The international newcomer competition [D3] Contest has been a constant for trade visitors and exhibitors at the imm cologne for years. At the coming interior design fair, the contest for young designers will be celebrating its ten-year anniversary.
For an entire decade, the imm cologne’s [D3] Contest has been giving young designers a forum where they can present their ideas for the furniture, lighting and accessories of the future to an international public. The 689 products from 44 countries that were entered for the contest at the last imm cologne are a striking indication of the competition’s enduring popularity. The contest is also held in high esteem by established designers like Stephan Diez: “I really like the design talents at the imm cologne. It’s great that the Cologne fair has it curated and doesn’t just set up one design shop after the other.” Former jury member Johanna Grawunder is equally enthusiastic about D3 Talents: “In my opinion, the special quality of the contest and the generosity with which the imm cologne invites the selected contestants, helps them with their prototypes and presents them at the show make Cologne unique. The upcoming designers and students are given a forum for presenting themselves on an important international stage – without having to compete with thousands of elitist events featuring star designers.”
For many up-and-coming creatives, the contest serves as a career springboard. Take prize-winner Jólan van der Wiel, for instance, who used the power play between magnetism and gravity to create the Gravity Chair – a must at pretty much every exhibition this year. Or Pepe Heykoop, who created a “chandelier” out of building blocks for his Brickseries that was featured in countless magazines and design forums in 2010. Other participants, such as Anne Lorenz (one of the 2011 contestants), are meanwhile working as freelance designers for ambitious brands like Frei Frau. Or then there’s Lætitia Florin, whose Bidum storage items were presented in 2011 and are now being marketed by Ligne Roset.
The participants in the new contest, which has just got underway, should set their sights just as high. Up-and-coming talents have until 24th September 2012 to submit their works for the imm cologne’s contest to the German Design Council. Once the initial pre-selection has been made, those participants who will be able to present their designs at the imm cologne will receive an invitation to the January 2013 event in October. As well as prizes for the three most talented international newcomers from the jury of the Interior Innovation Award, all designers who are invited to take part in the contest will be featured in the imm cologne’s public relations. All students and graduates who qualified less than three years ago are eligible to enter the contest. Participation in the application process is free.
The contest exhibition will be held in Pure Village (Hall 3.1) at the imm cologne 2013 from 14th to 20th January 2013.
