Media OutReach
DFA Awards 2025 Celebrates Stellar Lineup of Global Design Icons Launches Pioneering DFA Asian Design Vanguard
Launched in 2003, supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as the lead sponsor, the DFA Awards continues its mission to honour extraordinary individuals and projects that have made a lasting impact in Asia, recognising the industry giants whose work has fundamentally shaped our world. The 2025 awardees represent a diverse spectrum of design excellence, including Don NORMAN, DFA Lifetime Achievement Award (DFA LAA) winner; Christina ONG, DFA Design Leadership Award (DFA DLA) winner; MA Yansong, DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer (DFA WOCD) winner; André FU, DFA Designer of the Year (DFA DOY) winner; and Rahul MISHRA, DFA Asian Design Vanguard (DFA ADV) winner.
This year, the DFA Awards introduced the new accolade of the DFA Asian Design Vanguard with the aim to honour the contributions of Asian designers in any region of the world, who have strong vision to redefine global demand through design. This designer demonstrated the innovation of creativity, impacting market with significant commercial success locally and globally. Parallelly, has created cultural influence through design or cross-industry reach. To synchronise the new award programme, the trophy, designed by esteemed designer Mui KINOSHITA, features a triangular cut-out at its centre that symbolises A-D-V, dramatically frames light and shadow to create dynamic views from every angle to distinguish the Award’s eminent status.
Mr. Joseph LO, Chairman of HKDC, said, “This year’s cohort of laureates represents a powerful convergence of legacy and future-forward thinking. We see a profound depth of contribution, from Don NORMAN’s foundational theories that inspired us on how to interact with the world through design, to Christina ONG’s visionary leadership in designing global lifestyle empires that seamlessly bridge fashion, hospitality and wellness. We also celebrate the distinct design languages of MA Yansong and André FU blending the modern and cultural element to a stylish living. The inaugural DFA Asian Design Vanguard award allows us to honour a unique creative force, Rahul MISHRA, whose work is fundamentally influential and setting a new benchmark for what Asian design can connect social change and cultural preservation.”
DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 (DFA LAA)
Don NORMAN
Founding Director emeritus
Design Lab, University of California, San Diego
Don NORMAN is a visionary leader who has profoundly shaped how we interact with technology. Renowned for championing the principle that design must serve people, his work seamlessly bridges the gap between social sciences and engineering, bringing a deep human perspective to product creation. His influential career includes pivotal leadership roles in the industry, such as Vice President of Advanced Technology at Apple, Executive at Hewlett Packard, and Founding Director of the Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego, which has inspired generations of designers, engineers, and business leaders worldwide. His ideas have been so transformative that Business Week (now known as Bloomberg Businessweek) once named him one of the world’s 27 most influential designers.
NORMAN’s exceptional contributions have been recognised with numerous honours, including lifetime achievement awards from ACM (Association for Computing Machinery), and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. His ongoing global impact is reflected in his advisory roles at leading institutions like Tongji University and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
The DFA Lifetime Achievement Award 2025 celebrates Don NORMAN’s profound legacy — a career dedicated not just to humanising technology, but to empowering us all through design that is intuitive, accessible, and deeply respectful of human experience. His pioneering concepts have become the foundational lexicon for the entire field, ensuring that his principles will continue to guide the creation of meaningful technology for generations to come.
DFA Design Leadership Award 2025 (DFA DLA)
Christina ONG
Founder
COMO Group
Christina ONG is a visionary of global luxury, renowned for building an empire that seamlessly spans fashion, hospitality, and wellness. As founder of the COMO Group, her impeccable taste and astute leadership have established her as Singapore’s preeminent style icon and a powerful shaper of international lifestyle trends across five decades.
Her journey began in 1972 with Club21, a single Singapore boutique she expanded into a global network of luxury stores across Asia and beyond. Her strategic acumen drove the celebrated revival of British luxury brand Mulberry. Her transformative vision extends to hospitality, where her Group owns a collection of award-winning Asian properties including Metropolitan Bangkok, Uma Ubud in Bali, and Uma Paro in Bhutan. Central to her philosophy is COMO Shambhala, a pioneering wellness brand that integrates holistic well-being focused on balancing mind, body and spirit into each property, from urban retreats to resort sanctuaries. These achievements have earned her honours including the Italian Cavaliere del Lavoro award and the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame.
The DFA Design Leadership Award 2025 celebrates Christina ONG for masterfully curating a global lifestyle aesthetic that merges commerce with culture, and architecting complete ecosystems of luxury that empower artisans, champion wellness and set timeless standards of excellence. Her career stands as a powerful testament to how visionary leadership can redefine an industry through design and conscious enterprise.
DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2025 (DFA WOCD)
MA Yansong
Founder
MAD Architects
Beijing-born MA Yansong is synonymous with the leading voice in a new generation of architecture. His vision is to create a future where cities balance humanity, nature, and the environment through futuristic, organic designs that reflect a contemporary Eastern affinity for nature.
Notable projects that embody this philosophy include the sprawling Quzhou Sports Park, the dynamic Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, the visionary Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, and the immersive Tunnel of Light in Japan. His significant contributions have been recognised with honours such as being named to the ’20 Most Influential Young Architects’ list by ICON, a British design and architecture magazine, in 2008, receiving the RIBA International Fellowship in 2010, being selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum in 2014, and being named one of the TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2025.
The DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer 2025 honours MA Yansong for his groundbreaking contributions to architecture and urban design, celebrating his visionary approach that integrates humanistic values, the poetic essence of nature, and cutting-edge technological innovation. His work continuously reshapes the future of our urban environments and demonstrates exceptional creative leadership, establishing a new paradigm for what Chinese designer can achieve on the global design stage.
DFA Designer of the Year 2025 (DFA DOY)
André FU
Founder
André Fu Studio
DFA Asian Design Vanguard 2025 (DFA ADV)
Rahul MISHRA
Founder & Creative Director
Rahul Mishra
Rahul MISHRA, a pioneering Indian designer, is renowned for integrating traditional craftsmanship with global haute couture. He made history as the first Indian designer invited to showcase at Paris Haute Couture Week, following his 2014 International Woolmark Prize win. In 2023, the French government also honoured him with the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” for his contributions.
MISHRA champions “mindful luxury,” using fashion as a force for empowerment. Through his couture line and ready-to-wear brand, AFEW Rahul Mishra (AFEW), he creates sustainable employment for over a thousand Indian artisans. His work has drawn acclaim from industry legends; fashion critic and former International Vogue editor Suzy Menkes calls him a “national treasure.” AFEW offers effortless luxury inspired by nature’s elements—Air, Fire, Earth, and Water—blending timeless style with modern wearability. Both his couture and ready-to-wear collections are available at his flagship stores in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Hyderabad, and through international retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, cementing his influence on the global fashion stage.
The inaugural DFA Asian Design Vanguard 2025 celebrates Rahul MISHRA as a visionary who is redefining the fashion industry, proving that design can be a powerful vehicle for social change, cultural preservation, and ecological responsibility. By creating a sustainable bridge between Indian artisans and the global fashion market, he demonstrates how luxury can be both beautiful and benevolent. His work offers a compelling blueprint for a more conscious and interconnected design future.
Hashtag: #DFA #HongKongDesignCentre #HKDC #DFAAwards #DonNORMAN #ChristinaONG #MAYansong #AndréFu #RahulMISHRA #DFALifetimeAchievementAward #DFADesignLeadershipAward #DFAWorldsOutstandingChineseDesigner #DFADesigneroftheYear #DFAAsianDesignVanguard
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About DFA Awards (www.dfaawards.com)
Since 2003, the Hong Kong Design Centre has launched the DFA Awards to underpin the role of designers in society, to celebrate design leadership and exemplary designs and projects with commercial success or impact in Asia, as well as to recognise the rising force of emerging designers in Hong Kong. The DFA Awards, through its seven major award programmes, has grown in its international influence in Asia. The seven award programmes include DFA Lifetime Achievement Award, DFA Design Leadership Award, DFA World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer, DFA Designer of the Year, DFA Asian Design Vanguard, DFA Design for Asia Awards and DFA Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award.
About Hong Kong Design Centre (www.hkdesigncentre.org)
Hong Kong Design Centre is a strategic partner of the HKSAR Government, harnessing the city’s distinctive East-meets-West position to create value through design.
To achieve our goals we:
- Cultivate a culture of design
- Bridge stakeholders to opportunities that unleash the power of design
- Promote excellence in various design disciplines
About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (www.ccidahk.gov.hk)
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) established in June 2024, formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK), is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative industries with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. Its strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, promoting the development of arts, culture and creative sectors as industries under the industry-oriented principle, and promoting Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community to implement Hong Kong’s positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange under the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to some of HKDC’s activities/projects only, and does not otherwise take part in such funded activities/projects. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication and relevant materials/events (or by members of the project teams) are those of HKDC only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
Investment by leading industry institute supports Tracr’s evolution to becoming an independent, industry-wide platform for natural diamond provenance
LAS VEGAS, US – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 June 2026 – De Beers Group and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) today announced the signing of a definitive agreement for GIA to acquire a 30 per cent shareholding in Tracr, the De Beers Group-backed company behind the development of the pioneering diamond provenance blockchain-driven platform.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in Tracr’s evolution towards independence and reflects GIA’s confidence in the platform’s role as an industry-wide infrastructure to advance natural diamond provenance and traceability at scale.
GIA’s investment – which builds on a 2023 initiative to include diamond provenance information registered on Tracr’s platform on eligible GIA diamond grading reports – represents a significant step in this transition, reinforcing Tracr’s long-term credibility across the diamond value chain.
Al Cook, CEO of De Beers Group, said: “Consumers deserve to know where their diamonds come from and they should feel more confident in their understanding of each diamond’s source. At De Beers we have been providing provenance data on diamonds through Tracr for several years and we believe that delivering provenance should become an industry standard. Following our promise to open Tracr up to broad ownership, we are proud to be partnering with GIA as Tracr evolves into an independent, industry-wide platform. We will work alongside GIA to advance provenance transparency for the entire diamond sector.”
Pritesh Patel, President and CEO of GIA, said: “At GIA, our mission has always been rooted in trust, integrity, and consumer confidence. Our collaboration with Tracr over the past several years reinforced our belief that combining source-based blockchain provenance with GIA’s independent grading and identification expertise can help unlock a new level of transparency for the diamond industry. As Tracr continues to scale globally, we see a tremendous opportunity to deliver meaningful, verifiable provenance information from the source to the consumer. We are proud to deepen our commitment through this investment and help shape the next evolution of transparency, traceability, and trust across our industry.”
Jillian Wolk, CEO of Tracr, said: “The start of Tracr’s evolution into an independent platform, as a result of GIA’s investment, creates a strong foundation for the future. I am excited to continue scaling the platform and bringing more producers on board, which will support Tracr in enabling the individual journey of every registered diamond to come to life. Each stone carries its own narrative, defined by its source and the craftsmanship that has shaped it, and as Tracr continues to grow we have a fantastic opportunity to help reveal those unique stories.”
Today, more than five million rough diamonds have been registered on Tracr at source, representing around two-thirds of De Beers’rough diamond production by value. Since January 2025, single country of origin for De Beers diamonds has been available on Tracr, with all newly sourced De Beers rough diamonds of one carat and above being registered on the platform.
Hashtag: #NaturalDiamonds #Diamonds #DeBeersGroup #GIA #Tracr
https://www.debeersgroup.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/debeersgroup/
http://www.twitter.com/DeBeersGroup
https://www.facebook.com/DeBeersGroupOfCompanies
https://www.instagram.com/debeersgroup?igsh=ZWE5azY0bHF0Mm1u
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About De Beers Group
Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services via De Beers Institute of Diamonds and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology systems via De Beers Group Ignite. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo-American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.
About GIA
An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight and, in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which is recognized around the world as the standard for diamond quality.
Through research, education, gemological laboratory services and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science and professionalism.
Media OutReach
Smart Design Global 2026 Awards Presentation Ceremony Proudly Unveils 52 Original Award-Winning Designs International Tour Highlights Hong Kong’s Creative Design Power
Set to Appear at Bangkok Mega Show and Paris Maison&Objet
HONG KONG SAR –
About The Hong Kong Exporters’ Association
Founded in 1955, The Hong Kong Exporters’ Association (The HKEA) is a non-profit making trade association registered under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance as a company limited by guarantee. The HKEA is committed to creating new business opportunities and enhancing market value for Hong Kong exporters, aiming to position Hong Kong as a premier trading hub. The HKEA focuses on serving the industry and taking export trade as its core value, helping members expand their business by closely liaising with the government, initiating different projects, and organising seminars, business gatherings, business delegation trips and exhibitions. The HKEA also disseminate the latest local and international trade information and provides online product display and search services for additional publicity, to further promote Hong Kong’s export trade and enhance market competitiveness.
The HKEA website:
About Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency
The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA), formerly known as Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) since 2009, was established in June 2024. CCIDA is a dedicated office under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) to provide one-stop services and support to the cultural and creative sectors with a mission to foster a conducive environment in Hong Kong to facilitate development of the arts, culture and creative sectors as industries. CCIDA’s strategic foci are nurturing talent and facilitating start-ups, exploring markets, promoting cross-sectoral and multi-disciplinary collaboration, promoting industrialisation of the arts, culture and creative sectors under the industry-oriented principle, and fostering a creative atmosphere in the community, thereby reinforcing Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and our positioning as the East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
CCIDA’s website: www.ccidahk.gov.hk
Disclaimer: The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.
Media OutReach
Disney Garden of Wonder blooms to life again at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay with all-new character topiaries
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 8 June 2026 – Disney magic blooms anew at Singapore’s premier horticultural destination Gardens by the Bay as the second edition of Disney Garden of Wonder, opens today. Featuring 23 vibrant topiaries inspired by beloved Disney and Pixar characters, the enchanting showcase transforms Floral Fantasy into a world of floral artistry and imagination through 14 March 2027.
Organised in collaboration with Disney and supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, Disney Garden of Wonder is inspired by Disney and Pixar stories that have charmed generations of fans around the world, inviting people of all ages to re-discover their favourite stories of courage, kindness, friendship and love through the beauty of plants. Following the success of its debut at Gardens by the Bay in 2024, the enthralling floral showcase returns in an even more special second edition.
Visitors can look forward to five themed areas:
- Frozen, in which topiary versions of Anna, Elsa and Olaf preside over an enchanting snowy landscape, brought to life through themed lighting that imagines a frost-kissed world of wonder. Inspired by Elsa’s Ice Palace, visitors can step on a floor where magical snowflakes dance and respond to movement.
- Disney princesses, where Rapunzel appears alongside her best friend Pascal the chameleon; Belle is with the Beast and their enchanted companions; and Jasmine is accompanied by her loyal tiger Rajah.
- Hundred Acre Wood, where Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger gather in a cheerful party scene. Tigger bounces up and down while Piglet twirls, and visitors can picture themselves joining everyone at the table!
- Toy Story 5, where Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear appear as topiaries in a playful setting inspired by Bonnie’s Room, alongside displays of new characters Lilypad and Smarty Pants.
- Go Local, a Singaporean-themed zone where Disney characters are reimagined in familiar local settings. Chip ‘n Dale perch atop a giant ice cream sandwich; Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck share the spicy rice noodle dish laksa; and Mickey Mouse makes the traditional beverage teh tarik with Donald Duck.
Outside Floral Fantasy, a 4m-tall Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey marks the entrance and welcomes visitors to Gardens by the Bay.
The hand-assembled topiaries are crafted from more than 40 species of preserved and dried floral materials, which took more than 16,000 man hours.
Each material was selected for its colour, texture and form, helping to reflect each character’s features. Plenty of flowers are used for the Disney princesses for example, while Rapunzel’s hair is crafted from Stipa, a perennial grass that has fluffy or oat-like flowerheads.
The surrounding landscapes also use plant palettes that reflect the mood of each zone — sunflowers and marigolds reflect the honey-toned meadow setting of Winnie the Pooh, while lilies and roses bring out the romantic and jewel-toned settings of Disney Princess stories. Hydrangeas and dusty miller evoke the icy blues, whites and silvers of Frozen.
Throughout the duration of Garden of Wonder, visitors can enjoy select weekend Meet and Greet sessions with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in outfits inspired by Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim. Donald Duck and Daisy Duck will also join the experience on select weekends, dressed for a sunny getaway on our tropical island. Meet and Greet dates are available at www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/disneygardenofwonder.
Visitors can round off their experience with shopping at the gift shop, which carries items launching exclusively at Disney Garden of Wonder.
Hashtag: #DisneyGardenofWonder #FloralFantasy #GardensbytheBay
http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg
https://sg.linkedin.com/company/gardens-by-the-bay
https://www.facebook.com/gardensbythebay/
https://www.instagram.com/gardensbythebay/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Gardens by the Bay
An integral part of Singapore’s “City in Nature” vision, Gardens by the Bay is a national garden and premier horticultural attraction that showcases the best of garden and floral artistry for all to enjoy. Spanning 101 hectares in the heart of Singapore’s downtown Marina Bay, it comprises three waterfront gardens – Bay South, Bay East, and Bay Central. Bay South, the largest at 54 hectares, officially opened on 29 June 2012.
Guided by the vision to be a world of gardens for all to own, enjoy and cherish, the Gardens’ extensive plant collection, ever-changing floral displays, and myriad of engaging programmes have captured the imagination of many, while its Gift of Gardens community initiative, with Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, President of the Republic of Singapore as Patron, reaches out to people from all walks of life.
Since opening, Gardens by the Bay has welcomed more than 115 million visitors and garnered numerous international accolades including the third Top Attraction in the World in Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best 2026, Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2024, Best Theme Attraction at TTG Travel Awards 2022 and 2023, and Best Attraction Experience at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2019. The Gardens continues to refresh and refine its offerings, to be a place that everyone can enjoy – a garden where wonder blooms.
For more information, visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn