The Surface Textiles Award

Submission
Surface textiles play a vital role in fashion, transforming fabric through colour, print, texture and decorative process.

From traditional craft techniques to innovative digital and material experimentation, surface design brings narrative, identity and visual impact to fashion textiles. The Surface Textiles Award has been created to celebrate visionary surface textile design within fashion. The award reflects a commitment to fresh, future-thinking textile development, recognising that innovation in fashion often emerges through experimentation with surface, colour and material transformation. This award honours designers and textile innovators who demonstrate exceptional creativity and are redefining surface textile design through experimentation, technical exploration and material intelligence. It captures the spirit of forward-thinking fashion by placing surface design at the centre of creative and environmental innovation. The winning submission must

Criteria

• Champion excellence in surface textile innovation for fashion

• Elevate the role of surface textile designers within the fashion value chain

• Recognise craftsmanship alongside technological and digital advancement

• Encourage sustainable and responsible textile surface processes

• Celebrate material-led and concept-driven design thinking

• Boundary-pushing innovation in surface design, textile manipulation or decorative application

• A comprehensive portfolio of developmental research

• Technical documentation of surface processes, materials and techniques

• Positions surface textiles as a driver of fashion innovation

• Reflects contemporary relevance and future-thinking material solutions

• Shows authenticity, clarity of concept and depth of exploration

• Strong understanding of colour, pattern, texture and surface composition

• Clear integration between textile surface development and fashion application

• Experimentation in print, dye, embellishment, textile manipulation and surface treatments

• Innovative use of analogue or digital textile technologies

• Forward-thinking material exploration that challenges traditional surface textile practices

  The exploration of the creative surface textile process should include evidence of the following criteria:

  The submission should include a supporting statement explaining the nominated student’s entry, detailing the background and concept of the work.

  An initial digital submission of no more than 15 pages for nomination shortlisting. The full physical body of work will be displayed for the final judging session.

  The nomination must be a maximum of 10MB in one continuous PDF, illustrating the final project alongside the supporting statement.