The USD 15,000 first prize in the 2006 Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition has been won by UK-based designers Tomek Rygalik and Jorre van Ast for their glass, Inverted, which places the stem ab…
The USD 15,000 first prize in the 2006 Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Competition has been won by UK-based designers Tomek Rygalik and Jorre van Ast for their glass, Inverted, which places the stem above the bowl to create a new, elegant drinking experience for the martini cocktail. The international final was part of the 2006 edition of Milan Design Week, the largest design event in the world. A panel of high profile international designers assembled to judge the global final, including Ron Arad, Dror Benshetrit, Lena Bergstrom, Nadja Swarovski and Patricia Urquiola. Guests including international designers, media and the 26 global finalists, gathered for the final judging of the glasses, which were displayed at the Bombay Sapphire Designer Glass Exhibition, a celebration of martini cocktail culture at Superstudio Piu in Milan. Hong Kong designer Or Wai Kit was awarded the runner-up prize of USD 2,500 for his glass Dragon Claw. Over the last year, thousands of up-and-coming designers from around the world have designed and created martini cocktail glasses inspired by Bombay Sapphire and the 26 finalists in Milan represented Belgium, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and USA. The Bombay Sapphire brand has been a strong supporter of design over the years; designers such as Karim Rashid, Marcel Wanders, Eva Zeisel and Dakota Jackson have all created their own interpretation of the ultimate martini cocktail glass inspired by Bombay Sapphire and these glasses have been extensively featured in global press advertising for the brand.