In 2009, nine finalists have been selected for the global final of the Competition held as part of the London Design Festival. Bruno, who is studying product design at the Schwäbisch Gmünd school of design near Stuttgart, was awarded the £5,000 prize for 'Liquid Sapphire', a glass design which he says was inspired by the "timeless elegance" of Bombay Sapphire and its "fusion of tradition and modernity".
The judges described the winning design as: "a very beautiful, sophisticated glass" with "the potential to be a design classic". At first sight, the glass has a simple, beautifully faceted design but hidden from view, inside the stunning exterior is the classic conical shape of the martini cocktail glass.
The first prize was presented by world renowned designer, Yves Béhar, at an awards ceremony held at the spiritual home of Bombay Sapphire, in the Bombay Sapphire Blue Room here at Vinopolis.
Guests at the awards event included international designers and the finalists who had travelled to London from around the world. Along with Yves Béhar, the judging panel included: Wallpaper* editor-at-large, Suzanne Trocmé; glass designer, Simon Moore; designer, Moritz Waldemeyer; Jeremy Langmead, editor, Esquire (UK); and cocktail expert and global ambassador for Bombay Sapphire, Merlin Griffiths.
The second prize of £3,000 was awarded to Nathan Studer of Switzerland for his 'Close Glass' described by the judges as an "adventure… intriguing and creative". The winner of the third prize of £2,000 was Ekarin Khunapinya of Thailand, who was also this year's People's Prize award winner receiving nearly 3,000 votes online from design enthusiasts around the world. Each of the winners also received a Baccarat crystal trophy.
The global finalists in London represented Brazil, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand.
