Rimowa Publicizes 2d Version of German Design Prize – WWD

BERLIN — German luxurious baggage maker Rimowa is gearing up for the second one version of its annual design prize.

The logo’s terminating ambition for the Rimowa Design Prize, which is geared toward design scholars in its house nation and which had its inaugural prize-giving terminating Would possibly, is for it to turn out to be synonymous with the most productive of younger German design, Rimowa govt officer Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert defined.

“We want to become leading actors in German design,” he informed WWD in an unique interview. The corporate would really like up-and-coming abilities from everywhere in the nation to look getting into the competition nearly as a part of their curriculum, he added.

“It’s something that is already starting to happen,” Bonnet-Masimbert mentioned. “We’ve nearly doubled the number of universities and schools taking part in the prize. And that is very rewarding.”

Fifteen colleges and universities have been concerned within the first version of the prize. This version will see 30 collaborating from far and wide the rustic, together with from Berlin, Hamburg, Essen, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe and Trier.

The competition, which asks for cutting edge interpretations of the theme of mobility, runs from December to Would possibly 2024. At that level, seven finalists will likely be introduced, who will after proportion a prize lake of 55,000 euros.

This week’s judges come with Berlin thought pack guru Andreas Murkudis; the Vitra Design Museum’s head of assortment and archive, Susanne Graner, and the top of design control for sports-car taste at Porsche, Matthias Kulla. The jury contributors ultimately additionally paintings with, and business as mentors to, the coed finalists. Rimowa chairman Alexandre Arnault and Bonnet-Masimbert also are honorary contributors of the jury.

“It’s a very broad panel, one that truly represents the diversity of German design,” Bonnet-Masimbert enthused.

For the scholars themselves, it’s truthful to mention that the prize cash is useful, the Rimowa govt mentioned when requested how terminating week’s prizewinners have been faring.

“And they all say that the visibility that it [the prize] gets them is career-changing, even at the student stage,” he endured. “But above all, it is the contact with the mentors that’s been invaluable. To be exposed to that level of mentorship as a student is just fantastic.”

As for what the logo itself will get out of the competition, Rimowa — prized for its grooved aluminum curler suitcases — isn’t making plans to make use of the younger prizewinners or snap up their concepts for its personal worth. As Bonnet-Masimbert has prior to now mentioned, the entire challenge is extra about giving again.

Obviously sponsoring a competition like this in Germany will increase emblem consciousness for Rimowa. However Bonnet-Masimbert says there’s extra to it than that, even for him for my part.

“It’s super enriching for the brand as a whole because it creates conditions that fuel our own creativity,” he defined. “We also involve our own creative teams early on in the selections process so it becomes a global kind of process for the company.”

“And personally I find it very captivating to be in touch with these 20- to 22-year-old creatives,” he famous. “It really forces us out of our generational comfort zones. Usually, as a brand, you’re so deeply into your own brand life. So to suddenly move from talking to clients to talking to design teachers and students, there’s a fair amount of — well, it’s not discomfort — but newness. There’s tremendous richness to this whole exercise,” he concluded.