A ‘cheeky’ seat takes out the top prize at Australia’s Next Top Designers Awards
A cash prize from Kanebridge Quarterly magazine, offered for the first time this year, drew a record number of entries for the design competition
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A versatile stool with a sense of fun took out the top prize at the Australia’s Next Top Designers awards at Design Show Australia last week.
The ‘Cheeky’ stool designed by Maryam Moghadam was the unanimous winner among the judging panel, which included Kanebridge Quarterly magazine Editor in Chief, Robyn Willis, Workshopped Creative Director Olaf Sialkowski, Design Show event organiser, Andrew Vaughan and Creative Director at Flexmirror Australia, Matt Angus.
Designed as an occasional stool or side table, the Cheeky stool comes in a range of skin tones. The judges applauded its commercial applications, its flexibility to work in a range of environments, and its sense of play.
In accepting the $10,000 prize, designer Maryam Moghadam quipped she was pleased to see ‘other people find bums as funny as I do’. A finalist at last year’s awards, Moghadam will put the prize money towards bringing her product to market.
Australia’s Next Top Designers is in its fourth year, but this is the first year a cash prize has been offered. Kanebridge Quarterly magazine has put up the prize money to support the next generation of emerging industrial design talent in Australia.
Editor in Chief Robyn Willis said the cash prize offered the winner the opportunity to put the money towards whatever aspect of their business it would most benefit.
“That might be prototyping their product further, spending on marketing, or simply paying for travel or even childcare expenses to allow the designer to focus on their work and take it to the next stage,” she said. “We’re thrilled to be supporting this design program and nurturing emerging design in a very practical way.”
Two finalists were also awarded ‘highly commended’ by the judges — Mass lamp by Dirk Du Toit and the Coralescence lights from Suzy Syme and Andrew Costa at Tide Pool Designs. The judges agreed both products were beautifully resolved from a design perspective, as well as having strong commercial applications in residential and hospitality design.
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Citizen Kanebridge member Marcel Zalloua delivered a standout result in Tigani Motorsport’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, backed by Robb Report Australia & New Zealand and Citizen Kanebridge.
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Sydney’s night sky lit up with speed and precision when Tigani Motorsport’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo charged to a second-place finish in the Pro-Am class during Race 1 of the GT World Challenge Australia at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Behind the wheel was entrepreneur and Citizen Kanebridge member Marcel Zalloua, partnered with Supercars regular Thomas Randle in a formidable one-off pairing that impressed from the outset.
The result marks a major milestone for Zalloua, a returning driver with previous success in the Am class, and continues Tigani Motorsport’s strong form in the 2025 season.
Zalloua is part of Citizen Kanebridge, an invitation-only club based in Sydney.
The club curates exclusive events, thought-leadership forums and networking opportunities for high-achieving individuals across investment, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The sleek #44 AMG GT3 Evo also sported a high-end lineup of sponsors, including Robb Report Australia & New Zealand and Citizen Kanebridge, alongside other premium backers — all part of a strategy to align the vehicle with luxury, performance and lifestyle excellence.
Race 1 saw the Zalloua-Randle duo execute a clean, strategic drive to claim the podium, with the car showing strong pace under lights.
Although Race 2 proved more challenging with a ninth-place finish in class, their combined effort across the weekend delivered valuable points to Tigani Motorsport’s championship campaign.
Tigani Motorsport continues to cement itself as a serious contender in the GT racing scene, with smart driver pairings, high-calibre partnerships, and a commitment to performance both on and off the track.
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