RPO83

Land Rover designer Ayline Koning has been named as winner of this year’s Pilkington Design Award by the Royal College of Art in London. She is the first woman to win this car award and her project ‘aura’ based on ‘Theme of Light’ gave her the title of ‘Top Young Designer of the Year’. She also received the prestigious Giugiaro award for innovation.
Ayline, born in South East Provénce, France, who grew up with a passion for art, was selected as a student for a three-month placement in the Louvrés Art Gallery, Paris. After gaining a degree in product design she spent a short time with Citroën Motor Company before moving to the UK in 1999 to study at Coventry University, where she gained a BA in Transport Design. Ayline was accepted into the Royal College of Art in 2000 and was sponsored by Land Rover for two years. Last September she joined the design team at the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire and is now able to put her artistic influence into creating interior and exterior designs for future models.

After picking up her award Ayline said: “I am absolutely delighted to have won this award. It feels fantastic to have the opportunity to showcase a woman’s vision in what has been predominantly a man’s world. The fact that Land Rover sponsored me was the first real sign that a company believed in me and collecting the award was one day in my life I will never forget.”

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*Retired.