UPDATE 4/23/08:

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!

Blissliving Home and Lan e-Mag are thrilled to announce the winner of our Global Design Competition. Wang Ying Ying’s interpretation of Blissliving Home’s Autumn Chic trend, a romantic and elusive story for fall, has been awarded first place at the awards gala held at the J.W. Marriott hotel in Beijing on April 17.

Wang Ying Ying, who currently resides in Beijing, was ecstatic to be the first place winner and to attend the awards ceremony. “I am delighted to be given this opportunity to display my work in the public. I am so thankful to Lan e-Mag and Blissliving Home.” Her design, which she has named “Ko Bo Ya”, is a creation of fluffy and tousled florals in a color story denoting the coming of fall.

“Wang Ying Ying’s design is a superb interpretation of our Autumn Chic trend”, stated Blissliving Home creator Mei Xu. “The design is drawing from nature and fashion with a wonderful feminine attitude and hints of masculinity. Wang Ying Ying’s work is innovative, fashion-forward, and unique - yet very saleable. I foresee a bright future for Wang Ying Ying in this fascinating industry.”

The second place was awarded to Qiang Xiao Ning, an arts student from Xi An. The third place winner is Malgorzata Ewa Czuchraj, a designer from Poland. All three winners were delighted to attend the awards gala at Beijing’s J.W. Marriott Hotel.

Mei Xu, host of the ceremony and driving force behind the Lan-Blissliving Home Global Design Competition, was thrilled with the interest the competition has generated in the U.S., China and around the globe. “The high number of submissions and the outstanding quality of the designs we received far exceeded our boldest expectations. The high level of participation highlights the importance of design in our industry. Design has the power to convert utilitarian products into objects of desire. Only through design can brands make their product stand out. We were pleased to see how many talented designers are out there, and how committed they are to their work.”

The awards gala was attended by members of the Chinese media including Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Modern Weekly, Elle Décor, Cosmo, Woman’s Day and many more, industry influentials such as designer Wu Haiyan and Lan e-Mag Editor in Chief Zhu Yun, and business leaders such as Robert Poole, VP of the US-China-Business Council and Wang Hanjiang, President of the China Chamber of Commerce.

Mei Xu and the Blissliving Home and Lan e-Mag team congratulate the winners, and wish all participants the best of luck for their future success.

UPDATE 4/8/08:

ANNOUNCING THE TOP THREE FINALISTS OF THE LAN-BLISSLIVING HOME GLOBAL DESIGN COMPTITION!

Lan e-Mag and Blissliving Home are delighted to announce the top three finalists of the Lan-Blissliving Home Global Design Competition - Malgorzata Ewa Czuchraj, Qiang Xiao Ning, and Wang Ying Ying.

All three designers have been notified of their current status and are thrilled to attend our awards gala at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Beijing on Thursday, April 17 for the unveiling of the names of the first place, second place, and third place winners.

The awards ceremony will be hosted by Blissliving Home creator Mei Xu, and will also be attended by the Lan-Blissliving Home Global Design Competition panel of judges, industry influentials, and members of print and electronic media and television.

Malgorzata Ewa Czuchraj, one of the top three finalists, will fly in from her native Poland. When we interviewed her about her design inspirations, Malgorzata stated “I observe the world and think how I can make it more beautiful, extraordinary, and unique. Inspiration might come from a shape or color; it can come from anything that catches my eye. What satisfies me most is to see people being exposed to beauty, art, and design and to see how it makes them happy”.

Qiang Xiao Ning from Xi An, China and Wang Ying Ying from Beijing, China will also join us for the awards gala on April 17.

Quiang Xiao Ning is currently a student at Shanxi Technology University where he is pursuing a Maters of Arts in Design. Qiang Xiao Ning’s designs have been publicly recognized in the past; he has won the third prize in a furniture design contest in 2003.

Wang Ying Ying holds a degree from the Luxun Academy of Fine Art, and is currently working for a weaving company where she is in charge of textile-, carpet- and rug design.

Lan e-Mag and Blissliving Home salute all top three finalists and wishes them good luck for the awards gala.

A huge “thank you” also to everyone who has participated in our online voting and has contributed to determine the top three finalists of the Lan-Blissliving Home Global Design Competition.

UPDATE 2/25/08:

AND THE FINALISTS ARE...

The Lan & Blissliving Home Global Design Competition officially ended on February 10, 2008. The Blissliving Home team would like to thank all of the participants for making our first Global Design Competition such an exciting and successful event!

More than 650 budding designers from all corners of the globe registered for the competition. These countries include Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Macedonia, Malaysia, Philippines, Poland, Serbia, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the USA. Close to 100 designs were finally submitted, as up-and-coming design talents were competing to break into the fascinating world of interior lifestyle products.

The submissions for the design of a new, complete Blissliving Home bedding ensemble, interpreting a romantic and elusive Autumn Chic trend, were outstanding in originality, creativity and style.

After two weeks of careful review and deliberation, Blissliving Home's in house design team, headed by Blissliving Home creator and CEO Mei Xu, has selected ten finalists!

Introducing the top ten finalists!

• Ms. Duraton Hannani Amir
• Age 26
  
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Currently a Fashion Graphic Designer

• Ms. Malgorzata Ewa Czuchraj
• Age 32
• Krakow, Poland
• Currently a Designer

• Ms. Huang Jieqiong
• Hangzhou, China
• Currently a Designer

• Ms. Hu Qian Qian
• Age 23
• Hangzhou, China
• Currently a college student

• Ms. Yang Shang Yu
• Age 23
• Hangzhou, China
• Currently a college student
  

• Ms. Wang Mei
• Age 32
• China

• Ms. Wang Ying Ying
• Age 28
• Beijing, China
• Currently a Designer

• Ms. Hu Mei Rong
• Age 25
• Wu Xi, China
• Currently a college student

• Ms. Li Zhuoxuan
• Age 21
• Beijing, China
• Currently a college student

• Mr. Qiang Xiao Ning
• Age 30
• Xi An, China

The Blissliving Home team would like to know which of the ten selected designs are your personal favorites! You are invited to pick your favotire Autumn Chic bedding ensemble and cast your vote. Polls are open from Thursday, February 28th to Tuesday, March 15th. Click here to cast your vote via our Chinese web site.

Your votes will play and important part in the selection of the top 3 designs - which will be announced on Monday, March 24th via Blissliving Home's US and China web sites.

The names of the designers of the first place, second place and third place creations will finally be revealed in April, date and details tbd - stay tuned!

LAN & BLISSLIVING HOME GLOBAL DESIGN COMPETITION

Dazzle the Interior Lifestyle World and Jumpstart Your Design Career in Home Lifestyle Products.

UPDATE 12/13/07:

1. The deadline for all submissions has been extended to February 10, 2008 (previously Jan 20, 2008).
2. The awards ceremony had been scheduled for April 18, 2008. The awards ceremony will take place in Beijing, China - venue to be determined.

Blissliving Home has joined forces with Lan e-Mag and the Chinese Academy of Arts in search of the next design talent for home lifestyle products. If you are dreaming of breaking into the fascinating world of interior lifestyle, do not miss the chance of entering the Lan - Blissliving Home Global Lifestyle Competition where the innovative and creative ideas of young designers will be celebrated.

Three budding designers will score an once-in-a-lifetime journey to our dazzling awards gala in Beijing where they will meet with industry influentials and design experts. Find your name in the news and see your design be produced, featured and sold within Blissliving Home’s fall/winter 2008 collection! You may also have the opportunity to visit Blissliving Home’s state-of-the-art design and sourcing centers in Shanghai and Hangzhou, China – your chance to gain priceless insight into the world of interior lifestyle design.

Competition Goals and Objectives
The goal of the competition is to select an original design for a new, complete ensemble for Blissliving Home. The winning design will be produced, featured, and sold within Blissliving Home’s Fall 2008 collection available through Blissliving Home’s online boutique, catalog business, worldwide retail partners and our 40+ boutique stores in Asia.

The Autumn Chic Design Challenge
Upon registration on Blissliving Home’s web site you will receive a confirmation e-mail with the complete design direction - including a link to download the official “visual” design brief, color
palette and design templates.

You are challenged to create an original design for a new bedding ensemble including the following components:

• 1 duvet set (1 duvet cover and 2 pillow shams)
• 1 sheet set (1 fitted sheet, 1 flat sheet, and 2 pillow cases)
• Decorative pillows (3-6 pillows)

Blissliving Home is asking designers to interpret an Autumn Chic aesthetic telling a romantic and elusive story. Autumn is chic with inspiration from both nature and fashion, with a delicate combination of pastoral landscapes and ladylike trends in ready-to-wear with the gentle juxtaposition of masculinity created by modern lines and construction details. Its color inspiration is based on soft cosmetic colors. Our story is sweetly feminine yet clean and modern with a warm and cozy palette for the crisp fall season. Autumn Chic puts a twist on the classic autumn color palette, yet emits a timeless attitude in its subtle hues.

The design of the duvet set must incorporate a depiction of modern botanicals or nature inspired imagery. The additional components which complete the bedding ensemble must “complete the look” by complimenting the design of the duvet set.

Key Words/Phrases:
Romantic, Elusive, Pastoral, Feminine, Ladylike, Cosmetic Colors, Cozy, Warm, Delicate, Timeless, Twist on a Classic Fall Color Palette.

Color Palette
All colors are in PMS (Pantone Matching System) format specifically formulated for textiles. The Pantone color matching system is known worldwide among the design community and is the standard language of color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to consumer. To obtain an exact match to each color in our Autumn Chic color palette, please reference a PMS textile color book. These books can be purchased via the Pantone website, pantone.com, or can usually be referenced in larger state libraries. The colors will also be featured in various publications during the competition (namely Lan’s e-magazine), and can also be matched to the publication printouts. Additional printed publications will be announced via the Blissliving Home website as they become available.

Please note: The competition acknowledges that it may be difficult for all competitors to locate a PMS reference book. It is not required to obtain an exact match, however the winning design must represent our Autumn Chic color palette in close range.

Technical Parameters
Duvet Set and Sheet Set must be designed within the PDF templates provided (via the registration confirmation e-mail) and to the exact dimensions provided within the template. Keep in mind that the winning duvet set will be produced using a base fabric of 300 thread count cotton sateen, and must be washable.
Decorative Pillows must be designed within the PDF template provided (via the registration confirmation e-mail), are open to interpretation and can be dry clean.

Competitor Materials
Beginning Monday, October 29, the following information will be sent to all entrants who register for the competition via Blissliving Home’s online registration form.

• Design Brief and Color Palette
• Downloadable templates and bed sketch

Prizes

First Prize
The first place winner will receive a 14-day trip to China, where he/she will attend the award ceremony in Beijing, visit Blissliving Home’s state-of-the-art Design & Sourcing Center in Shanghai and manufacturing facilities in Hangzhou. The prize includes international and domestic airfares, room and board, meals, and entertainment. The first prize winner will also receive a signature Blissliving Home duvet set.

Second Prize
The second place winner will receive a 7-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai, where he/she winner will attend the award ceremony and visit Blissliving Home’s state of the art Design & Sourcing Center in Shanghai. International airfares, room and board, meals, and entertainment are included. The second prize winner will also receive a signature Blissliving Home duvet set.

Third Prize
The third place winner will receive a 4-day trip to Beijing where he/she will attend the award ceremony. Airfare, room and board, meals, and entertainment will be covered. The third prize winner will also receive a signature Blissliving Home duvet set.

Finalists
Seven finalists will receive a signature Blissliving Home duvet set.

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

ELIGIBILITY
The Lan – Blissliving Home Global Design Competition is an international contest. It is open to all except for Blissliving Home employees, Blissliving Home resellers or members of their households. Participants must register at Blissliving Home’s US web site www.blisslivinghome.com or on Blissliving Home’s China web site www.blissliving.com.cn in order to enter contest or to win prizes.

ENTRIES
The Lan – Blissliving Home Global Design Competition will accept only one submission per participant, no group entries will be considered at the risk of risk elimination. The entire submission must be an original design.

Participants can register on Blissliving Home’s US web site and China web site starting October 29, 2007.

In order to register, participants will have to accept the official contest rules and the terms and conditions. Upon completing registration (including accepting official contest rules and the terms and conditions), participants will receive a confirmation email. The confirmation email will contain links to download the complete design brief including templates and design specifications.

The confirmation email will also contain directions on how and what materials to submit via email to designcompetition@blisslivinghome.com.

• A multiple page PDF document consisting of all components in template format as well as completed 3-D rendered bed-sketch.
• All designs at full size in either Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop file formats. Photoshop documents and any images used within Illustrator document must be at least 150 dpi at full size.

JUDGING
Submissions will be judged by a panel consisting of Blissliving Home and Lan e-Magazine management representatives, design experts, photographers and home fashion editors.

Winning entries will be chosen on the basis of

• Design, creativity and technical innovation
• The communications of brand-right designs (must reflect Blissliving Home’s mission of “a global touch for the modern home”)
• Salability of competitor’s design to the Blissliving Home customer.

WINNERS
Prizes will be awarded to first place, second place, and third place winners, and seven additional finalists. Descriptions of prizes are available on Blissliving Home’s web sites.

Prizes cannot be substituted or redeemed for cash except at the Blissliving Home’s sole discretion. Blissliving Home reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value if a prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason. Winners are responsible for all taxes, fees, and duties with respect to prizes, if applicable. Winners reserve the right to refuse any prize. Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible registrations.
Winners will be determined on or before March 15, 2008. Winners will be announced via Blissliving Home’s web sites and through our media partners and will be contacted within two weeks of the announcement. A formal award ceremony will take place in Beijing, China on or before March 31, 2008 April 18, 2008.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Blissliving Home is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, including that caused by participants, or by any technical or human error that may occur in the processing of submissions in the contest.

All materials provided at Blissliving Home’s web sites and concerning this contest are provided “As-Is” and without any warranties of any kind, including warranties of merchantiblity, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

In no event shall Blissliving Home be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, or loss of profits, incurred by participants or any third party, whether based on warranty or in contract, tort, or other legal theory, and whether or not advised of the possibilities of such damages, arising from participants access to or use of Blissliving Home’s websites, participation in this contest, electronic or computer malfunctions, even if Blissliving Home has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

CONSTRUCTION
All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Contest Rules, or the rights and obligations of any participant, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland (USA), without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules or provisions. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the invalidity or unenforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.

This contest is void where prohibited by law.

SPONSORS
The Lan – Blissliving Home Global Design Competition is sponsored by Blissliving Home, Lan e-Mag, and the Chinese Academy of Art.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. Participant warrants that submitted designs will not infringe the copyrights or any other rights owned by third parties.
2. Participant warrants he/she will indemnify and hold harmless Blissliving Home against liability should any third party claim that the use of the materials by Blissliving Home violates any right of such third party to the material.
3. Upon entering the competition, participant agrees to grant Blissliving Home the right to display, publish, and print the submitted designs for the use of promotional activities related to the competition before, during, and after the competition.
4. In the event that participant’s designs are selected for grand prize, second place prize, or third place prize, participant agrees that copyright and any other proprietary rights participant may have in the designs shall be owned exclusively by Blissliving Home. In event that participant’s designs wins grand price, second place, or third place, participant assigns all copyright and other proprietary rights he/she may have in such designs, and further releases to Blissliving Home all such ownership rights, if any, he/she may have in the designs.
5. Blissliving Home reserves the right to make discretionary edits to creative designs selected for grand prize, second place, or third place for production and publication purposes.
6. This Terms and Conditions form will be deemed as an Agreement between participant and Blissliving Home once accepted by participant.
7. This Agreement can be modified only by a writing signed by participant and Blissliving Home. This Agreement shall be interpreted under the laws of Maryland.