The Future in Form
*RIMOWA and the Rise of a New Creative Vanguard
written SARAH ARENDTS
At the historic Gropius Bau in Berlin, the third edition of the RIMOWA Design Prize brought together emerging talents, mentors, and established voices in a shared moment of creativity and clarity.
The event honored human-centered design and celebrated the many ways design shapes experience, care, and connection. Presented by Valerie Präkelt, the event underscored RIMOWA’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the next generation of designers. Since its inception, the prize has championed students from leading German design schools, connecting them with established creatives and honoring work that seeks to improve lives in tangible ways.
This year’s first prize went to Elisabeth Lorenz and Marc Hackländer of the Hochschule für Gestaltung Schwäbisch Gmünd. Mentored by Nic Galway, their project, hottie, reimagines how we care for the body, specifically, those who experience menstrual pain. A discreet wearable device that combines TENS technology (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) with adjustable heat therapy, hottie empowers its users with relief and autonomy. The project also confronts societal stigmas, creating space for empathy and visibility.
RIMOWA Design Prize III Ceremony
seen by Marc Krause
Karen Boros + Christian Boros
Herbert Hoffmann
“Each project presented a perspective rooted in care and function. These are works shaped by awareness and a deep sense of purpose.”
Alban E. Smajli, Editor-in-Chief LE MILE
A special mention was awarded to Tom Kemter and Niels Cremer from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar for their project Standalone. Mentored by Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase, the design transforms the classic forearm crutch into a sleek, ergonomic tool that stands on its own, literally and metaphorically. With its fold-out legs and elegant finish, Standalone promotes functionality and dignity, rethinking assistive design as something aspirational. The remaining five finalists—all of whom received monetary awards—brought forward bold, human-centric ideas grounded in sustainability and accessibility.
Each of the finalists received financial support for their work: €20,000 for the winner, €10,000 for the special mention, and €5,000 each for the other participants. Beside funding, the RIMOWA Design Prize offers visibility, mentorship, and a platform from which these ideas can grow into real-world solutions.
And while the projects themselves were impressive, what truly stood out at the event was the energy in the room, a sense of shared purpose, of mutual respect between generations of designers, and of hope for a more inclusive, thoughtful future.
The jury, comprised of respected figures from design, academia, and industry, including Niklas Bildstein Zaar, Dr. Mahret Ifeoma Kupka, Moritz Krueger, Ute Meta Bauer, Katharina Janku, and RIMOWA’s own CEO Hugues Bonnet-Masimbert, provided mentorship, context, and a meaningful connection between established design values and emerging perspectives.
As a brand long associated with precision and modern craftsmanship, RIMOWA continues to push its legacy forward—through its products and through cultural investment. With the Design Prize, it cements its role as a maker of iconic luggage and as a thoughtful patron of contemporary design innovation in Germany.
RIMOWA Design Prize III
Jury
LE MILE was proud to witness the beauty of this moment: creativity at its most purposeful, and design as an act of generosity. What we saw last night at Gropius Bau was a gathering of bold thinkers who dare to imagine tools for a better life and who now have the support to build them.
And that, in essence, is what design should do.