Anton Vargov — High Jury member of the ADD Awards

Anton Vargov, founder and chief designer of Vargov®Design, has joined the High Jury of the 10th season of the addawards.ru Award.

An interview with Olga Voronina, editor of addawards.ru.

– Anton, you work with glass. How did you find your material?

– “Glass is frozen light.” I found endless creative potential in this material.

My work with glass began as a personal passion. At first it was a hobby — small decorative pieces for the home. In time I realised that glass is a unique material, one you can use to build astonishing lighting and decorative compositions. I began to study its properties, the technologies for working it and the ways it can be used in design.

Glass offers endless room for experiment with form, colour and texture. That is precisely why I chose it as the principal material of my compositions.

– How did you build your practical experience?

– I started out as an interior designer, which gave me a broad grounding in space, materials and the way they interact. When I shifted my focus to product design, I kept studying and kept searching for my own style.

I follow global design trends closely, I go to fairs and seminars — it broadens the view and lets me bring advanced solutions into my work.

– How did you come to build your own production and your own brand? Had you worked with other manufacturers?

– Building our own production was a natural stage on my professional path. At a certain point I understood that I wanted to realise my ideas without limits or compromises. There were plenty of difficulties at the start, but with the support of the team and our partners we managed to create the Vargov®Design brand, which today is known far beyond its home market.

We chose the region for its developed infrastructure and its room to scale. We began by working with local factories, which let us understand the specifics of manufacturing and get our processes running. Then we founded our own production, so that we could realise every one of our ideas and hold to a high standard of quality.

– Your website lists awards from a great many competitions, all won over the past two years. You had not entered competitions before?

– Until recently I was focused more on developing and manufacturing my compositions. Entering competitions became a new stage in my career: it let us announce ourselves on the international stage and win recognition within the profession. It did more than raise the brand's visibility and shape its growth — it also motivated us to create new and still more ambitious projects.

– You have taken part in ADD AWARDS.RU. How does this award differ from the others?

– ADDAWARDS is a unique platform: it combines high standards of judging with the chance to network among professionals of the industry. The competition stands out for being democratic and open to new ideas, which is especially valuable for young designers.

– How would you describe the state of product design in the country? How can young designers find their place in this market?

– Interest in product design is growing right now, and that is heartening. Competition, however, is growing just as fast. For young designers it matters not only to develop their skills, but to find their own distinctive niche and to work on making their style recognisable. Entering competitions and fairs, working alongside experienced colleagues, constantly refining your pieces — all of that helps you find your place in the market.

– What are your expectations for the anniversary season?

– An anniversary season is a fine opportunity to take stock and to celebrate what has been achieved, and at the same time to set new horizons for growth. I am sure this season will be a special one, remembered for bright events and discoveries.

– What would you wish this year's entrants?

– Winston Churchill said: “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Every piece of work is a step forward, even if it brings no victory. What matters is to learn at every stage and to strive for excellence.