Philippe Starck as Special Guest Judge for Alessi Design Awards

The Alessi Design Awards, together with Vogue Living Australia, is giving both Emerging and Established designers the chance to make their dreams a reality. Entries have official closed, and those who submitted in time, will be considered for the incredible prize of flying to Milan to present their big idea to Alessi's in-house team. The really exciting part? Living legend and design icon Philippe Starck is joining the judging panel this year! Designers will have the chance to have their designs reviewed, admired, and commented on by one of the industry's leading men.

Starck's exceptional reputation as an architect and industrial designer has seen him collaborate with Alessi many times throughout his career. Perhaps his most iconic design, the Juicy Salif citrus squeezer, was designed as part of the Project Solferino, a working group between Alessi and Francois Burkhardt from the Centre de Creation Industrielle at the Beabourg in Paris. The design encompassed everything Alessi is about - it was functional, controversial and took a humble kitchen item and turned it into a staple design object. It has since become one of Alessi's best selling products.

"He is a living example of my dream: design, real design, is always highly charged with innovation towards the word of manufacturing trade, bringing results that need no longer be justified solely on a technological or balance sheet level"

- Alberto Alessi speaking to Starck's talent

Alongside Starck is an impressive list of Australian designers who have also collaborated with Alessi. Soon, we will find another two designers to join the ranks through the Alessi Design Awards. Watch this space! As we announce the finalists and work with them to produce the absolute best prototype to take to Milan. We can't wait to see what our Australian designers, both emerging and established, have been cooking up.