Awards 2007

The Henry van de Velde Career Award 2007 goes to Anita Evenepoel.
Anita Evenepoel’s creations focus on the body and experimentation. This was already true with her free fabric art works in the late 1970s, it was confirmed with her jewellery in the 1980s, and it is the reason why she started making theatre costumes and theatre decorations and why she was asked to design an outfit for pop star Paula Abdul.
Aside from jewellery and theatre costumes, fashion is her great passion. She started out with a very strong artisanal approach to sewing, but she later developed a great interest in the industrial aspect of the trade. “I still like the artisanal aspect, but nowadays it is difficult to maintain this position in terms of business and content”, she once said. Naturally, for her fashion creations she always looks for very special materials, preferably with an innovative industrial origin. This quickly found its expression in a line of accessories and jackets, which were initially made by hand and later industrially, in the latter case by Pret a Partir (until 2006). She used ultrasound, laser, and computer cutting machines to produce a realistic but very progressive line of fashion items.
Anita Evenepoel has always been a seeker. She wants to cross over boundaries by mastering new materials, but in a friendly, functional manner. The result is a rich and highly varied career in which innovation, questioning and searching are the central themes.
(from: J. Valcke, Anita Evenepoel, in the Henry van de Velde Awards 2007 catalogue).

The Henry van de Velde Young Talent Award 2007 goes this year to Linde Hermans. The talented Linder Hermans (born 1974) has quickly accumulated a enviable list of honours.
Already during her studies in product design at the Catholic University of Limburg in Genk, she completed work study terms at trend watcher Ei Edelkoort in Paris (1995) and Jorge Pensi in Barcelona (1997). Her final project in the same year won the Limburg Provincial Prize for Applied Arts, and 2000 she won the Design Prize of the City of Mechelen with her Chaise Longue. As a young designer, she also attracted the attention of several companies: Consino (Chaise Longue), Walco Pottery in Bornem (designs for glass vases, pots and bowls), Wolters (Crucial street furniture), and Vlaemsch() (Jigsaw side table).
Since 2007, Linde has been presenting a collection on her own under the name Rode Schoentjes. It is based on using natural materials, a hand-crafted character, uniting functionality and aesthetics, and individuality as an alternative to mass production
She often reuses existing industrial products, which she subtly transforms into other sorts of functional products. Her strength lies in the combination of a remarkable affinity for crafts with an unexpectedly industrial mentality.
(from: I. Vranken, Linde Hermans, in the Henry van de Velde Awards 2007 catalogue).

The Henry van de Velde Company Award 2007 goes this year to Durlet. From the very start in May 1966, design has been the basic premise of the family-owned company Durlet. The company’s decision to specialise in design chairs was unconventional and certainly not obvious at the time. The design roots can be seen at many levels. Durlet is one of five remaining companies that have loyally contributed to Interieur since 1968.
Durlet proves that design and tradition are not mutually contradictory. The chairs are still made in the original factory, but Durlet radically opts for innovative forms, new materials and products, strong presentation, and a well-established brand name. Some examples of this are the Link from KDV / Louis Vermeersch and the mvsloungechair from Maarten Van Severen. The chairs are still custom-made for individual customers to produce modern, user-friendly, ergonomic, high-quality, and nicely finished seating furniture.
(from: B. Luyssaert, Durlet, in the Henry van de Velde Awards 2007 catalogue).

The Henry van de Velde Public Award 2006 goes to Nedda El-Asmar for her HTS cutlery for Hermès. This award demonstrates that the designation “Designer of the Year” awarded by Weekend Knack, Interieur and Weekend Le Viff/L’Express is endorsed by a large number of people who are enormously enchanted by her ingenious design language.

The Henry van de Velde Award Public 2007 is chosen out of the Henry van de Velde Labels 2007. The public can vote for their favourite object during the exhibition in the Design Flanders Gallery. The Award is worth a trophy and a sum of 2.500,00 euro.

The winners of the Henry van de Velde Labels 2007 have been selected by a jury of experts specially assembled for this purpose, consisting of Hilde Bouchez (design critic and design theorist), Leen Creve (journalist, Weekend-Knack), Colette Demil (editor-in-chief, Decors), Klara Desmedt (manager, Designcentrum De Winkelhaak), Linda Raets (managing director, Surplus), Wouter Ulburghs (consultant, OVAM), Johan Valcke (director, Design Flanders), Dieter Van den Storm (freelance journalist and project coordinator, Interieur 08), and Guy Vermeirsch (managing director, ’t Huis van Oordeghem). In two rounds of judging, they selected 11 label winners from around 150 submissions.

The quality labels are awarded to:
- Appetize (fork and spoon set), by Nedda El-Asmar for Gense/Eternum
- A{R}MOR (outdoor lighting) by Rotor Group for Modular Lighting Instruments
- Babel (Bookcase) by Hans De Pelsmacker
- BeyondSnow Strap-In (Snowboard binding) by Peter Van Riet for Beyond Products NV
- Boa (Metro trainset) by Enthoven Associates for MIVB-STIB
- Bryce (Radiator) by Frederik Aerts/Wim Segers for Vasco
- Dunes (Floor covering) by Bart Goderis for B.I.C. Carpets
- Ensemble (Street furniture) by Roel Vandebeek for Wolters
- Flexity Outlook (Tram for Brussels) by Enthoven Associates for Bombardier Transportation
- Full Contact (Storage container) by JH De Groote and D Backaert for Tupperware
- Narghile (Water pipe) by Nedda El-Asmar for Airdiem


The recipients of the Henry van de Velde Awards 2007 in the Career, Young Talent and Company categories are selected by the Design Expert Group, chaired by Jan Van Broeckhoven. The recipient of the Henry van de Velde Public Award 2006 is selected by the visitors to the exhibition in the Design Flanders Gallery, which is why it is always issued with a one-year delay.