The Etsy Design Awards winners 2015!

Ok, so they come as no surprise to me seeing as I was one of the judges, but I’m delighted to finally be able to share with you the winners of this year’s Etsy Design Awards! They’re an impressive bunch and what amazing ambassadors for Etsy!

And the winners are (drumroll please)…

Art, Illustration & Papergoods: Liz Payne, Flirting with Yellow

Fashion & Accessories: Sarah van Oosterom, Sarah van Oosterom

Home & Living: Gwyneth and Dave Hulse, Gwyneth Hulse Design

New Talent: James Howe, Vos Kho Baby

Business as Unusual: Grace Wood, Grace Wood Design Studio

Community Choice: Sonia Singh, Tree Change Dolls

Representing some of the best of Etsy’s creative community across Australia and New Zealand, this year’s Etsy Design Award winners impressed us judges and the public with their sophisticated designs, ingenuity and commitment to craftsmanship. The winners have secured a host of prizes designed to help them grow their businesses and profile including a feature in Inside Out magazine.

The New Talent and Community Choice winners James Howe and Sonia Singh, will also be embarking on a once in a lifetime trip to Etsy’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York. According to James (voskhobaby.etsy.com), the creative validation the Etsy Design Awards has provided is as valuable as the prizes offered. “The prize is amazing, of course, and I’m really grateful for the boost it will no doubt give my design career. But most of all, as an emerging furniture designer, it’s wonderful for my work to have some external validation. Making the change table, I spent so many hours winding on Danish cord that by the time I’d finished I had honestly lost all insight into whether it looked good or not! So for my work to be noticed by such a high calibre judging panel is great,” he said.

Business as Unusual winner Grace Wood (gracewooddesigns.etsy.com) agrees: “Winning an Etsy Design Award is an incredible achievement and milestone for me. I started my little business with nothing other than passion for my craft and a lot of hope that the public would like my products! I never would have dreamed that a year and a half later I would be receiving such an accolade from a company I admire so greatly, that has supported me so much right from the beginning, and given me every opportunity to showcase and promote my products.”

Etsy’s managing director Australia and Asia, Helen Souness, said she was once again astonished by the breadth of creative talent displayed by the 2015 Etsy Design Award winners. “As this year’s winners highlight so brilliantly, the talent in Etsy’s Australian and New Zealand community and the quality of the goods they design, make and curate is remarkable. We’re thrilled to be able to once again showcase some of the best of the Etsy seller community through the Etsy Design Awards and to support the continued growth of their businesses on Etsy.”

This is the second year for the competition which celebrates the people and talent that make Etsy a destination for creativity and original design. The 2015 judges included myself, Inside Out’s editor in chief Claire Bradley, National Gallery of Victoria senior curator Ewan McEoin, and Etsy’s managing director Australia and Asia, Helen Souness.