Kikkerland at ICFF 2015

Sat, May 16 - Tue, May 19  2015

Kikkerland presents Bed Bath & Beyond design project products submissions at the ICFF During the 2015 ICFF, Kikkerland will be exhibiting select students’ designs from the Kikkerland x Bed Bath & Beyond Design Project. This marks Kikkerland’s seventh design challenge and the first one to partner with a retailer. Fifteen student submissions will be on display including the Roast Suckling Pig Pencil Sharpener, the Façade Hanging Storage, and the Puddle Tray –to collect water from rain and snow boots– in the shape of a puddle.

About the Competition

In Summer 2014 Kikkerland partnered with Bed Bath & Beyond to launch a challenge to design an innovative storage and organization product, with the goal to give student designers a platform to present their product ideas and a chance to see them come to life. The students were tasked to design a solution for a more enjoyable college living space, appeal to the Bed Bath & Beyond consumer and include Kikkerland’s signature fun and wittiness. Kikkerland invited industrial design students (who better to design for a dorm room than those presently living in one?) from Cranbook Academy of Art, Rochester Institute of Technology and School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The students were guided by their professors during a 6 to 8 week class and at the end the jury–composed of the design and buying team at Bed Bath & Beyond; Kikkerland’s founder, Jan van der Lande; Jan Habraken, designer and owner of FormNation; and Alissia Melka-Teichroew designer and owner of ByAMT–reviewed the final prototype to select the Production and Academic winners. The People’s Choice winner was decided by online voting among Kikkerland and Bed Bath & Beyond customers.

“We’re committed to innovative design and developing new and imaginative design ideas for the home. It was our pleasure to partner with Kikkerland, RIT, Cranbrook and SAIC on this design venture engaging emerging, young design talent,” says Barbara Weston Director of Product Design & Trend Bed Bath & Beyond. “It was a wonderfully difficult challenge that yielded more products at a higher caliber than anticipated.”

Kikkerland’s founder, Jan van der Lande, notes, “We were so pleasantly surprised by the wide variety of designs, from quirky to smart, small to extra large. The winning designs stood out by their simplicity, beauty and the user’s ability to immediately understand the use.”

The Winners

Bed Bath & Beyond buying team selected several products that they intend to buy and have Kikkerland produce for Back to School 2015: Festive Storage Flags by Alice Gong which brings a sense of celebratory fun into the typical living space with the new addition of storage. Each individual flag doubles as a pouch for holding household belongings. The six flags are made of ripstop nylon and strung on a thin cotton rope.

The Wheel by Linda Deng, a playful earring organizer that is kinetic and allows for easy access storage for earring studs. Its rotational movement adds a sense of spontaneity to the daily morning routine. The Iconic Hanger by Keenan Rowe which offers a playful take on hanging clothes using the busts of various dignitaries (George Washington, Barack Obama and The Queen).

Wall Pockets by Audrey Kirk are denim pockets that stick onto the wall to cleverly hold small items from reading glasses to keys, pens to post-its. They work well in multiples to decoratively hold items over the desk or on the door. Wall Pockets are The People’s Choice winner and are going into production.

About Kikkerland

Kikkerland Design (kikkerland.com) was founded by Dutchman Jan van der Lande, who launched the label in 1992 from a houseboat anchored in the Hudson River, delivering orders by bicycle for the first few years. Looking for well-designed products laced with humor, a poetic twist and a clever distortion of everyday language, van der Lande has represented young, self-producing designers since 1987. Today, Kikkerland adds 150 new items to its catalog every six months—averaging out to a remarkable one product per day. The wide-ranging collection offers everything from kitchen and bar products, stationery and tech accessories to games, tools and tabletop items for living space and the bath. These objects are witty, aiming to engage and inspire the curious viewer while embracing innovative technologies and wide-ranging materials, including natural materials like beechwood, bamboo, beeswax and soy, as well as solar power. Kikkerland Design flagship store in located on 493 Sixth Ave, New York, NY 10011.

About Bed Bath & Beyond

Bed Bath & Beyond is a national retail chain that specializes in the Home Furnishings categories. Publicly listed in 1993, Bed Bath & Beyond has grown to over 1000 stores that serve all 50 states plus Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico. Bed Bath & Beyond values innovative design and specializes in new products that help people find solutions to everyday problems in their homes, closets, kitchens, garages and dorm rooms.