Estonian design awards honour three products and Ivo Nikkolo

Three products and fashion designer Ivo Nikkolo received top honours at the Estonian Design Awards gala on Friday. The Bruno product design awards were presented at Põhjala Factory, ERR reported.

Stella Runnel and Henna Hintsanen won the lifestyle product design category for a cellulose-fibre tote bag. The jury praised its material and construction, which make efficient use of the material. Runnel said it was the first fully vegan alternative in the Stella Soomlais brand’s range. The bag is designed from a single sheet of material to reduce production waste.

Eneli Siimon’s Koma seat won in the living environment design category. The jury said its form allows people to sit in different positions and use it in different ways. Siimon said she considered efficient use of space and circular economy principles; the seat is made using secondary industrial by-product materials.

Balteco’s design team won the engineering product design category for Steambot, a steam generator created by Harri Ehrlich and Andres Uuetoa. The jury highlighted its minimalist form and ability to fit into different rooms. Designed for home use, the device is mounted on a shower wall and can be controlled by smartphone, including to set temperature and operating time. It also has integrated lighting and can be connected to custom-sized shower and steam-room solutions.

The Bruno lifetime achievement award went to Ivo Nikkolo. He began working as an Estonian fashion designer in the 1980s and set up his own company in the early 1990s. The Ivo Nikkolo brand, founded in 1994, was among Estonia’s first design brands with a distinctive authorial style.

Disainiöö organiser Ilona Gurjanova said this year’s winners showed how innovation, ease of use and quality can come together in sustainable design. She said sustainability was a natural part of the winning products’ considered design.

An international jury selected the Bruno award winners from 67 entries. Its members were Luke Pearson and Terry McStea of the United Kingdom, Jaume Domenech of Germany, Isabelle Vérilhac of France and Margot Vaaderpass of Estonia.

Other works received honourable mentions, including the Sole-mate leather bags by Anna Chirkova, the Sunlit jewellery series by Kairi Lentsius and the Silen Space Gen 2 quiet room. The Bruno public vote went to a modular wearable visibility system.