Winners of the Porada International Design Award 2023

The mirror has plenty of meanings in the historical path and collective imagination. It is often related to the theme of the double, the upside-down world, beauty and divination. In 2023, the Porada International Design Award focused on this accessory, and the contest challenged designers from all over the world who shaped innovative concepts. With a prize fund of €11,000, the 11th edition was a record one thanks to 862 entries and 557 proposals (253 in the Professional category and 304 in the Student category). A huge number of projects came from Italy, but the international response was also very positive, particularly in the European countries. The winners were awarded at the Porada showroom in Milan (Via Borgospesso 18) on March 21th. During the ceremony, the brand launched the 2024 edition of the award.

Discover Porada International Design Award 2024

The first place in the Professional category went to “Brina” by Marco Ferrari. His mirror has elegant and essential shapes as well as slender, solid wood supporting columns. The model can stand alone (as a partition-separé) or as a wall element. Its functional versatility and the serial repetition of the upright elements are further relevant features.
Within the Student category, Advay Gupta (Product design student at the Istituto Marangoni in Milan) won thanks to “Capriolo”. Harmony and zoomorphic references are the main features of this project. The plain composition combines a rotating marble base and a solid wood frame. The “Capriolo” mirror fully interprets Porada’s heritage and the brand’s aim to create timeless objects out of trends.

All award-winning projects and special mentions

Professional category
1st prize (€ 3,000): “Brina” by Marco Ferrari
2nd prize (€ 2,000): “Chips” by Vincentius Aldi Masella
3rd prize (€ 1,000): “Sweep” by Lina Paola Farina
“Giacomo Allievi” special mention (€ 1,000): “Ascension” by Aktai Deniz

Student category
1st prize (€ 2,000): “Capriolo” by Advay Gupta (Istituto Marangoni Milan)
2nd prize (€ 1,200): “Sintesi” by Marco Gabatel (Brera Academy of Fine Arts)
3rd prize (€ 800): “Brunelleschi” by Andrea Sasdelli and Andrea Somaschini (Milan Polytechnic)
Special mention: “Wedge” by Jacob Zettersten

By assessing the entries, the jury took into account originality, innovation and the search for new design solutions. Typical solid wood processing, experimentation with materials and surface finishes, and the way the project anticipates innovative use scenarios and concepts added further value. In particular, jurors (listed below) paid attention to the typological, technological and morphological determinations of mirrors.

• Tiziano Allievi (CEO of Porada Arredi Srl)
• Bruno Allievi (Partner and former president of Porada)
• Roberto de Paolis (Lecturer at POLI.design)
• Perla Gianni Falvo (President of ADI Toscana)
• Virginie Friedmann and Delphine Versace (Founder of the interior design studio Friedmann&Versace)
• Delfina Cortese (Founder of the interior design studio Delfina Design)
• Ben Spriggs (Editor in Chief of Elle Décor UK)
• Aurelio Magistà (Editor-at-large of Door, Editor of Rep. Design)
• José Manuel Moreno Jiménez (Managing Director of Gunni&Trentino)