Couture names 2014 Design Award winners

The addition of two new categories, Innovative and Haute Couture, brought the total number of judged categories in the Couture Design Awards to 12.Las Vegas--The judges in this year’s Couture Design Awards had an unenviable, but not undesirable, task: they had to choose the winners among a field of amazing entries in a contest that grew by two categories since last year.

Speaking at the start of the Couture Design Awards ceremony, held Saturday night in Las Vegas, show Director Gannon Brousseau remarked on the quality of this year’s entries and expressed his admiration for the artistry of the designers who comprise Couture.

“From the conception of an idea to a finished work of art, your creative process is what distinguishes you as true artists. And your presence at Couture is what makes this show like no other in the world,” he said.

In the end, the five judges--Alex Sepkus, Amanda Weiner of Harper’s Bazaar, Candy Udell, Joanne Teichman of Ylang 23 and jewelry historian Vivienne Becker--narrowed the field of hundreds to just 36 designs, a winner and first and second runner-up in each of the 12 categories. In addition, retailers picked their favorites, casting ballots throughout the show for the People’s Choice award.

While there were two designers--Tomasz Donocik, who is part of Stephen Webster’s Rock Vault, and Alp Sagnak of Atelier Minyon--who took home two awards apiece last year, no one designer won more than one category this year.

Sagnak’s silver snake collar necklace, however, did notch him second runner-up in the Haute Couture category, which was a new category this year along with Innovative. The New York-based designer was a runner-up for the People’s Choice Award as well.

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Webster also had a solid year, winning first runner-up in the Colored Gems Above $20,000 category and having a design by another one of his Rock Vault designers, Fernando Jorge, selected as a winner.

Following presentation of the awards on Saturday night, the Couture community honored two other individuals, one a recently deceased designer and the other a retailer.

Brousseau led the crowd in a moment of silence for the late Robin Roteiner, who died at his home in New York City on May 20.

The evening then concluded with the emotional presentation of this year’s Human Spirit Award to Jim Rosenheim, owner of Tiny Jewel