DDI Portfolio Awards Recognize the Best in Retail Design

ATLANTA, Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DDI announced the winners of the 2012 Portfolio Awards, for which readers voted to recognize the best, brightest and most innovative people, projects and companies in the retail design industry during the past year. The peer-selected winners were celebrated at the Portfolio Awards Dinner at the DDI Forum last week in Napa, Calif., and are currently featured in the September issue of DDI Magazine.

The DDI Portfolio Awards reflect the results of an annual reader survey. Featured categories include Retail Design Luminaries, Retail Design Influencers, Design Firms of the Year, Best Visual Merchandising Programs, Retailer of the Year, Best-Designed Stores of the Year and Retail Standouts.

The 2012 Retail Design Luminaries are: Aaron Spiess, co-founder, co-CEO and president, Big Red Rooster; Harry Cunningham, senior vice president, store planning, visual, Saks Fifth Avenue; and Christian Davies, executive creative director of Americas, FITCH.

The 2012 Retail Design Luminaries are:  Ray Ehscheid, senior vice president, store design and merchandising, Bank of America; Anne Kong, assistant professor, visual presentation and exhibition design department, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and partner, A+D Kong; John Bricker, principal and creative director, Gensler; Giorgio Borruso, principal, Giorgio Borruso Design; Randall Stone, senior partner and director of customer experience and retail design, Lippincott; Beven L. Bloemendaal, senior director, global creative services, Timberland; Ignaz Gorischek, vice president, store development, Neiman Marcus; Paco Underhill, CEO, Envirosell Inc.; and Linda Lombardi, vice president, global store design and visual merchandising, Godiva Chocolatier Inc.

First place for Design Firm of the Year was awarded to FITCH. Other Design Firms of the Year are: Big Red Rooster; Gensler; FRCH Design Worldwide; Dalziel & Pow; and WD Partners.

First place for Best Visual Merchandising Program was awarded to Anthropologie.  Other winners are: Louis Vuitton; Target; Eataly; and Apple. Apple was also recognized as the 2012 Retailer of the Year.

First place for Best-Designed Store of the Year was awarded to UNIQLO, Fifth Avenue, New York. Other winners are:  Joe Fresh, New York; Louis Vuitton Island Maison, Marina Bay, Singapore; CityTarget, various locations; De-cor, Pasadena, Calif.; Lord & Taylor, Ridge Hill, Yonkers, N.Y.; Walgreens, State Street, Chicago; Loblaws, Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto; New Balance, Flatiron District, New York; and Nike, Portland, Ore.

Retail Standouts in 2012 are:  REI, Puck Building, New York (Most Creative Store Design); Target (Most Innovative Retailer, Strongest Brand Image); Apple (Strongest Brand Image, Best Omnichannel Experience); Nike, Portland, Ore. (Best Green Retail Project); JCPenney (Biggest Risk Taker); and C. Wonder (Best New Retail Business).

ABOUT DDI – DDI Magazine offers solutions to help retailers and designers create dynamic, effective store environments. The magazine focuses on store design, visual merchandising, architecture, marketing and branding, with a readership of qualified high-level, in-house retail and contract design professionals. Store planners, visual merchandisers, store designers, independent architects, contract designers and consumer products manufacturers working with high-volume retail chains depend on coverage in DDI for cutting-edge trends, strategies and product applications for store design. Learn more at www.ddionline.com.

SOURCE DDI