"Natural beauty - Haute Couture" is the theme for the fifth edition of the competition, honouring the celebrated art of Haute Couture.
This competition aims to rethink the traditional bed's purpose and reinvent classic chic to create a contemporary style that is timeless and appropriate for today's modern way of living. Like all authentic haute couture creations, every fine detail should be considered.
Elite is part of the craft tradition of Master Upholsterer Jules-Henri Caillet and was created in Yens-sur-Morges in Switzerland in 1895. Initially, the Caillet family specialised in upholstery and then went on to gain expertise in mattress manufacturing and build a reputation in the region. With the advent of automated tools, Robert Caillet, the founder's son, sought to integrate progress within his company by marrying craft and mechanisation. In his view, and indeed that of successive generations, progress was key to the manufacture of a good mattress.
Artisan production offers freedom of choice and the opportunity to use high-quality natural materials (Swiss wool, alpaca wall, cashmere, pure tail hair, camel wool, Tussar silk, etc.). Expertise in combining these different materials and rigorous design combine to produce exceptional bedding. “Fine materials for a good night’s sleep”. From the outset, the family business was careful to select only environmentally friendly, sustainable raw materials. Production, which still takes place in Switzerland, relies on a relationship of trust with partners, expertise and attention to details by the company’s employees. This leads to ethical, ecological and social responsibility both on the part of partners and customers as on that of its employees.
The birth
The Boxspring,
The headboard,Elite house seeks to forge its own distinctive path and prioritise craftsmanship and well-being. It is alert to customer experience and offers bespoke solutions. It strives its utmost to ensure that its products are both sustainable and environmentally friendly.
From consultation to manufacture, Elite’s employees are constantly on hand to meet their customers’ every demand. A job well done, the pursuit of excellence – these are the values that Elite seeks to convey in designing its products. The company is defined not only by its quality guarantees and commitment to innovation internally, but also by its fine, delicate materials and the talents of its craft workers.
Elite is part of a long tradition of bed making and seeks to advance the design of premium beds. This competition looks to foster new ideas through the combination of design and traditional craftsmanship.
1st prize
Natalia Kędzierska
Natalia Kędzierska is a young interior designer living in Poland. She’s currently preparing for her MA thesis at the Faculty of Interior Design of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław.
In addition, she work as a junior interior designer in the “Last element” studio. She actively participate in various trade fairs and training courses.
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2nd prize
Joris Bonnesoeur
Joris Bonnesoeur began by studying applied arts in the Champagne region. Trained in industrial design, he joined the Alstom studio in Paris, where he designed trains and tramways and founded a research centre focused on user experience.
As a freelancer, he then worked with agencies and large groups to develop their products and design strategies. In 2019, he is involved in the design of the latest private jet for Dassault Aviation and is also working on the design of
the future Nantes tramway. It is after a place in the final of a furniture competition, where he collaborates with Lucie Guinebault, that they decide to create their own agency Joie Design Office.
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3rd prize
Wen-Heng Chang and Tz-Yun Huang
Wen-Heng and Tz-Yun both graduated from Domus Academy Milano in 2020. They started to cooperate with each other through some projects during study. After they found their same passion about furniture design and the vison about
product design. Now they work as partners, and try to create their own philosophy about design.
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1st prize
Mattia Fornari
Mattia Fornari is an Italian architect based in northern Italy and interested in art, photography and design. He graduated in architecture from Politecnico di Milano and has focused his work on interiors, lighting and furniture.
During these early years, he achieved significantly in international design competitions such as Porada International Design Award, Ideasxwood for Tabu and Carpanelli's 100 Years Award. His minimalistic approach to design is inspired by pure forms and combined with his love for Eastern culture.
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2nd prize
Jagoda Sergiel
Jagoda Sergiel, born in 1997, is a young interior and furniture designer established in Poland. She is currently working on her master thesis at Interior Design Faculty at the Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław. Her main interest focuses on creating sustainable, functional and visually innovative spaces and objects while putting humans in the first place. Her student works, including furniture pieces and visualisation of interior spaces were exhibited in galleries in Wrocław in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Her work looks at the modern, fast-paced world we live in and its impact on humanity and the environment. She gained her first design experience working in interior and furniture design studios based in Wrocław. Today she is employed in a small photographic studio, where she passionately creates places and objects that reflect their owner's souls, respecting the existing surrounding interiors and exteriors.
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3rd prize
Maxime Lemarié
Maxime Lemarié is a designer at the architectural firm Dominique Tual in Vannes. In 2014 he graduated as a cabinetmaker and won the competition as the best woodcarver in France. He also obtained a BTS in Space Design. His creativity stems from the atypical course he studied, which allows him to appreciate and understand proportions and approach design in several ways. He creates whilst always considering the importance of combining craftsmanship and practical design. His goal is to create designs that are a harmonious balance between proportions, textures and colours.
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1st prize
Sergio Luis Torres Gallué & Dariel Quiñones Torres
Sergio and Dariel are designers established in Spain; graduated in Industrial Design from the ISDI University of Havana, Cuba. They focus their design activity on lighting, furniture and interiors. Its concepts are based on functionality and usability, incorporating traditional materials into contemporary forms.
They have been working as freelancers creating emotional lighting, which remark textures to blur emitted light, furniture and interiors with versatility taking into account new ways of furniture uses and current interactions users-spaces. They were top 5 in the 1st Arturo Alvarez Young Talent Award/Handmade Lighting Design with “Squama” and finalists in Young Bird Plan 2018 Matrix Modular Office Furniture Competition with “Delita”. Read more
2nd prize
Buket Hoşcan Bazman & Erman Bazman
Buket Hoşcan Bazman was born in Izmir, Turkey, in 1989. Graduated at the Işık University and after few years of working in the industry, she founded own design brand under the name Marbleous in 2015, which produces marble detailed furniture and objects. In 2018, Buket set up her own design studio in Tesvikiye, Istanbul. Currently, besides Marbleous, she is working to creating timeless furniture pieces, objects and lights for international clients.
Erman Bazman was born in Istanbul, Turkey in 1988. Graduated at the Interior Design, Faculty of Fine Arts Yeditepe University, and after he worked in leading architecture firms at Istanbul. Currently, he is working at Kocaciklioglu Architects and he teaches "Computer Aided Design" at Altınbaş University. Also, he is working on furniture design with Buket Hoşcan Bazman. Read more
3rd prize
Ludivine Gay & Arthur Schmidt
Ludivine and Arthur met at the Nancy Architecture school in 2016. In 2018, they went to Mexico for a school exchange. During that year, they traveled all around South America. They discovered rich cultures and environments that will nourish they creativity.
Today, they both are employed by an architecture agency in Barcelona, where they work with multicultural teams on several projects on architectural or urban scale. In their spare time, they work on projects for competitions. They recently won a price for their reinterpretation for the vernacular alsacian house.
For their projects, the team values their personal experience and understanding of the modern world, with a great respect for life and the environment. Read more
1st prize
Shahril Faisal
Shahril Faisal was born in Kuala Lumpur in 1983. His passion towards creativity and creation since young has led him to pursuit his degree in industrial design from University Technology Malaysia in 2006. From 2007 to 2013, Shahril has worked as a Product Designer for the Japanese multinational manufacturer of Shimano Malaysia and as a Senior Automotive Stylist for Nissan Parts Malaysia.
In 2014, he founded Shahril Faisal Design Studio, a studio based in Delft, Netherlands. Four years later, Shahril Faisal Design Studio relocates back to Kuala Lumpur as he has worked with three different emerging Malaysian furniture brands to build a furniture collection as well as their Creative Director.
He became the 1st Winner of the 48th Formabilio International Chair Design Contest 2015 in Italy. In 2016, Shahril was shortlisted in the UK Restaurant & Bar Product Design Awards and regarded as one of the top ten designers in Malaysia by Home & Décor Magazine.
His works has been exhibited in furniture fairs, art installation and galleries across Kuala Lumpur, Milan, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, Taipei, Singapore, Melbourne. He has also worked as guest lecturer in several Malaysian universities and colleges as well as a guest speaker in numerous events across Asia. Shahril has also worked as a guest lecturer at several Malaysian universities and colleges as well as numerous events throughout Asia. Read more
2nd prize
Zohreh Ahooei
Iranian born Zohreh Ahooei, a product design graduate from Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Germany is the founder of Zurich based Ahooei Design studio. Focusing on the use of colours and materials, she has been a leading creative for design projects in a variety of industries, such as furniture, fashion and automotive. Her design philosophy cycles around the idea, that only the perfect blend of colour, material and finish will sharpen and embrace the best perception and full beauty of a product. Read more
3rd prize
Rachel Suming
Rachel Suming is a French multi-disciplinary designer. After graduating in product and furniture design at Ecole Boulle Paris, she specialized in design for craftsmanship and luxury with a master degree from Swiss school ECAL.
To highlight a refined profile and focus on beautiful materials, an extensive graphic research initiates each project in order to result in a design as sleek and simple as possible. With this minimalist approach, she created the “Nine” bed. Read more
1st prize
Maite Otano & Pablo Santos
Pablo and Maite are a team of multidisciplinary designers based in Barcelona. Their activity involves product and furniture design, with a strong focus on the user's experience. The foundation of their project is the balance between functionality, harmony and durability. They look for innovation, excitement and pleasure, aiming to make people's life easier and more pleasant.
2nd prize
Fuhua Wang & Weichih Chen
Fuhua and Weichih are Taiwanese designers graduated in product design from NABA in Milan in 2015 and 2016. After they met in Milan they decided to work as partners for multiple design projects. Their design approach specializes in materials driven, process led, and industrial design across consumer products and electronic goods.
3rd prize
Chung-Yen Chang
Chung-Yen Chang is a Milan based product and furniture designer. After graduated from Domus Academy, he started his career in collaboration with Stefano Giovannoni. In Chang’s work, the design conducts as not only shape polishing but also as a practical solution that reflects user experience and emotional connection beyond the objects.
The purpose of this competition is to rethink the important role of the bed in the bedroom environment. The bed is essential for our wellbeing, and the design should be suitable for our current modern lifestyles while retaining the essence of authentic traditional craftsmanship. The design proposal is intended for private individuals and should tell a story that considers the user's experience in the bed and the area around it. It can be designed to be placed centrally in the bedroom or against a wall. The project should describe the distinctive character of the bed in terms of its use and design qualities. As with all Haute Couture designs, candidates must submit detailed specifications of volumes, materials and technical information.
Elite houses manufacturing specialists of the highest quality beds and mattresses. The theme for the fifth edition of the Elite Design Award, "Natural beauty - Haute Couture", invites contestants to design a classic contemporary bed. It expects to be surprised by a design where pure lines and form become the essence of natural beauty. The bed should be a contemporary classic, elegant and timeless, as reflected in the creations of the greatest haute couture designers.
These constraints must be followed in order to combine style and comfort
*The winners will be informed by email. The non-winners participants will be informed via social media only.
When the projects have been submitted, the jury will meet in January 2023 to select the prizes winners. Be creative !
Trained as an architect, Daphna Glaubert worked for 8 years in international architecture and design offices before specializing in design management and innovation. She currently collaborates with the HEIG-VD business school and the ECAL design school to promote the practice and culture of design within companies.
www.daphnaglaubert.com
Bertille Laguet is a designer graduated from ECAL, and she is also a blacksmith. You can find her at "La Forge" in Chexbres a village in the vineyard along the lake Geneva in Switzerland.
www.bertillelaguet.ch
After her studies at ECAL and Design Academy Eindhoven, Laure Gremion gained professional experience by working in various companies before launching her own studio in early 2017. Stimulated by ambitious projects, she spices up her creations by collaborating with various specialized companies. Following her attempts to bring a new angle that will make you smile and dream while being functional.
www.lauregremion.ch
After a law degree in Zürich and her studies at École Camondo in Paris, Iria Degen worked for the French interior architect, Andrée Putman. In 2000 she founded her own interior design studio. Today she runs her office in Zurich and has realized numerous international projects. She is a member of the Association of Swiss Interior Architects and she is the Swiss delegate of the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers.
www.iriadegen.com
Graduated from ECAL in 2012, Raphaël Lutz is an industrial and product designer.
An hyperactive entrepreneur at heart, he heads Studio Raphaël Lutz and its innovation spin-off HyperAktiv.li as well as the association Designers Table. Innovative and always focused on the needs of the end user, he creates, among other things,
custom-made furniture and accessories for companies and individuals. He favours a short circuit and responsible manufacturing processes to minimise the ecological impact.
www.raphaellutz.ch
Trained as a cabinetmaker 30 years ago, Sandro Savoretti runs his own workshop with a team of over 20 employees in Tolochenaz. Over the years, he has been working with the best architects who benefit from his recognised know how and creativity. Thanks to his knowledge and experience Sandro creates unique leaving spaces and made-to-measure furniture.
www.savoretti.ch
François Pugliese has an enterprising mindset and always wants to innovate in the bedding sector in oder to offer exceptional products within a focus on well-being and craftsmanship.
www.elitebeds.ch
Registration for the 6th edition opens :
