the international furniture trade industry, SFIC, through its Design Entrepreneur Development Programme, is also bringing back PLATFORM for its sixth instalment in 2012.
PLATFORM is an avenue to help promising, young local and international furniture designers launch their new prototypes in the international market, kick-start their design careers and form fruitful partnerships with leading manufacturers and buyers that visit IFFS/AFS, Deco Asia and Hospitality Asia. It aspires to add to the design thrust of SFIC by branding Singapore as Asia’s furniture design hub.
“Following the stellar response from IFFS/AFS 2011, Deco Asia 2011 and Hospitality Asia 2011, which saw 536 exhibitors from 24 countries, 20,873 visitors from 112 countries, US$289 million of spot-on orders and US$3.02 billion of follow-on sales, we are confident of the same, if not better, success from next year’s exhibition. This also means PLATFORM participants will receive great exposure and international word-of-mouth for their design pieces,” says Mr Ong.
All independent designers (not associated with manufacturers or established in the business), architects and arts and design institutions will be eligible to showcase their new prototypes at PLATFORM 2012. Applications are subject to approval by a panel comprising prominent industry practitioners. Interested applicants can send in their application form (downloadable from www.furnituredesigndna.com) to SFIC and enjoy 20% early bird rates off the participation fees before 16 September 2011.
For more information on SFIC, visit www.singaporefurniture.com
For more information on Furniture Design Award 2012 and PLATFORM 2012, visit http://www.furnituredesigndna.com