Collab

🎉Today, we celebrate the radical imagination of Italian designer and architect Gaetano Pesce (November 8, 1939 – April 3, 2024), Collab’s 2005 Design Excellence Award honoree and one of the most boundary-pushing figures in 20th- and 21st-century design.

Known for his bold use of color, form, and material, Pesce refused to separate art from design or emotion from function. From his iconic Up chair series to his irreverent resin furniture, Pesce’s work championed imperfection, individuality, and the human touch.

“I’d like to see more human feelings, less abstraction, less being neutral. I would like to see the human touch… more personal stories in design, architecture and objects.”

Trained under Carlo Scarpa and Ernesto Rogers at the University of Venice, Pesce went on to influence generations of architects and designers across the globe. His work is held in the collections of MoMA, the Met, the V&A, and Centre Pompidou, and his vision continues to shape the conversation on what design can be.

📸: Courtesy of https://www.nytimes.com/

Today, we honor Zaha Hadid (October 31, 1950 – March 31, 2016), our 2011 Design Excellence Award honoree and a true force in contemporary architecture.

The first woman and first Muslim to receive the Pritzker Prize (2004), Hadid was known for her bold, futuristic forms marked by curves, fragmentation, and layered perspectives that defied architectural conventions.

Born in Baghdad and trained in mathematics in Beirut, she went on to study at the Architectural Association in London, where she became part of a generation that would redefine the field. Her career bridged practice and academia, with teaching roles at institutions like Harvard, UIC, and Hamburg’s Hochschule für bildende Künste.

From the one-north master plan in Singapore to museums, bridges, and towers around the world, Hadid showed us that architecture could be visionary and unapologetically expressive.

📸: Courtesy of https://www.zaha-hadid.com/

🎉 Happy Birthday, Marc Newson (born October 20, 1963)

Today we celebrate Marc Newson, our 2013 Design Excellence Award honoree and one of the most influential designers of his generation.

From furniture and fashion to jets and jewelry, Newson’s work spans industries, but his signature style is unmistakable: fluid geometry, organic curves, and futuristic elegance. His iconic Lockheed Lounge holds the record for the highest auction price ever paid for the work of a living designer.

Described by Jony Ive as “fairly peerless now,” Newson continues to shape how we live, move, and experience the designed world.

📸: Courtesy of https://www.forbes.com.au/

🚨 One Month Left!

The 2025 Collab Student Design Competition is open, and submissions are due Friday, November 7.

This year’s challenge, inspired by our 2025 Design Excellence Award honoree Sebastian Errazuriz, asks university-level design students to create a sideboard, console, or cabinet that reflects his thought-provoking, boundary-pushing approach.

👉 Designs should be functional, provoke thought, and even spark a little humor, echoing Errazuriz’s unique blend of art, design, and technology.

💰 Prizes: $800, $500, $300 + Honorable Mentions
🏆 Winners also receive a one-year PMA membership
📅 Feedback session with judges: November 12

Full details + submissions via CaFÉ: https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=15416