The 2025 Vivid Emerging Designer Awards were announced on 16 July at Decor & Design in Melbourne. The awards, curated by Latitude Group, are the longest running design competition in Australia, now in its third decade, and celebrates the work of emerging and early career designers in furniture, lighting and object.
“This year’s Vivid finalists have demonstrated a remarkable blend of social consciousness, material innovation and imaginative thinking. Their work embodies a commitment to sustainability and longevity, while also embracing playfulness, optimism and a high level of design resolution. It’s a powerful reminder that the future of Australian design is not only responsible and forward-looking but also deeply creative and full of promise,” said Cassie Hansen, Vivid judge and editor of InteriorsAu.
From more than 60 finalists, the judges selected winners and commendations across eight categories.
The Judge’s Choice Award went to Maryam Modhadam for her piece “Gnawing [Knowing]” an ashtray that invited conversation and reflection, embodying “the paradox between message and function, a cautionary object that also enables the very behaviour it critiques.”
“This object stands out as a deeply thought-provoking object—one that confronts the viewer with the contradiction at the heart of its function. The jury was struck by its ability to distill complex human behaviours into a single, visceral form—holding space for discomfort, reflection, and conversation. It’s a compelling example of how design can embody tension without offering resolution, and in doing so, leave a lasting impact,” said Hansen.
The 2025 jury consisted of: Cassie Hansen (InteriorsAu), Anne-Maree Sergeant (Authentic Design Alliance), Andrea Lucena-Orr (Dulux), Georgina Greenland (Design Institute of Australia), Rosa Coy (Coy Yiontis), Ruby Shields (Ruby Shields Design), Lucy Bishop (Redacted), Suzanne McNeice (Circa), Byron George (Russell and George), Mark Bailey (Thirteen Architectural Timber), John Bastiras (In Good Company) and Filip Bjazevic (Latitude Group).
The winners are:
Judges Choice
Gnawing [Knowing] (Maryam Moghadam)
Furniture Design
Winner:
Folding chair (Jacob de Dassel)
Commendations:
Key Stool (Jordan Conlan )
Knitted Chair (Curtis Bloxsidge)
Lighting Design
Winner:
Kukeri Floor Lamp (Curtis Bloxsidge)
Commendations:
Pipeflute box (Carl Broesen )
In search of a limit (James Sulaiman)
Object Design
Winner:
Ridl (Lucy Callahan)
Commendation:
Fractured Earth (Miranda Burgess)
Concept Design
Winner:
UV Colour Changing Drink Bottle (Azzurra Zappacosta)
Commendations:
Vault (Jay Turno, Leigh Shapiro Ellis, Caleb Cummins, Mungo Moje-O’Brien)
Kkokio (Gloria Kim)
Colour Award
Winner:
UV Colour Changing Drink Bottle (Azzurra Zappacosta)
Commendation:
Aeon Fox (Freddy Mata)
Student Design
Winner:
Where two oceans meet (Savannah Kelly)
Commendations:
Canopy Lamp (Lachlan Willix)
Augi (Lenie Chin)
Authentic Design Alliance (ADA) Award of Merit
Folding chair (Jacob de Dassel)
To see all the finalists’ work, head to the Decor and Design website.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
