Presented as part of the recently concluded inaugural edition of the Hyderabad Design Week, hosted by the government of Telangana in partnership with India Design Forum, the IDF Design Icon Awards recognised 8 eminent design creatives which include the likes of architect Rahul Mehrotra, fashion designers David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore, Dezeen Editor-in-chief, Marcus Fairs and a special honorary IDF Lifetime Achievement to veteran Indian designer, Rajeev Sethi.

The awards highlighted professionals and groundbreaking design practices which over a sustained period of time, have significantly contributed to the trajectory of Indian design establishing the foundations to create a robust and sustainable design community in the region. Each awardee shared a cohesive thread of having made that contribution in spearheading innovation and creativity in India, with an ongoing commitment to enhancing human experiences, interactions, systems and services through design.

These were selected by a distinguished jury that comprises of 12 eminent design professionals such as Christopher Turner (Director of Design & Architecture, V&A London), Vicky Friend (Design Consultant & Honorary RIBA Fellow), Amit Gupta (Founder, Curator, Content Director, STIR), Rajshree Pathy (Founder & Director, India Design Forum), Pradyumna Vyas (Former Director, NID Ahmedabad) among others.

The jury proficiently recognised Design Icons across seven categories namely - Architecture, Textiles and Fashion, Design Education, Global Design Influencer, Graphic and Communication Design, Product Design and Transportation Design.

IDF Design Icons

Textiles and Fashion - Abraham and Thakore

Fashion and accessory designers, David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore have time and again shown innovation in textile design, by merging Indian fashion with global contemporary counterparts. Their involvement and appreciation of material, and blending it with exceptional form and craft, reflects the true spirit of urban India, leading them to this win.

Global Design Influencer - Marcus Fairs

As a digital design journalist, Fairs was the first to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). He is well-known as the founder and editor- in-chief of the global design platform Dezeen, which receives almost three million unique visitors monthly, with India ranking as its third largest audience - a pioneering feat indeed.

Design Education - Pradyumna Vyas

Vyas is one of the foremost design educators in India with more than 36 years of professional and teaching experience across different spheres of design. As the director of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad (one of India’s pioneering design university), he has responsible for developing many of India's leading designers in product design, automotive design and architecture.

Product Design - Titan Design Excellence Centre

The Design Excellence Centre by Titan serves as the design arm of the lifestyle and accessories manufacturer company catering to the strategic design needs of the entire organisation across the categories of watches, jewellery, eyewear, and accessories.

Transportation Design - Pratap Bose

Bose has worked with Tata Motors, India’s most colossal automotive company, for almost ten years, and is now its Vice President of Global Design. Attributed for ushering in a design renaissance at the company, Bose has produced a range of automotive designs, from passenger cars to commercial vehicles, under the common umbrella of environmental conservation and sustainable urban development.

Rahul Mehrotra - Design Icon - Architecture

Architect, urban designer and global educator, Mehrotra is the principal of Mumbai-based RMA Architects. He has been responsible for projects such as a software campus for Hewlett Packard in Bengaluru, a campus for the NGO Magic Bus, led the restoration of the Chowmahalla and Falaknuma Palaces in Hyderabad, and formulated a conservation master plan for the Taj Mahal with the Taj Mahal Conservation Collaborative.

Sujata Keshavan - Design Icon - Graphic & Communication Design

Keshavan is the co-founder of the brand design firm, Ray and Keshavan. A forerunning graphic designer, she is widely acclaimed for her innovation in branding and identity

Rajeev Sethi - Lifetime Achievement Award

The evening honoured veteran Indian designer Rajeev Sethi for his vast contribution to Indian design. Praised as the country’s design guru, Sethi is highly regarded for his spectacular conduct of conveying contemporary relevance to traditional skills of artisan communities and creative professionals.

The IDF Design Icon Awards were hosted in partnership with The Park Hyderabad, Viya Home, STIR, and Absolut. The enthused evening brought a collective of diverse professionals which included architects, artists, educators, product designers, industrial and furniture designers, graphic and communication designers and many more.