The new IF material awards 2008 winners were announced!

The three IF Golden Material Awards are Westerland by Bree, the Pure facemask by Rovi, and a mobile by LG. Read more of the products and the jury report.

Westerland | Leisure and Travel Luggage
Company: BREE Collection GmbH & Co. KG, Isernhagen, Germany

"Functionality, a pleasing design and superb materials are the hallmarks of the Westerland bag produced by the BREE company. In particularly the ruggedness and water-resistance of this piece of luggage make it a reliable and lightweight travel companion which will win you over on the basis of its great carrying comfort," reported the jury. The playful suggestion of East Frisian mink and the translation of the material into a contemporary, coated cotton fabric gained the admiration of the experts.

Ravelin Facemask | Ballistic Protection Equipment
Company: ROFI Industrier as, Molde, Norway

"Due to the sophisticated application and processing of this material this face protector offers a particularly high degree of safety. Thanks to this new ‘PURE® Composite' material the weight of the mask has been reduced to 500g, only 50% of that required for polycarbonate, making it considerably more comfortable to wear. The visor has been placed close to the eyes for superior protection and minimal visual distortion; it is also scratch-resistant and easy to replace. Besides being attractive to look at, this mask is well-designed and the workmanship perfect," concluded the jury.

„Shine" in Wood | Mobil Telephone
Company: LG Electronics Inc., Seoul/South Korea

This mobile phone with a "woody" look won over the jury on the basis of its special materials combination, i.e. the application of "curl-fit" technology to stainless steel. In the words of the jury: "The phone's tactile smoothness, well-laid out keyboard and the designers' courage in applying an unusual material for this type of product all indicate that new and experimental options are indeed out there, even for mobile phones." The jurors added that the product was "a must-have in the new materials mix".

The jurors:
Simone de Waart (Material Sense / Loods 5 Eindhoven)
Friederike Plock-Girmann (Head of the Design Lifestyle and Performance departments in the field of Research and Development at Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg)
Stefan Diez (Stefan Diez designer, Munich)