WALLPAPER* AND JAGUAR CARS ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS!

In case you hadn't noticed, I've been posting the shortlist nominees for some of the categories for the fabulous Wallpaper* Design Awards all week. Now the winners have been announced and below are the results.

Well, not only did they announce the winners to the Wallpaper* Design Awards last night, but they had a rockin' party to do so. This is the fourth year of the annual Wallpaper* Design Awards. The first awards were launched in the January/February issue of Wallpaper* in 2005.

The international design, fashion and lifestyle magazine, Wallpaper,* and headline partner Jaguar Cars have dramatically transformed the Old Sorting Office on New Oxford Street, London, into a spectacular venue to host a dinner and drinks party celebrating the nominees and winners.

This year the Design Awards are bigger and better than ever with 63 categories ranging from ‘Best City’ to ‘Best Stationery’ – a first peek at Tony Blair’s new graphic identity.

In true Wallpaper* style they’ve gone one step further than simply opening an envelope to reveal the winners. Instead, they’ve teamed-up with digital animators, Mainframe, to produce animations for each winner of the Judges’ Awards.

Click on the winners below to see the animations.

Best domestic appliance
‘Katamari 01’ speaker by Giyanze

Best furniture designer
Tokujin Yoshioka

Best new restaurant
Mathias Dahlgren, Stockholm

Best new hotel
Riva Lofts, Florence by Claudio Nardi

Best new private house
Ring House, Karuizawa by TNA

Best new public building
New Museum, New York by SANAA

Best city
Los Angeles

Best fashion
Jil Sander A/W 2007 by Raf Simons

Best grooming product
TweezLight

Most life-enhancing item
$100 laptop by Yves Behar

Other winners include Apple’s iPhone, John Pawson, Arik Levy, Martino Gamper, Tamara Salman, Ralph Pucci and OMA.

The full list of categories and winners are announced in Wallpaper’s Design Awards issue, available on 10 January 2008 and on www.wallpaper.com.

Judges Profiles:
André Balazs
Patricia Urquiola
Tadao Ando
Wong Kar-wai
Donatella Versace
Langlands & Bell

Below is the press release- straight from the ultra hip digital director of Wallpaper* magazine, Kay McMahon, to yours truly complete with some pics of the bash.

Tony Chambers, Wallpaper* editor-in-chief, says:
“It is always a pleasure and a privilege to give the Wallpaper* stamp of approval to the experimentalists, innovators and dreamers of the past 12 months. From the $100 laptop to the €200,000 cashmere carpet, we’re celebrating great design wherever and however it appears. With the assistance of our panel of international judges (see their profiles above) – Tadao Ando, André Balazs, Wong Kar-Wai, Langlands & Bell, Patricia Urquiola and Donatella Versace – and with Jaguar once again as our associate, it has been a stellar year.”

Now, about that party:



Venue
Wallpaper* and Jaguar have dramatically transformed the Old Sorting Office on New Oxford Street, London, into a spectacular venue to host a dinner and drinks party celebrating the nominees and winners. Production of the event was managed by My Beautiful City, headed up by Robin Scott-Lawson.



Guests
250 guests accepted invitations to the dinner. Guests included the winners and nominees of all categories, the international panel behind the Judges’ Awards, as well as fashion designers, architects, interior designers and friends of Wallpaper*.

Best cocktail menu:
Cocktail 1 – Ten Fresh Martini
Tanqueray No 10, lemon juice, gomme, shaken with ice and strained into a martini glass, garnished with lemon peel

Cocktail 2 – Rosie Ten Collins
Tanqueray No 10, lime juice, elderflower cordial, apple juice, topped up with soda, built with ice into a cocktail glass, garnished with slivers of apple

Cocktail 3 – Red Heaven
Wallpaper* Design Awards: Best cocktail
A unique blend of chilli, cucumber, apple, sugar, lime juice and fresh mint added to Smirnoff Black, pomme verte and apple juice, shaken with ice and a secret ingredient

Goodie bag contents:
Wallpaper* Design Awards issue
Wallpaper* Los Angeles City Guide
Jaguar pen and magazine
Givenchy Rouge Interdit lipstick
Prada Infusion d’Iris miniature
TweezLight tweezers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My personal big thanks to Kay McMahon and the following people and companies who continue to support, encourage, promote and reward great design in all aspects:

Wallpaper*
www.wallpaper.com
Jaguar
www.jaguar.com
Production:
www.mybeautifulcity.com
Drinks sponsors:
www.tanqueray.com
www.smirnoff.com
www.icelandicglacial.com
Goodie bags:
www.wallpaper.com
www.jaguar.com
www.parfumsgivenchy.com
www.prada.com
www.tweezlight.com

Check Out The Places To Check-In: Wallpaper's Nominees For Best New Hotel

As the Wallpaper Design Awards wind down (the winners will be announced thursday, the 10th) I share with you the shortlist for Best New Hotel Category with lots of fun additional pics.

1.The Bowery, New York, by Sean MacPherson and Eric Goode:Thanks to charmingly old-world styling by the owners, this is the first boutique hotel to pop up in the formerly gritty Bowery neighbourhood. The interior is all mahogany, worn-in leather and open fires, easily recalling elegant 18th-century living. With service to match the styling, the comfort and nostalgia of the Bowery put it way ahead of its rivals in the boutique market.

More pics:

2.Le Bellechasse, Paris, by Christian Lacroix:Christian Lacroix's second boutique jewel is a visual interpretation of Paris's seventh arrondissement. The history of the famously literary area has been transformed into a decorative scheme for 34 rooms in two adjoining buildings. Fantastical frescos adorn the walls and ceilings, while simple white fixtures and linens reinforce the contemporary luxury.

More pics:

3.Fasano Rio de Janeiro, Ipanema Beach, by Philippe Starck:The long-awaited Fasano Rio de Janeiro has arrived on Ipanema Beach, along with the Fasano Al Mare, its centrepiece Italian seafood restaurant by Michelin award-winning chef Luca Guzzoni. Starck designed the building and its interiors with a surprisingly Brazilian flair, maintaining the sophistication of the São Paulo original, but with a nod to its new Rio environs.

More pics:

4.Haymarket, London, by Kit Kemp:The latest launch of Firmdale hotels is housed in a stunning Regency building built by John Nash. The 50 individually designed rooms and suites are among the largest in London; the Shooting Gallery, a private event room, is decorated in hand-painted jungle wallpaper by de Gournay; and the 18m basement pool has a ceiling covered in fibre-optic lights.

More pics:

5.Riva Lofts, Florence, by Claudio Nardi:Consisting of nine suites in architect Claudio Nardi's former studio, a historic factory complex, Riva Lofts' emphasis is on detail. Each lofty, light-filled suite is a chic ensemble of heritage and modern pieces. Mies Van der Rohe armchairs cluster round tropical wood tables in the breakfast lounge, while the bedrooms boast unique, artist-designed touches.

More pics:

Don't forget to come back and visit on Thursday, January 10th when I post the winners of all the categories of the Wallpaper Design Awards(in conjunction with Jaguar).

Wallpaper Whittles It Down To The 5 Top Furniture Designers

There are so many amazing furniture designers out there I don't know how Wallpaper even managed to cut it down to 5 finalists for the Wallpaper Design Awards but they did, and here they are:


Alfredo Häberli:

A unique ability to mix up a form-follows-function base with creative flair and a large dash of humour has made Zurich-based Alfredo Häberli sought after by a host of international clients. As well as designing the Camper store in Paris, and a line of men’s shoes, the versatile Häberli has this year launched new creations for Luceplan, Alias, Moroso and Kvadrat.

Barber Osgerby:

Jay Osgerby and Ed Barber are at the top of their game. Not only has this year seen them launch high-calibre products for Established & Sons, Cappellini, ClassiCon, Flos and more, their interior architecture firm Universal Design Studio, lauded for creating the furniture for the De La Warr Pavilion, is working on the retail space for the Battersea Power Station project.

Jaime Hayon:

Jaime Hayon's flamboyant style has won over even hard-nosed minimalists, while his willingness to try his hand at most things has companies fighting to get him on board. His installation for Bisazza at the Milan Furniture Fair was the talk of the town, as were his products for BD Barcelona, his ceramics for Bosa and his complete overhaul of Lladró porcelain.


Marcel Wanders:

Marcel Wanders' fame seems only to fuel his creativity. Taking over a huge space in the Zona Tortona during the Milan Furniture Fair, the Dutch designer blew everyone away with a magical installation. Part of the Wanders Wonders collection, the giant lamps and bells were mixed with elaborate rugs and cabinets. Equally splendid was his 'Skygarden' lamp for Flos.

Tokujin Yoshioka:

An apprentice to Shiro Kuramata and Issey Miyake, Yoshioka set up on his own in 2000. He’s behind the Issey Miyake shop in Tokyo, as well as exhibition space for Miyake, Hermès, Muji and Peugeot. While his furniture for Driade is acclaimed, it was his design of Moroso’s showroom in Milan this year, incorporating work such as his 'Panna' chair, that got the cognoscenti going.