Press Release
Nana Watanabe Receives the Bronze A' Design Award for Shrimps Earrings in Jewelry Design
The international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition recognizes Nana Watanabe for jewelry design
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Jewelry Design category for Shrimps Earrings by Nana Watanabe. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Bronze A' Design Award Means
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Shrimps Earrings
A paper pattern is created, and the design is programmed into a computer for embroidery. After embroidering on organza fabric, it is heat cut and folded like origami to form a three dimensional shape. The piece is lightweight yet maintains a sturdy structure, ensuring it retains its shape during storage and wear. The careful selection of materials and expert craftsmanship recreate the natural texture and movement of a shrimp, with particular attention to details such as the eggs in the abdomen. The use of gradient dyed rayon thread captures the enchanting beauty of marine life.
About Nana Watanabe
NANA WATANABE is a Japan-based jewelry designer creating sculptural embroidered jewelry inspired by nature and an imaginary paradise. Using lightweight textile techniques, her work combines art and fashion while emphasizing sustainability through the use of recycled materials. Her unique approach transforms thread and fabric into three-dimensional forms, offering a new perspective on contemporary jewelry. Her works have gained international recognition and have been exhibited in cities such as New York, Milan, and London. Through her practice, she explores the relationship between nature, material, and imagination, creating pieces that bring a sense of wonder and individuality to the wearer.
Award Record
Nana Watanabe is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.
About the A' Jewelry Design Award
The A' Jewelry Design Award is an international jewelry design competition recognizing good jewelry designs by best jewelry designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to jewelry designers, jewelry brands, jewelers and goldsmiths from all countries. Entries typically include rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and pendants. Awarded jewelry designs are published at https://desingers.org/design-category/jewelry
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://desingers.org/161878
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/161878
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!161878
- Laureate Profile: https://desingers.org/d/355567
- Further Information from the Laureate: Https://arroarro.com/
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Shrimps Earrings
- Function
- Earrings
- Category
- Jewelry Design
- Discipline
- Fashion Design
- Industry
- Luxury and Fashion
- Colors
- White Smoke, Gainsboro, Light Gray, Rosy Brown and Silver
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Nana Watanabe
- Country
- Japan
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #161878
Credits
- Image Credits
- Photographer Sayuka Tanaka, Shrimps earrings, 2024.; Photographer Terukazu Sugino, Shrimps earrings, 2024.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- This design uses flat embroidered organza fabric, cut and folded to create a three-dimensional shrimp effect. Intricate folds, like origami, form the pattern. The design includes translucent eggs visible on the shrimp's abdomen. The structure incorporates air, making it much lighter than it appears. These unique features combine traditional embroidery with innovative folding methods to achieve a distinctive and delicate aesthetic.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration for this project came from the intricate beauty of marine life, specifically shrimp. I was motivated by the challenge of capturing the delicate and translucent nature of shrimp using traditional embroidery techniques. The design also incorporates elements of origami, adding a unique structural dimension. Research into marine biology and textile manipulation provided the foundation for creating a piece that is both visually striking and technically innovative.
- Research
- This project is a process of trial and error to design earrings with unique beauty and durability. Various materials and patterns were created, and models of different sizes were tested to find the optimal combination. Prototypes were shown to friends to gather feedback, which helped finalize the design. Through this process, it was learned that patterns and structure significantly impact the durability and beauty of the design. This design combines humor, artistry, and comfort.
- Challenge
- The hardest part of this design was combining the delicacy of organza with the durability of rayon embroidery. Overcoming the challenge of bonding organza involved adding rayon stitches, achieved through extensive prototyping. The project considered historical and modern jewelry techniques, eco-friendly materials, and local production possibilities. Balancing artistic vision with practical constraints required significant research and innovation.
- Realization and Technology
- My design features embroidery with rayon thread on organza, using machine embroidery. I created a pattern by hand and made a paper model. After several trials, I digitized the design on a computer. The factory then embroidered the fabric, which was heat-cut and assembled with adhesive and hand sewing. Bonding the organza was challenging, but rayon stitches resolved this. Extensive embroidery ensures the soft fabric maintains its shape.
- Operation and Interaction
- These earrings are very lightweight despite their size, making them comfortable to wear. They combine the softness of organza with the durability of rayon embroidery, ensuring the shape stays intact even with the soft material. The transparency of the earrings brightens the face, and their artistic design brings joy to the wearer. This design offers a delicate and glamorous touch that sets it apart from other earrings.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project started in September 2022 in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, and was completed in December 2022.
- Specifications
- Dimensions: Approximately 5cm x 8.5cm x 3cm Weight: Approximately 3g Package: Comes in a luxurious gift box. Technical Properties: The organza's transparency and rayon embroidery provide both lightness and durability. Extensive embroidery ensures that the soft fabric maintains its shape.
- Keywords
- Art, jewelry, earrings, lightweight, embroidery, sustainable, contemporary, costume jewelry, Wearable art
