The British Council Art, Architecture and Design Department has announced the 16 winners of its annual student design competition. Works by the 16 students will be exhibited in the British Council’s office in the heart of Milan during the Milan Furniture Fair. The fair, which opens on the 13th April is the world’s largest international furniture trade fair attracting an audience of international design press, furniture and product design buyers, retailers and manufacturers.

The nationwide competition was judged by Tom Dixon, Creative Director at Habitat, Sheridan Coakley, Director of London furniture retailer and manufacturer SCP and Denise Neri, General Manager of B&B Italia. Tom Dixon was particularly impressed with the quality of this year’s entries:

‘This is the fourth year I’ve judged the competition and this is the strongest batch of ideas to date. The British Council show is solidly established as a platform for a fresh graduates’ first leap into the international design business.’

The winning exhibits include:

•Pint glasses that configure in sets of three as an easy-to-carry shamrock by Yasuko Bell of Goldsmiths College

•A white “bearskin” rug from urethane rubber by Eelko Moorer from the Royal College of Art

•Decorative outdoor wallpaper that also functions as a trellis by Susan Bradley from Buckingham Chilterns University College

Since 1998, the British Council’s annual students show in Milan has launched the work of over 40 graduating British designers. Previous winners include Claire Coles, who has produced window displays for Liberty and Selfridges, Mark Cox who designs products for Flow UK and Ria Hawthorn whose winning I Spy chandelier was produced by Habitat.  

This year’s winners are as follows:

Revital Cohen, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University

James Mead, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University

Stephen Myland, Loughborough University

Callum MacSorley, Loughborough University

Roger Arquer, RCA

Yasko Bell, Goldsmith’s University

Garry Meakins, Nottingham Trent University

Susan Bradley, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University

Matthew Fern, De Montfort University

Karen Babel, Nottingham Trent University

Ben Gowshall, Manchester Metropolitan University

Alys Walton, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University

Tomek Rygalik, RCA (two pieces)

Helene Strand, Ravensbourne College

Eelko Moorer, RCA

Angela Wilson, Buckinghamshire Chilterns University

You can see the exhibition from the 13th – 17th April at the British Council Office in Via Manzoni 38. For further information, please contact Alison.moloney@britishcouncil.org. The exhibition will then open at the B&B Italia showroom at 250 Brompton Road, London, SW3 from 11 – 31 May 2005.

Also exhibited at the Milan Furniture Fair at Paul Smith's Headquarters is Great Brits - The New Alchemists, curated by the British Council and the Design Museum.