The Pinnacle of Stars with DOTY 2025

Orbiting around the Sun for the 15th year in a row was the highly anticipated Designer of the Year (DOTY) Awards, inspiring and honouring only the finest designers in the industry

In celebration of its crystal anniversary, the 15th annual Designer of the Year (DOTY) Awards was bigger, better and bolder than ever, celebrating the exceptional works by the absolute finest world-class designers in this competitive industry—as well as the brilliance of the designers themselves.

Under the aptly named theme entitled ‘Pinnacle of Stars’, the long-awaited event was held on the 27th of March 2025 for the first time at the enchanting ballroom of M Resort & Hotel. With a black-tie dress code governed by the punchy colour scheme of orange and turquoise, the promise of glitz and glamour was upheld in the most spectacular fashion.

It all came to fruition courtesy of our gracious Strategic Alliance Partners: NS BlueScope Malaysia as the Platinum Partner, CYML Group Sdn Bhd as the Gold Partner, Super Ceramic Tiles & Design Sdn Bhd and Guocera Sdn Bhd as the Silver Partners and BEP Akitek Sdn Bhd as the Bronze Partner. The same outpouring of gratitude is also given to our trusted Brand Partner, Nippon Paint (M) Sdn Bhd, as well as Trophy Partners, Global Titanium Coating Sdn Bhd and Guocera Sdn Bhd—all of whom played significant roles in bringing this celebration to life.

This year, the prestigious event highlighted and honoured the successes of winners across 12 award categories, including the internationally coveted Asia’s Most Influential Designer Award (AMIDA) which saw Philip Tang and Brian Ip of Ptang Studio Limited as well as Lorène Faure and Kenny Kinugasa-Tsui of Bean Buro in attendance as the esteemed receivers who flew in all the way from Hong Kong. The highest laurel of them all, the Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Kengo Kuma in honour of his lifelong herculean endeavours which have contributed immeasurably to the development of the global design landscape.

Stepping outside the awardees circle for just a moment, the long list of VIP guests who were present included Angela Donvito, the Trade Commissioner of the Italian Trade Agency-Kuala Lumpur (ITA) and Datuk Edmund Kong, founder of the EK Concepts property development consultancy.

Within the design community itself, notable names comprise Ar. Ts. IDr Rien Tan of TKCA Architects, Ar. Idr. Boon Kit Chaw of Atelier Alan Teh Architect, Ar. Edric Choo of O2 Design Atelier, Ar. Fabian Tan of Fabian Tan Architect, Ar. Melvyn Kanny of MJ Kanny Architect, Ar. Dr. Tan Loke Mun of DTLM Design Group and IDr Lai Siew Hong of Blu Water Studio.

Talking about designers, one VIP guest in particular who deserves a special shoutout is Tennyson Chia, also known as the Chief Design Officer of Sachi. For DOTY 2025, he finds himself undertaking the desired role of trophy designer once more. The close collaboration between him and the trophy sponsors brought about a series of one-of-a-kind pieces that can only be described as original, playful, nostalgic and symbolic. Including the materials and shapes often incorporated into design projects, each one encapsulates the holistic journey of designers, where triumphs are proudly celebrated without ever forgetting the gruelling efforts made to overcome the various obstacles lining the way to the top.

Before proceeding to the special categories, the top three winners and two merit awardees of the Future Design Star Award (FDSA) 2025 were first given their much-awaited moment in the sun. FDSA is a brand new initiative presented by DOTY in partnership with selected institutions of higher learning, such as The One Academy; First City University College; Mobius Academy; MTTC College; INTI International College, Subang and UCSI University. It aims to shine a spotlight on the brightest emerging talents in the design scene and give them the recognition they deserve in order to encourage and motivate them to achieve even greater success down the line. Already making bold statements through creative innovation and purposeful design, this next generation of visionary designers truly are the future and should be supported and nurtured in every way possible.

While last year’s event kickstarted the Deca-Laurel Award which honours firms that have acquired ten or more years of experience in the industry, acknowledging their steadfast commitment, sustained excellence and significant impact on the design scene, DOTY 2025 witnessed the birth of a new category: the Builders Achievement Award, bestowed upon design firms that exemplify excellence in building and construction, showcasing not just impressive technical skills but also innovative practices and a deep commitment to quality. This accolade is a testament to the unwavering dedication, exceptional craftsmanship and remarkable contributions made to the construction industry.

On the other end of the spectrum, the event once again saw the return of the Best Product Design Award, honouring only the most innovative products that have evolutionised the quality of life. During the ceremony, this award was presented to the following: Flexform, Porro S.p.A, Ernestomeda, Atlas Plan, Bonaldo, Poltrona Frau, Minotti, Gaggenau, Ligne Roset, Bofi, Verticas and De Poolman.

As per usual, the other special awards apart from the Asia’s Most Prestigious Design Award (AMPDA) include the Women Empowering Designer Award (WEDA), honouring women’s dedication to excellence and leadership in innovation within the traditionally male-dominated design industry.

Aside from the Rising Star Award, the Best Design award—further divided into Best Residential Design, Best Commercial Design and Best Showhouse Design—is classified under the main awards category, which also incorporates the Merit Residential Design Award and Merit Commercial Design Award too. However, what makes this year’s version of the Best Design award even more exciting is the introduction of Gold, Silver and Bronze classifications.

In the spirit of the overall ‘work hard, play hard’ feeling of the festivities, DOTY 2025’s agenda took it a step further with a buzzing afterparty. Held just next door, free-flowing booze and pulsating beats taken over by the seductive DJ Parisz kept the celebrations going ‘til dawn, ultimately signalling a close to the event of the year.

With wine glasses in hand, the guests of the 2025 DOTY Awards reminisce their accomplishments over the past year—from award wins and big projects to team scale-ups, you name it. We raise a toast for all of our cherished guests’ successes, here’s to this year, and we’ll see you at the next DOTY Awards!