Fulden Topaloglu Receives the Silver A' Design Award for Ege Rug Collection in Furniture Design

Fulden Topaloglu recognized for furniture design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Ege Rug Collection by Fulden Topaloglu, designed for Studio Kali, has been granted the Silver A' Design Award in the Furniture Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

About the Silver A' Design Award

The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.

Regarding Ege Rug Collection

Ege is a series of kilims reflecting an admiration for the visual and emotional expressiveness of the sea surface, with its fluid movements, and hues of color reflections that create a relaxing effect on the human psyche. Taking its inspiration from the blue Aegean Sea, the collection reinterprets centuries old craft traditions of Anatolian kilim weaving with a modern, contemporary and sensual design approach. Handwoven by Anatolian weavers using 100% sheep wool, Ege collection aims to bring the Aegean spirit full of sea, wind, sand and nature to the interior space.

About Fulden Topaloglu

Fulden Topaloglu is an engineer turned designer who has worked as a designer and design manager for renowned brands in the Turkish market, carrying out projects for companies from different industrial sectors, like furniture, accessories, home textiles, packaging, jewelry, food and houseware. In 2018, she established her design studio, named Studio Kali, where she channels her passion and experience towards providing design services, as well as building a meaningful and inspirational brand for living spaces with Studio Kali’s product collection.

Award Record

This recognition makes Fulden Topaloglu a winner of 2 A' Design Awards. The awards were granted between the 2019 - 2020 and the 2020 - 2021 editions of the A' Design Award & Competition.

About the A' Furniture Design Award

The A' Furniture Design Award is an international furniture competition recognizing good furniture designs by best furniture designers worldwide. It is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to furniture designers, product designers, industrial design studios and furniture brands from all countries. Typical entries include chairs, tables, sofas, beds, cabinets and shelves. The awarded furniture designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/furniture

About A' Design Award & Competition

Organized annually since 2008, A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The philanthropic mission of the A' Design Award is to advance society through good design, by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Nominations are peer reviewed and evaluated anonymously by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. Eligible laureates receive the A' Design Prize, which includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, uploading a work and receiving a preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. More information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/120206
A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/120206
Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!120206
Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/267423
Further Information from the Laureate: https://studiokali.com.tr/

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project: Ege Rug Collection
Function: Rug Collection
Category: Furniture Design
Discipline: Industrial Design
Industry: Furniture & Home
Colors: Black, Dark Slate Gray, Dim Gray, Slate Gray and Gainsboro
Images: 5
Client: Studio Kali

The Recognition

Laureate: Fulden Topaloglu
Country: Turkiye
Recognition: Silver A' Design Award
Edition: 2020 - 2021
Design ID: #120206

Design Details

Unique Properties: Ege is a series of kilim rugs that merge the sensibilities of centuries old craft traditions of Anatolian kilim weaving with a modern, artisanal and sensual design approach. Inspired by cultural craft traditions and the beautiful Aegean sea, Ege collection establishes a contemporary expression at the intersection of design, craft and art. Handwoven by Anatolian weavers using 100% sheep wool, Ege collection aims to bring the Aegean spirit full of sea, wind, sand and nature to the interior space.
Inspiration: There are 2 major sources of inspiration behind the Ege Collection, the Agean Sea and the centuries old craft traditions of Anatolian kilim weaving. The kilim rugs in the collection reflect an admiration for the visual and emotional expressiveness of the sea surface, with its fluid movements, and hues of color reflections that create a relaxing effect on the human psyche. Having blue Aegean Sea as its muse, the name for this kilim rug series is Ege, the Turkish name for Aegean.
Research: A through research was carried out regarding traditional Anatolian kilim weaving techniques, as well as finishing techniques used in kilim rugs. Anatolian villages were visited to meet with the weavers, in order to observe and learn more about various weaving techniques. For the design stage, many photographs of the sea surface were taken and were translated into abstract patterns representing the sea surface. Many variations were experimented with before finalizing the designs.
Challenge: There were several challenges throughout the project like making sure the weaving is carried out with the exact shapes, colors and specifications. Each weaver has his/her own style and slight differences in weaving approach so the major challenge was to make sure the design is realized as intended, while giving room for the individuality of the weavers. This makes every single kilim rug truly unique and one of a kind.
Realization and Technology: The kilim rugs are handwoven by skilled Anatolian weavers from the Aegean region in their own homes, following ancient techniques of kilim rug weaving. The material is 100% Anatolian sheep wool, which is colored using vegetable-based dyes. The design and production process support the sustainability of craft traditions, as well as respecting nature through natural dying processes.
Operation and Interaction: Ege collection aims to bring inspiration, joy and a feeling of coastal nature into interiors. They can be customized in dimensions and colors according to user needs and wishes; and can be placed on floors or walls. The natural material of sheep wool combined with the flatweave technique gives warmth in cold days while keeping the space cool in warm days. The antibacterial and antimicrobial properties of wool inhibit the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria also making the kilims anti-odor.
Project Duration and Location: The project began in Spring 2018 and the first kilims were produced in Autumn 2018. Since then many kilims have been woven in different colors and sizes. A kilim rug takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks to make including handweaving, shaping, washing and finishing. The design stage is carried out in Istanbul, Turkey and the weaving is carried out throughout Anatolian villages of the Aegean region. Ege Collection received EDIDA - Elle Decoration International Design Awards in Turkey in 2020.
Specifications: 100 % Anatolian sheep wool. Standard sizes 120-180 cm 150-200 cm and 180-240 cm. Kilim weaving technique (Flatweave technique). Can be custom sized and colored.
Keywords: handmade rug, handwoven, kilim rug, wool, natural