Royal wedding dress among longlist for Designs of the Year

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he Design Museum has announced the longlist for the fifth annual Designs of the Year awards, with fashion house, Alexander McQueen receiving two nominations. The 2012 longlist features an eclectic mix of designs including the

Olympic Torch 2012, a wind-propelled landmine detonator, as well as the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, and the fashion house’s retrospective, Savage Beauty at The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum has been recognised.
 
Other nominees in the fashion category include London Fashion Week designer Mary Katrantzou’s and Céline’s autumn/winter 2011 collections; Suno’s spring/summer 2011, which showcased at New York Fashion Week; Vivienne Westwood’s Ethical Fashion Africa collection; and Melissa’s collaboration with Gaetano Pesce.
 
Industry experts have nominated innovative and engaging designs across seven categories: architecture, digital, fashion, furniture, graphics, product and transport. From this comprehensive list of nominations, a yet-to-be-announced jury will select the seven category winners and an overall winner, which will be announced at an Awards Night held at the Design Museum on April 24.
 
Exhibition curator Ria Hawthorn comments, “From the everyday practicality of a carefully crafted dining chair to the thought-provoking solar powered 3D printing machine that points to the future, this year’s nominees reflect the diversity of design in all its forms, showcasing designs that will have an impact on our everyday and future lives.”
 
All of the nominations, except the Duchess’ wedding dress, will be on show at the Designs of the Year exhibition at the Design Museum from February 8 – July 15.