Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress and Olympic torch compete to win coveted design award

The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress and the London 2012 Olympic torch are among designs competing to be crowned the best of the year.

The duchess's ivory bridal gown, designed by Alexander McQueen's creative director Sarah Burton, was widely considered to be a roaring success when it was u

nveiled at the royal wedding last April.

The intricately decorated gown, handstitched by dozens of members of the Royal School of Needlework in Hampton Court, was deemed by some to bear a striking resemblance to the one worn by the actress Grace Kelly for her wedding to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in Ap

ril 1956.It went on display in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace during the annual summer opening last year.

Its rival is the controversial Olympic torch, created by east London design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby. The conical gold torch has compared to a cheese grater or an ice cream cone.

The cutting edge design team said at the time they wanted it to resemble a piece of sporting equipment rather than a trophy

They described it as 'physically light and visually light', but the 80cm perforated gold design divided commentators.

They described it as 'physically light and visually light', but the 80cm perforated gold design divided commentators.

Neverth

eless, it makes it firmly onto the Design Museum's annual awards nominees list.

The east London velodrome built for the 2012 Olympics finds its way onto the list - a good sign that the constructions for the British Olympics could be a lot more successful than that other infamous landmark venue, the Millenium Dome.

Blackpool's comedy carpet - an engraving at the foot of Blackpool Tower featuring jokes and catchphrases of more than 1,000 comedians - also gets a mention.

It was unveiled by comedian Ken Dodd in October last year.

Dubbed the Oscars of the design world, the top award is much coveted among those in the industry.

The long-listed designs are in seven different categories: architecture, fashion, furniture, graphics, product and transport.

A high profile judging panel will decide the best entries in each of the seven categories

Images of the items will go on show at an exhibition at the museum, in Shad Thames, south London, from February 8.

A winner named for each category and an overall overall winner for Design of the Year will be announced at a ceremony at the museum on April 24.

Exhibition curator Ria Hawthorn said: 'From the everyday practicality of a carefully crafted dining chair to the thought-provoking solar powered 3D printing machine that points to the future, this year's nominees reflect the diversity of design in all its forms, showcasing designs that will have an impact on our everyday and future lives.