ArtsThread are delighted to be partnering for the second time with Only Natural – a global design competition that dares to redefine the future of home and fashion – challenging students to create bespoke items from natural fibres and materials with sustainability at their core.
Our planet is at a tipping point.
From global warming to the desecration of our seas, from plastic pollution to fast fashion waste. The power is ours to act now.
To switch back ON to nature, to respect and cherish, to work as one with the environment. It’s time to change our behaviour, to restore the balance, together. To put nature first, for the sake of our future.
Only Natural and ArtsThread challenge you to create an innovative and beautiful design in one of the five categories - furniture, interiors, accessories, clothing, footwear – made from only natural fibres and materials . Show our judges and spectators that there is another way – a way without unnecessary waste and with the planet’s future in mind.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: June 30 2025
THE PRIZE
Winners will receive a coveted Only Natural certificate and trophy and will enjoy significant publicity through interviews and social media promotion.
Winners will receive an invitation to the Only Natural Awards event and exhibition to take place in at London Design Week with travel costs and accommodation.
Winners will enjoy significant publicity and will be interviewed for inclusion on the Only Natural platforms and partner platforms. Winners work will be promoted across the Only Natural Social Channels.
Additional prizes may be announced by the organiser at a later date.
THE BRIEF & DELIVERABLES
The brief is simple: Design a truly bespoke piece of fashion or home item that you would love to wear or to live with, that’s inspired by nature and made from natural materials.
Regardless of your passion or chosen category, whether your design draws inspiration from the beauty of nature surrounding you, addresses pressing issues like the decline of coral reefs, the light pollution in our skies, the vast amounts of fast fashion items discarded into landfills annually or whether you choose to design a sofa inspired by the veins of a leaf or a jacket inspired by a 200 million-year-old ammonite – Only Natural encourages entrants to take inspiration from nature, to ignite a passion for the future of our planet and to craft something unique using Only Natural fibres and materials.
Your design MUST include one or more natural fibres - from wool to hemp or cotton to leather, the choice is yours, so long as it’s natural. We accept the use of nature derived products such as glass or metals, where the end result can be recycled and reused.
Your design must NOT include fur or exotic skins such as alligator, python or ostrich and should NOT use synthetic materials such as polyester or lycra.
Your design CAN include a minimal use of non-natural materials to join natural materials together (e.g. glue, metal screws) or to enhance item’s functionality and durability (e.g. lightbulbs etc.) but we encourage you to swap these for natural alternatives where possible.
Other Design Essentials:
Ethical sourcing: the use of animal fibres is allowed when sourced from animals not raised or killed for skin or fur. Use of animal by-products, for example cow hides, that would otherwise go to landfill is supported.
Sustainability: chosen materials should be sustainably sourced and processed. The resulting product should be designed to minimise waste and support recycling or reuse.
Commercial viability: your design should align with genuine consumer needs and be suitable for large-scale production and distribution.
The entry should include the following elements:
A brief summary of your project provided in English. Inclusion of high-res imagery or sketches of your project (JPEG or PNG files) advised.
Design documentation: a comprehensive document detailing the product’s design process, from inspiration boards to technical specifications.
Material breakdown: a detailed explanation of the materials used, their sourcing, and the rationale behind their selection.
A short two-minute video (using a mobile device is accepted) to introduce you and your design. This is optional but encouraged.
Submission Requirements
Applications are open to students currently studying at a higher education institution across the globe or who have graduated in the past two years (2023, 2024).
Applicants must be 18 years old or older.
How To Enter
Create a profile and upload your entry now via the competition platform
Deadline To Apply: June 30 2025
The Judging
After creating your profile and uploading all relevant materials onto the Only Natural competition platform, your design will be judged by our panel of industry leading experts and a shortlist of finalists will be determined in each of the competitions (Fashion and Home).
Category winners will be notified by email within 4 weeks of the closing date (June 30th, 2025). At this time winners will be asked to provide a physical prototype of their product and/or provide additional imagery and video footage of the item highlighting functionality for a final awards event, where all works will be displayed and the Overall winners from each competition will be announced.
There will also be a People’s Choice award, selected by public vote in July 2025.
About Only Natural
Here at Only Natural, we love and respect our planet. Deeply concerned by the impact of fast fashion and artificial materials on the environment, we united to restore the balance and find the way to live in harmony with nature.
We cherish the beauty and versatility of natural materials and believe they are vastly underused as more and more items are produced using synthetics and plastic. Natural materials were used for centuries by our ancestors for their superb qualities. We find this inspirational – we need to go back to our origins by cultivating love for natural materials and showcasing sustainable alternatives to what is currently available in the market.
To help us do this, we receive funding from the Leather & Hide Council of America [L&HCA] and support from other partners ( American Wool Council [AWC], Mohair Council of America , National Industrial Hemp Council of America [NIHC] and American Hardwood Export Council [AHEC]). We work together to promote natural materials worldwide and build a better future without waste.
For more background information on the competition and Only Natural, visit
This is not simply a matter of faster machines.
It is a question of whether your production model - technology stack, workflow discipline, and quality control - is genuinely built for the realities of club and event merchandise.
Those realities are unforgiving: brand-perfect colour, flawless personalisation, licensing compliance, and turnaround measured in hours rather than weeks.
Colour Separation: The Craft Digital Textile Design Shouldn’t Forget
Textile designer Stephan Alker draws on more than 40 years in the industry, going back to his start at Transfertex in 1980, to trace how colour separation moved from drum scanners, hand-retouched films and engraved gravure cylinders to fully digital workflows.
He argues that this production knowledge still matters in the age of digital printing, because properly separated designs give brands far more freedom.
The Path Foward: Connect Every Link:
Design, colour, workflow, production, data. Each link now depends on the one before it, and the printers who will lead the market are those who strengthen the whole chain, not just the machinery at its centre.
So, this autumn, ask the bigger question on your own shop floor.
Not "Which printer?" but "How well does my business connect demand, design and production?"
Rebés's story isn't one of nostalgia - It's a working blueprint for how heritage manufacturers can stay indispensable in a market that rewards speed, certification, and specificity in equal measure. Four million metres of stock mean nothing without the digital printing capability to turn it into something distinctive.
A 150-year name means nothing without the R&D discipline to win a tender for antistatic, carbon-fibre-infused uniform fabric on the first attempt.
Image Credit: Tejidos Rebé
What if the next dress you wore never touched the factory floor?
This is no longer a fringe experiment. It is a maturing production model, backed by genuine material science, real circularity, and an AI-assisted workflow that is becoming more accessible by the month.
Her advice to designers and brands alike is refreshingly practical: start small, get hands-on with an accessible 3D printer, and build fluency before the technology becomes table stakes. The businesses that treat this moment with curiosity, rather than scepticism, will be the ones shaping fashion's next decade rather than reacting to it.
The 2027 FESPA Awards are now open for entry, and the message to businesses across textiles, apparel, interiors and beyond is simple: your work deserves recognition. Every gold winner featured here started in the same place every entrant does - with a project they believed was worth submitting.
As the only independent awards programme with 18 categories dedicated to print and signage, FESPA offers a genuinely global stage, with shortlisted entries displayed at FESPA Global Print Expo in Spring 2027.
Colour Is Too Important to Leave to Chance
Print will always be the part of the garment people see first.
But the sum of all parts — the fabric, the trims, the fasteners, the finish — is what determines whether a design actually delivers on its promise. Brands that continue to treat colour as a single creative decision, rather than a coordinated technical discipline spanning their entire supply chain, will keep paying for it in re-dips, delays, and disappointed design teams.
A Century of Textiles, and an Ever-changing World
Few companies can trace their roots back more than a century and still count themselves among their industry's innovators. Texia, headquartered in Monistrol de Montserrat, Spain, is one of them.
But the story of Texia is not simply one of longevity.
It is a story of continual reinvention. As the textile industry has grown more global and competitive, Texia has repeatedly reshaped its business, investing in technology, developing its own brands, and placing sustainability at the centre of its mission. In doing so, it offers a compelling example of how a heritage manufacturer can lead rather than follow through a period of profound industry change. Image Credit: Texia
What are we craving Ultimately?
The instinct to slow down while simultaneously optimising every measurable aspect of life isn't a passing curiosity. It's a structural response to a world that feels increasingly unstable, and it's reshaping what people expect from their homes, hotels, workplaces and healthcare environments alike.
For the design and manufacturing sectors, this means rethinking both product and process.
The Structual Shift is Real and its Already Here
Volumes are moving east, where digital production is accelerating rapidly. Consumer behaviour has shifted.
Demand is now driven by personalisation, shorter buying cycles, and an expectation of near-instant responsiveness. Regulatory pressure is intensifying, with supply chain transparency now a legal and commercial fact in many markets. And margins? They are under sustained, structural pressure.
This is not a temporary disruption. It is a fundamental reordering of how textile manufacturing must operate.
Altham Lancashire – November 2026 – Soyang Europe Ltd has been awarded Carbon Reduced Operation Certification by CarbonQuota for 2025, marking a significant milestone in the company's commitment to reducing its environmental impact. The certification follows a year of measurable progress, with carbon intensity per full-time employee falling by 9% compared with 2024.
Bergamo, Italy – November 2026 – Electronics For Imaging (EFI) welcomed customers, partners, and industry professionals to its Customer Experience Center in Bergamo, Italy, for EFI Ignite EMEA, a flagship event dedicated to the future of industrial textile printing and display graphics. The event drew representatives from 15 companies and more than 30 VIP guests, underscoring the growing demand for innovation in digital print
Emmerich am Rhein, Nordrhein-Westfalen – November 2026 – Brother Industrial Printing EMEA has announced the launch of PT 8158, a new pretreatment solution designed to elevate direct-to-garment (DTG) printing through improved sustainability, enhanced print quality, and a better production environment. The launch reflects the company's ongoing commitment to driving meaningful change across the textile printing industry.
Uxbridge – UK – November 2026 – Perfect Colours has announced the release of Onyx 25.5, the latest update to its industry-leading print workflow software. The new version introduces a range of enhancements designed to help print businesses work faster, smarter, and more sustainably.
The upgrade comes as the print industry continues to grapple with rising demands for efficiency and environmental responsibility. Onyx 25.5 has been engineered to meet these challenges head-on, equipping print professionals with the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve.
Dubai, UAE – November 2026 – Heimtextil is strengthening its presence in the Middle East's interior design and hospitality sectors, partnering for the first time with Downtown Design, the region's leading design fair held as part of Dubai Design Week. Together with Milan-based design platform Alcova, Heimtextil is presenting the Heimtextil Trends 27/28 "The Performance of Everyday Living" in Dubai from 4 to 8 November. The compact presentation, featuring film, text and visual elements, offers the international and regional design community fresh insight into the key trend themes shaping the industry's future.
GREEN GRADS at YORKTON WORKSHOPS
Regenerative design, waste reduction and reuse, biomaterials, preserving crafts, rescuing species, nurturing nature and more: eco-projects at the cutting edge.
25 new GREEN GRADS - making 300 GREEN GRADS in total.
Makers Innovators Activists
Saturday November 14th, 11-7PM | Sunday November 15th, 11-6PM | 1-3 Yorkton Street, London E2 8NH
Admission free
Sponsored by Pearson Lloyd, hosting the show in their gallery for the third time.
Las Vegas, NV – Monotech Systems Limited, a globally-acclaimed Indian manufacturer and one-stop solution provider for the printing and packaging industry, has been chosen by Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems (PCS) as its India distribution partner. The agreement, signed by Mr TP Jain, Managing Director of Monotech Systems Limited, and Mr Stuart Fox, CEO of Kongsberg PCS, was finalised during Printing United Expo 2026, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Under the terms of the partnership, Monotech Systems Limited is authorised to distribute the full range of Kongsberg X and C Series digital cutting systems across India, bringing precision cutting technology to the country's fast-evolving signage and display industry at a time when producers face mounting pressure to deliver faster, more sustainable, and more customised output.
The Lancashire print specialist is extending its print-on-demand model from wall coverings into textiles with the Epson Monna Lisa ML-13000.
Shrewsbury, UK – November 2026 – Big Value Banners, a UK-based manufacturer of custom printed banners and signage, has chosen the Veloblade Nexus from Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd to support its growing production capabilities. The announcement follows a period of evaluation, culminating in staff training completed today in Shropshire.
Exclusive Mimaki distributor, Hybrid Services will host two Mimaki Technology Taster Days at its Crewe showroom this November, giving businesses the opportunity to explore their next printing investment, diversification or upgrade in a relaxed, informal setting.
Taking place on Thursday 12th and 19th November, from 10am - 4pm, the events are designed for companies at any stage of their research, including those still considering which direction to take. Visitors can explore the Mimaki range, see printed applications and discuss their ideas with Hybrid’s product specialists.
Milan, 4 November 2026 – The 37th edition of Viscom, the international exhibition dedicated to visual communication, has concluded in Milan, debuting its new Exhibition & Conference format at the Allianz MiCo Convention Centre. The refreshed venue and identity reflect the transformations underway across the industry, delivering two dynamic days that brought together 5,189 visitors and more than 90 exhibitors to explore the sector's emerging opportunities.
Wednesday, November 04, 2026 - Aarhus, DK & Milwaukee, WI — To provide the proper level of support for customers in the Americas, Mikkelsen Innovation ApS has registered and started its U.S. subsidiary, FASTSEWN, Inc., located in Milwaukee, WI. In addition to the U.S. sales and management team, Steve Aranoff (Chief Business Officer) and Jim Manelski (Director of Sales, Americas), whom many in the industry already know, industry veteran Ranjan Singh has now joined as COO for FASTSEWN, Inc. Part of the engineering team is also in Milwaukee, bringing the number of U.S. employees to six so far.
Oswestry, UK – November 2026 – China Print Supplies (CPS) has confirmed it can supply ink, spare parts and servicing for Gongzheng printers across the UK, following the voluntary liquidation of Your Embroidery Services (YES) on 15 October. YES notified customers by email on 20 October that it could no longer provide servicing, technical assistance or customer support.
Gongzheng was one of the brands YES supplied in the UK, covering UV flatbed, eco solvent and UV DTF machines. The sudden withdrawal of support has left an unknown number of owners without a clear path to consumables, parts or engineering help, raising concerns about machine downtime across the sector.
CPS already supplies Gongzheng equipment and holds the supplier relationships needed to source consumables and parts for any Gongzheng machine in the country, regardless of where it was originally purchased.
South Normanton - UK – November 2026 - As the out-of-home advertising market continues its rapid expansion, Sun Chemical is driving the industry's shift toward water-based ink technology with its Streamline™ Toccata range, engineered to meet the rising demand for high-quality, durable graphics while reducing environmental impact.
London, UK – November 2nd 2026 – Spandex UK has today announced a new partnership with HP, bringing HP Latex printing technology to its customers across the UK. The collaboration marks a significant expansion of Spandex's large-format hardware offering, giving its customers greater choice across print technologies.
The initial line-up under this partnership will include the HP Latex 630, 730 and 830 series. These additions build on Spandex's existing portfolio, reinforcing its commitment to equipping sign and display professionals with the tools they need to stay competitive in an evolving industry.
Malvern – Worcestershire – November 2026 Vivid Laminating Technologies has announced that PB Signs, a leading UK print and signage specialist, has chosen its multi-award-winning Velobade Nexus for use across its production operations. The decision follows a thorough review of the market, with PB Signs selecting the Velobade Nexus as the finishing solution best suited to its high standards of craftsmanship.
Speciality print leaders from five Southern European countries will meet in Porto next month for the eleventh FESPA Southern European Congress, taking place on 11–12 November at HF Ipanema Porto, Portugal.
The two-day event, which is organised by five FESPA member associations – FESPA France, FESPA Italia, FESPA España, APIGRAF (Portugal) and the FESPA Hellas Association (Greece) – gives members of the community in Southern Europe the opportunity to benchmark their own strategies against peers facing similar conditions, as well as compare notes with neighbouring markets on customer expectations, workforce shortages, investment and new technology.
Batley, West Yorkshire – October 2026 – Roaches International, a member of the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA), has dispatched its largest integrated order for textile laboratory equipment to date.
A total of 19 testing machines weighing more than two tonnes have been delivered for a new laboratory being established by Indonesia's Alia Digital Printex, underscoring the British manufacturer's capability to supply complete testing facilities rather than individual instruments alone.
Mortsel, Belgium – October 29th 2026 – Agfa Inkjet Solutions has announced Experience Day 2026, a hands-on event dedicated to demonstrating how advanced inkjet printing and precision finishing can work together within a single, integrated workflow.
The event will take place on Thursday, 26 November 2026, from 09:00 to 15:00 at Agfa Headquarters in Mortsel, Belgium.
Developed in partnership with Kongsberg Precision Cutting Systems, Experience Day 2026 will give print service providers a first-hand look at how combining print and finishing technologies can boost productivity, broaden application possibilities, and open up new business opportunities across sectors including signage, display, packaging, and corrugated production.
Balrothery, Ireland – October 2026 – Retink Graphics has added a second Epson SureColor R5000L latex printer to its Balrothery production floor, supplied by digitalprint.ie.
The investment follows strong returns from the company's first R5000L, which the team says paid for itself before they decided to expand.
Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg – October 2026 - The CHT Group has announced the expansion of its dyes portfolio with two new additions: BEMACID Brilliant Blue F-WN for polyamide and wool, and BEZAKTIV Solar Yellow ONE for flexible dyeing processes.
The launch reinforces CHT Group's commitment to delivering high-performance, sustainable colorant solutions for the global textile industry.
Both new dyes address growing demand among textile manufacturers for products that combine color brilliance, process reliability, and responsible formulation.
Staffordshire, UK – October 2026 – Staffordshire Signs & Graphics Ltd has announced the installation of a new DLI-3325 flatbed printer, supplied by China Print Supplies UK Ltd.
The investment marks a significant step forward for the business, enhancing its production capabilities and expanding the range of signage solutions it can offer customers.
The installation follows months of careful planning, with the new machine now in place and undergoing fine-tuning and staff training ahead of full commissioning
Corby – Northants – October 2026 – Keencut Ltd, a leading innovator in the cutting and finishing equipment industry, has today highlighted its Evolution3 Lift & Hover technology, a breakthrough system designed to make material positioning faster, easier and more accurate than ever before.
The new technology allows operators to adjust, align and achieve perfect positioning with precise control, all through simple single-person operation.
By streamlining what has traditionally been a multi-step, often cumbersome process, Keencut is addressing a long-standing challenge faced by professionals across the sign-making, graphics and framing industries: achieving exact cutting precision without compromising on speed or efficiency.
Istanbul – Turkiye – October 2026 – Optimum Digital has announced that Kilim Home, an established Turkish carpet manufacturer serving international markets, has invested in its direct-to-carpet printing technology.
The move strengthens Kilim Home's production capabilities and marks a significant step forward in the company's ongoing embrace of innovation within digital carpet manufacturing.
Frankfurt am Main, Germany – 27 October 2026 – Heimtextil, the international trade fair for home and contract textiles, has announced the launch of the Functional Futures Lab, a new showcase curated in partnership with Future Fabrics Expo.
Taking place from 12 to 15 January 2027 in Hall 4.1, the exhibition will spotlight materials engineered to meet the evolving functional demands of architecture, interior design and hospitality, from thermal regulation to flame resistance and durability.
The Functional Futures Lab will present both visionary prototypes and commercially available solutions, with each exhibit's stage of development made transparent through Technology Readiness Levels
Shanghai, People's Republic of China – October 2026 – KARL MAYER will present a comprehensive portfolio of advanced warp knitting and warp preparation technologies at ITMA ASIA 2026, taking place from 20 to 24 November at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai.
The company's presence spans two exhibition halls, with warp knitting innovations on display in Hall 4.1, Booth C18, and warp preparation solutions featured in Hall 3, Booth
Bolzano, Italy – 26 October 2026 – Durst will participate as Leading Sponsor at Viscom 2026, taking place on 28 and 29 October at Allianz MiCo Milan.
In the year marking its 90th anniversary, the South Tyrolean company returns to the leading event for the Italian visual communication market with a new format, a new location, and the Italian debut of a new printing technology.
Durst's presence at Viscom underscores the company's commitment to maintaining close dialogue with customers, prospects, and industry professionals.
Clay Cross – UK – July 2026 – Resolute highlights its new DTF Pneumatic Twin Platen Heat Press, a professional-grade heat press designed to help print shops increase output, improve consistency, and reduce downtime across high-volume production runs.
The machine's dual-platen design allows operators to prepare the next garment while the current one is being pressed, significantly reducing idle time and increasing throughput.
This makes it particularly well-suited to print shops running large direct-to-film (DTF) and transfer print operations, where speed and consistency are critical.
Pattern Room Launches New Pattern Room Experience, Making Online Design-to-Pattern Faster Than Ever
Victoria, Australia, 27/10/2026 – Pattern Room, the online pattern-making studio founded by Australian pattern maker Julia Watts, today announced the launch of its updated platform, introducing a new guided design pathway, an in-house sampling service, and an expanded catalogue of styles for apparel businesses worldwide.
The update is designed to make it faster and easier for designers, garment technicians, and manufacturers to move from concept to production-ready pattern, without the friction that has traditionally slowed the early stages of garment development.
Athens , Greece – 23 October 2026 – UFABRIK has extended its European distribution network into Greece with the appointment of TSEKMERES GS, an established supplier to the country's textile, screen and large-format digital printing industries.
The agreement brings UFABRIK's digital textile portfolio to a market where UV and Latex technologies remain dominant, but where dye-sublimation is emerging as a significant area of potential growth.
The partnership will focus on providing high-quality textiles for silicone edge graphics (SEG) applications, alongside a wider substrate offering for the Greek market.