CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS AND HIGHLY COMMENDED OF GIFT OF THE YEAR 2009 WELL DONE.
Made in the UK products shine for quality and design.
Gift of the Year: a triumph!
British designers of gift and home products have again proved why they are so respected around the world, according to Isabel Martinson, chief executive of The Giftware Association. Judges of this year’s Gift of the Year competition praised the quality of entries when they met at The GA’s Birmingham headquarters to choose 2009’s winning and highly commended products. There were special bouquets for those Made in the UK.
Julie Goucher, director of buying for au naturale/Ethel Austin, said of this category: “It’s now commercial and there are some very good things in there at reasonable price points – and in these challenging times that has to be of prime importance.”
She applauded “some very good innovation” in the different product groupings and added: “There are quite a few things I have earmarked to follow up. I always like looking at the Under £10 category [won by Interplay UK] and I think that has been really good.”
Her fellow judge, Isabel Saiz, business development manager for The National Gallery, said that she was also “very impressed” with Made in the UK, which she described as “far and away the strongest category”.
“It has gone more from homespun, ‘crafty’ to be ahead of many other products – the quality, the finish, the packaging and the effort in design … that is very encouraging.” She had also seen a huge increase in licensed product, with “more unusual brands represented”.
Retailer Kirsten Linton, owner of Cornucopia, had noticed a “lot of good things made in Britain”, and commented: “I have been judging this competition for a number of years and I think it’s very, very good this year. There are a lot of very interesting and innovative new products.” Her particular favourite was the Marmite Pop Art range by ecp design, which won the Kitchen & Dining category.
Store owner Brian Wiseman, of Present Time, said: “Last year’s standard was very good and this year’s is markedly better – which I think is very encouraging at a time when, perhaps, we might have expected innovation and product development to be falling. “I have seen some innovative products, but mostly good design – things that have really caught my eye. Not necessarily brand new ideas, but re-interpreted and beautifully presented. That’s what keeps this industry alive.”
