Winners of INDEX Student Challenge receive the iconic Natuzzi Sound Chair
Natuzzi, a luxury Italian furniture brand, and partner of the INDEX Exhibition 2011, announced the winners of the Student Design Challenge 2011 that was held at this year's INDEX event. Launched at the Natuzzi showroom during a design professionals networking event, the campaign invited young designers to a design challenge and a chance to redesign the iconic Natuzzi Sound Chair. The winning team will benefit from an internship program with Natuzzi to gain insight and product knowledge of this Italian brand. Natuzzi will offer the winning team of the INDEX Student Challenge complete creative freedom to explore and unleash their creativity to remodel the Natuzzi Sound Chair. The campaign aims to unite young professionals in the design industry who will have the opportunity to work with the world's largest furniture brand creating a platform that stretches beyond the exhibition halls to the city of Dubai. Supporting the "Dubai Cares Girls' Education Campaign 2011", all the sales proceeds from the campaign will go towards programs that empower girls in developing countries by addressing gender imbalances in primary education in their communities.
"Natuzzi has always been a brand that explores creativity and pushes the boundaries of contemporary design. This partnership is in line with the brand's philosophy and it allows us to nurture young creative minds. Having this store as a venue to promote talent and education is an encouraging experience and one that we will continue to support. I hope to see these young minds either as our team members or even our clients" said Mr. Mikdad Bhabrawala, General Manager, Natuzzi .
The Natuzzi Iconic Sound chair is an embodiment of relaxation and hi-fi and brings entertainment to a new dimension; easy listening is now plugged into your seat. The Natuzzi Sound Chair is designed with built-in loudspeakers that can be connected to mp3 players or any other mini-jack plugged entertainment device and with an easy function.
Highlighting the significance of the "Dubai Cares Girls' Education Campaign 2011", Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer of the UAE-based philanthropic organization, said, "Studies have shown that girls who receive an education have a better chance of getting a job and gaining income, have better access and understanding of the required daily nutrition and sanitation, are better equipped to prevent illnesses and fight abuse, and are able to pass on their education to their own children and eventually the community at large. However, almost 42 million girls globally do not go to school and are missing out on an opportunity to improve their lives."
"Our campaign aims to raise awareness of the plight of these girls and mobilize the UAE community to help change the lives of girls in developing countries by donating towards Dubai Cares programs that focus on girls' education. This partnership with Natuzzi will help us bring quality primary education to a larger number of girls globally." added Al Gurg.
"We are delighted to have one of Italy's largest furniture companies partner with us for the INDEX Student Challenge 2011. The winning team will have the honour and challenge of redesigning Natuzzi's Sound Chair as a signature piece. This is an important platform for young designers and we hope that this important collaboration between INDEX and Natuzzi will continue for the 2012 event and beyond" said Paula Al Chami, Event Director for the INDEX Exhibition.
The stunning re-designed creation of the Sound Chair will be showcased in Natuzzi's store on Sheikh Zayed Road and the sale proceeds of the piece will go to Dubai Cares in support of their international campaign "Education for Children". Natuzzi has committed to donate a portion of revenue between November to December 2011 to Dubai Cares as part of their CSR commitment to the region.
Note
Designed by Giancarlo Bosio, the iconic store in Dubai is the largest Natuzzi store in the world; it embodies the Natuzzi spirit of class and subtle style. The Natuzzi group was founded in 1959 by Pasquale Natuzzi, current Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Group Stylist and it designs, produces and markets sofas, armchairs and living room accessories. The group is the largest Italian furniture company with 662 outlets and 6,807 employees worldwide, it boasts presence in more than 125 countries including the prominent international cities like Athens, Rome, Milan, London, Paris, Madrid, Copenhagen, New York, Sidney, Shanghai, Budapest, Melbourne, and Zurich. Natuzzi partners with Selfridges (UK), Sears Roebuck (Canada), Bloomingdales (USA), David Jones (AUS) and Cuir Center (France) for galleries. A brand that is synonymous with Italian quality and style, Natuzzi is vertically integrated and produces 80% of the product in-house via their various factories within Italy. The brand embodies a spirit of style, innovation, class and quality. Their state-of-the-art stores around the world offer a special shopping experience to their customers.
