DCOTA to Salute Stars of Design

Jan. 6, 2009 - PRLog -- Dania Beach, Fla. – Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) will presented the 4th annual “Stars of Design,” one of Florida’s most prestigious and coveted design industry awards.  This year’s awards will be presented the first evening of the DCOTA 2009 WINTERMARKET, on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm in Atrium C. A champagne toast and gala reception in honor of the award recipients will be held to acknowledge and celebrate the momentous achievement immediately following the ceremony.

Established more than a decade ago in Los Angeles at Pacific Design Center, the Stars of Design Awards honor professionals who have attained distinguished recognition in various fields of design.  Honorees are highly regarded for their significant accomplishments and contributions to their professions.

Since that time Charles Cohen has introduced the awards at all of his Design Centers to acknowledge talent nationwide, at the D&D in New York, the DCOTA in Florida, and the DHC in Houston.  2009 marks the fourth year for the awards ceremony in Florida.

The DCOTA Stars of Design have been selected by a distinguished design panel of renowned professionals and members of the national, regional and south Florida media. The 2009 Stars of Design will be awarded to those who are distinguished in their careers and well respected by their community in the design categories of interior design, architecture, photography, graphic design, art and lifetime achievement.

DCOTA 2009 Stars of Design  

Andres Ferrandis, Art

Andres Ferrandis studied art at the Universities of La Laguna and Seville.  While completing his last year of studies, he had his first solo exhibition and the opportunity to be shown at ARCO in Madrid.  Ferrandis has shown his art in numerous solo shows and art fairs within United States, Europe and Latin America. He has also been invited to participate in different collective exhibitions around the world.

Kenneth J. Hirsch, Arch Hirsch Architects, Inc., Architecture

Kenneth Jay Hirsch founded Hirsch Architects, Inc. in 1976.  Since that time, Hirsch has been instrumental in the shaping, influencing and enhancing of the architectural aesthetics of Boca Raton and other communities in South Florida. Coupling imaginative and flexible design of dynamic spaces with management proficiency and technical compliance, he has forged a reputation for delivering outstanding projects in a timely manner, with sensitivity to costs.



Paul Jacober, Paul Jacober & Associates, Graphic Design

A 1993 graduate of Pepperdine University’s School of Journalism, in Malibu, California, Paul Jacober’s career has spanned the worlds of publishing and conceptual design. Paul first landed in New York City, where he held various writing and administrative positions for a diverse range of publications, from The Jersey Journal to Museums New York Magazine. Most notable was his time spent at Vibe magazine, under the helm of editor Jonathon Van Meter.

Still, Paul found himself growing restless to express his talents in the areas of concept and design. He moved on to Miami Beach, a place that he felt would offer him greater creative outlets to pursue. It wasn’t long before his work was noticed. After brief stints he ventured out on his own to open Jacober & Associates, a full-service concept and design shop.

In 2006, Jacober + Associates started producing a line of t-shirts, sold in stores throughout Miami, and subsequently they have been featured on the cover of Latin Superstar Luis Fonsi’s greatest hits CD, spotlighted in a front page feature story in the Miami Herald, and on a fashion segment on Deco Drive.


Charles Allem, Principal, CAD International, Interior Design

Charles Allem began his work in interior design more than 30 years ago, apprenticing for the top interior designers of the time; by the age of 20 he was running one of the premier design studios in South Africa.  He established his first interior design company in 1988, cultivating it into its current format, CAD International, Inc., a cutting edge, internationally renowned interior design firm.

As a measure of his success and design expertise, Charles Allem’s designs have been featured numerous times in dozens of publications throughout the world including Architectural Digest, Robb Report, New York Spaces, House and Garden, Habitat, Hip Hollywood Homes, and The New York Times.  Charles Allem has also been named as one of Architectural Digest’s top 100 and Robb Report’s top 40 of the world’s most gifted interior designers.


Troy Campbell, Troy Campbell Photography, Photography

Troy Campbell is a Miami native who has been shooting interiors and architecture for more than twelve years. He attended the European studies program at the American College in Paris before graduating from Florida International University with a degree in advertising. Soon after graduating, Troy decided to take his passion for photography seriously he then picked up a camera and has never looked back.

Today his creative eye and technical ability have him booked on shoots around the world. Recently his photography has been featured on the covers of Florida Design, Coastal Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Florida Inside Out, Home & Design and the book Spectacular Homes of South Florida.
   
Carlton Varney, Interior Designer, Lifetime Achievement
Carlton Varney, one of America’s best known interior designers, is associated with the restoration and decoration of countless hotels and resorts all over the world.
His versatility in design can be seen in the wide range of products that bear his mark, ranging from furniture, lamps, dinner-ware, crystal, and linen designs. His own line of fabric designs, launched under the name Carleton Varney by the yard, grace the private residences of his impressive roster of clients which include superstars from the worlds of entertainment, fashion and business.   He is the president of Dorothy Draper & Co. Inc. (New York) the oldest established interior design firm in the United States, named after the founder of the company who was one of the doyennes of interior design from the 1920’s to the 1960’s and who was honored by the Museum of the City of New York last year in a very successful retrospective exhibition of her work.
Carleton Varney’s design philosophy stresses the use of bright colors and the rejection of all that is impractical, uncomfortable and drab. In embracing this practice, he continues the tradition of Dorothy Draper by being associated with the imaginative use of vibrant colors, floral patterns and bold contrasts – a legacy that is reflected, no only in his interior designs, but also, most notably, in his fabric and scarf designs.
DCOTA is located at 1855 Griffin Road, Dania Beach. For additional information, please call (954) 920-7997

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