Thank you to everyone who attended the 2022 Design Guild Mark ceremony last month (Tuesday 24 May) during Clerkenwell Design Week.
Hosted in Senator/Allermuir’s newly renovated showroom, the venue was a wonderful setting for peers and friends to celebrate the exceptional contributions of the designers that made up this year’s crop of 23 holders.
An extra buzz of excitement was palpable, undoubtedly as the ceremony was the first live event of its kind for three years.
Our thanks to Senator for their hospitality and to Tom Lloyd, co-founder and director of Pearson Lloyd and Master of the Faculty of Designers, who presented the awards.
Congratulations again to all of this year’s winners. We have a selection of comments from awardees from the Furniture category. Look out for remarks from winners from the 2D Design and Lighting Design category next month.
“The award provides hugely beneficial exposure to my studio and brand. When you’re not well-known, recognition of this kind gives you a huge sense of achievement. To have received the award from a selection of established designers and industry professionals makes it all the more special. The Design Guild Mark provides that reassurance that the product won’t disappoint.”
— Jon Christie
Designer of Your Move for Jon Christie
“We are thrilled that Kaya is recognised as meeting the standard of excellence in British design. The Design Guild Mark, as an award, embodies our same belief of great British design and it is an honour to be in such great company with the other awardees.”
— Morgan Studio
Designer of Kaya for Morgan
“We are delighted to receive the Design Guild Mark for the Knoll, Smalto Low Table. As British designers working in a truly global arena, it is fantastic to be recognised at home by expert judges.”
— Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby
Designers of Smalto Low Table for Knoll
“Buddy was designed to meet a demanding brief from our client. A subsequent order for over 9,000 units confirmed the client was happy with our solution. With a few minor modifications, we were able to adapt this compact personal locker for a much wider customer appeal. Buddy is showing true signs of being an ongoing commercial success, which will help safeguard full employment at our factory. Receiving a Design Guild Mark will help us raise the profile of Buddy in our industry and among our customers.”
— Chris Fowler
Designer of Buddy for Bisley
“We continue to be thrilled and proud to have our work recognised by the Design Guild Mark and these two projects for a distinguished brand like Gloster are indicative of the greater achievement of the many British designers working with top international brands. The Design Guild Mark is the only award programme to acknowledge and highlight this.”
— Mark Gabbertas
Designer of Sepal and Saranac for Gloster
“A Design Guild Mark means that the product created stands up to expert scrutiny, that the design decisions and production execution add up well. The Design Guild Mark represents professional acknowledgment from your peers – it is a great accolade to receive.”
— Dylan Freeth
Designer of Heritage for Ercol
“Thank you to The Furniture Makers’ Company, it means so much to win this prestigious award. Thank you to the team at Nurus for helping bring this product to market.”
— Phidias Leonida
Designer of Eva for Nurus
“We are delighted with the Design Guild Mark award for Ports. Fantastic recognition for a collection which acknowledges the changing patterns of leadership that are non-hierarchical, more open, and more dynamic.”
— Tom Lloyd and Luke Pearson
Designers of Ports for Bene
“I’m honoured to receive a Design Guild Mark, an award which sets the benchmark for British Design excellence. It’s a great acknowledgment of the work that goes into developing a product to a level which meets the high standards of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers. The Davenport Bureau is the result of a long-standing collaboration with Another Country, a client who I won my first Design Guild Mark with back in 2016 for the Hardy Chair. The award is testament to Another Country’s commitment to craftsmanship and the use of quality materials.”
— David Irwin
Designer of the Davenport Bureau for Another Country