NEW YORK, NY.- The Design & Crafts Council of Ireland announced that the Design Island booth has won Best Curation in the prestigious Accent on Design® Awards at NY NOW® 2017. The booth, which features a curated collection of the work of seven leading Irish designers and makers, has been wowing visitors from all 50 states and more than 80 countries worldwide since the show opened in New York on Sunday, 20th August.

Winning this award is a significant achievement for Design Ireland, a premium brand created by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland to showcase the breadth and quality of Irish design and craft to both a global and an Irish audience. NY NOW® is a renowned US trade fair and has presented a unique opportunity for these Irish brands to meet with existing customers and establish further relationships with discerning trade buyers and press attending the show.

The Accent on Design® awards program recognises product design excellence, innovation and creativity among NY NOW’s Accent on Design exhibitors, a juried collection of contemporary designers and their products currently on display until this evening, Wednesday, August 23, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Other categories include Best New Product Collection, Best Overall Collection and Best Booth Design.

For more than 30 years, Accent on Design® has been the industry’s definitive resource for design-led home and lifestyle merchandise. Presented as part of NY NOW’s HOME Collection, Accent on Design’s almost 180 brands are culled through a set of juried acceptance criteria including: originality, creativity and authentic product design; new and innovative use of materials; products which address and solve problems; consistent and continuous new product creations; a focus on contemporary design; and functionality.

“Congratulations to all of the winners for our Accent on Design Awards,” said Randi Mohr, Group Show Director, NY NOW. “The exhibitors in this section are always on the cutting edge of trend-forward design and product innovation, and this Market’s award winners shine a spotlight on what we can expect from the section in Markets to come.”

Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland said: “We are honoured to receive this prominent award for our stand at NY NOW. Winning Best Curation is a great endorsement of the Design Ireland brand’s aesthetic and the work of the team in presenting the collections of the selected designers. We look forward to seeing commercial opportunities unfold for the seven leading Irish brands presented at the show, each of which has the ambition and capability to export and a strong product offering for international buyers.”

The Design Ireland booth in Accent on Design® features seven Irish brands - Arran Street East, Avoca Woollen Mills, Bunny & Clyde, Field Apothecary, J. HILL’s Standard, STABLE of Ireland and Diem Pottery. Each of the seven brands is also featured on DesignIreland.ie, the online platform developed by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland to showcase the best of Irish design and craft and to connect audiences all over the world with Ireland’s makers, their studios and their inspiration.