Freedom is proud to introduce the Next Generation Design Competition in collaboration with LCI Melbourne design college.
Australia has a rich design culture that draws from our storied past, our love of open spaces and endless skies, and our relaxed way of living. Freedom is deeply proud to be an advocate for Australia’s unique design aesthetic and to have the opportunity to support our vibrant creative community.
Freedom is committed to raising up talented young Australian designers and artists through programs such as the Next Generation Design Competition. Successful applicants in the Competition are given the opportunity to gain valuable industry experience with Freedom’s team and see their designs retailed nationally in Freedom stores.
Students at LCI Melbourne were invited to submit designs fitting an open brief, from original art to product designs. Applying students were able to meet with senior Freedom designers over three sessions to receive guidance on their projects and refine their concepts. The student’s final designs were reviewed in person by Freedom’s CEO, Blaine Callard, along with the Head of Design and Head of Homewares.
From ten outstanding finalists, three students were selected as winners of the Next Generation Design Competition; Sam Bryant, Rebecca Edwards and Claire Martin.
Mixed media artist Sam also won the opportunity to be nationally retailed after his painted artworks of Port Phillip Bay impressed Freedom’s CEO Blaine Callard. ‘Hazy Bay’ is deeply inspired by the sandstone and composition of Port Phillip Bay, near where Sam grew up. He shares his hope for viewers, “I want someone to feel calm, happy and at peace. It might remind them of some memories from when they were younger.”
Freedom flew Sam to Sydney where he performed a live painting session during a Freedom media event. Freedom also purchased ‘Hazy Bay’, launching in stores nation-wide in 2023.
An experimental textile artist, Rebecca Edwards caught the eye of Freedom with a beautiful, organic print range created from eucalyptus leaves foraged from Victoria’s Werribee River. The chance to share her prints was deeply memorable for Rebecca.
“What made it special was that the works I used were from my final collection for LCI. I’d found my art style, and it felt good to have someone look at it who wasn’t just my teacher and say, ‘This is something beautiful’,” she says.
Freedom purchased one of Rebecca’s prints and developed it as a cushion cover titled ‘Cecelia’ to be sold in stores across Australia.
A digital designer with a background in interior design and floristry, Claire Martin impressed Freedom with a range of gift boxes. The judging process “was one of the most powerful, encouraging and beautiful moments of my life. The whole environment felt very supportive.”
Claire was offered a three-month internship at Freedom’s head office, spending four weeks each with Freedom’s Design, Visual Merchandising and Marketing teams. Reflecting on her experience, Claire says, “It was a really beautiful process, because I got to see the whole cycle of a product from when it begins as a trend in Design, to VM, and then to being photographed and marketed.”
At the end of her internship, Claire was offered a full-time position at Freedom and has taken the lead on a major project to redesign Freedom’s packaging range for homewares.
The Next Generation Design Competition has been a truly transformative experience for all three LCI students. “I’m not really a commercial artist,” Sam admits. But following his success in the competition, Sam has begun to explore new directions and commercial opportunities in his art with the confidence gained from his experience with Freedom. “It gave me so much more confidence as an artist, to talk more confidently about myself and try to sell myself.” Rebecca has also felt encouraged to share her art more widely. “It’s made me more motivated to apply to galleries, also to keep making things,” she says. For Claire, her time with Freedom has been personally significant., “This opportunity has had an immense impact for me. Freedom’s mentorship and being given permission to explore so many things, give input on lots of projects and develop skills that I’d only touched on previously was just incredible.” Freedom is delighted to have supported three of Australia’s future leading artists and designers through the Next Generation Design Competition. ‘Cecelia’ by Rebecca Edwards and ‘Hazy Bay’ by Sam Bryant are available now exclusively in Freedom stores and online.