The Journey To MOLLY: Winning The Prestigious A' Design Award

After months of nervous waiting, I am glad to share that Molly can now be addressed as an award-winning brand! Of 46,222 submissions, The Gemini Rebirth proudly holds 1 of 3 winning spots in the 2019-2020 Footwear, Shoes and Boots Design Award Category for The A' Design Award Competition.

It is the world's largest design contest that is juried by over 200 academics, design professionals and press members. The globally recognized award honours best designs and design projects while advertising and communicating these designs to buyers, distributors and media platforms.

Winning the A’ Design Award holds numerous benefits and privileges to awarded winners such as a physical exhibition of designs, free sales listings and inclusion on various trade networks, proof of creation services and guaranteed publication through IDNN and DXGN Networks to 100+ magazines. Designers will also be automatically indexed in The World Design And Best Designers Ranking.

I submitted my design on September 30, 2019. In an interview with Editor Frank Scott from DesignPRWire on my awarded design I mention my unintentional discovery of the A’ Design Competition 2 years before I ever had this design thought out. I had recently registered my brand and was in search of a shoe show or exhibition to attend when I clicked on the competition’s web page. Even though I did not have any projects I felt were “competition-worthy”, I knew that I would eventually be submitting one of my designs. I eventually made the decision to nominate The Gemini Rebirth after re-visiting the benefits of the reputable award.

My main challenges had little to do with the application process and more to do with the fear of my design not being "good enough". As the first time sharing my designs with a large panel of accredited critiques, I could not help but overly assess my design and wonder if The Gemini Rebirth would resonate with a larger group of individuals.

I definitely feel hopeful and re-ignited to produce more unique and innovative concepts after winning the A' Design Award. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the creation of this project has motivated me to explore more interchangeable footwear as I continue to develop my craft. More than anything, it is an honour to be recognized and appreciated for my footwear designs. Feel free to read my other interviews with Editor Frank Scott about my brand and experience as a designer on the A' Design Award website.

As always, it has been a pleasure sharing this great milestone with you!
I can only hope to share many more as I continue to grow creatively.

Until next time!

Molly.