Only Natural 2026 Announces Category And People's Choice Winners ─ Celebrating The Future Of Natural Material Design
London, UK – September 2026 – The Only Natural International Student Design Competition 2026, supported by Arts Thread, has revealed its Category and People's Choice winners.
Selected from an exceptional field of entries from student designers across the globe, this year's winning projects span Fashion and Home, showcasing outstanding creativity, craftsmanship and innovation in the use of natural materials.
From fine jewellery crafted out of fish scales to a modular lighting system made from bamboo, this year's winners demonstrate how young designers are combining natural materials with forward-thinking design to reimagine what responsible material design can look like.
Kevin Latner, Vice President for Sustainability at the Leather and Hide Council of America, the organisers of Only Natural, underscored the scale and ambition behind the initiative. "Only Natural is unique. Six U.S. natural fibre industries, representing more than $6 billion a year in exports, came together to back this campaign, giving it real scale, real expertise and real focus. The competition is just the start. It's a serious push toward a necessary rethink in how we approach materials and materiality."
This year's Category Winners include LA FENAISON by Eden Cohen, a hand-braided cowhide leather dress rooted in the traditions of haymaking, taking the Apparel prize.
Ana Luisa Braun Rodrigues won the Accessories category with Shimmer Jewellery, a collection crafted from golden grass and naturally dyed fish scales.
In Footwear, Islam Nashef's MACHO explored masculinity and identity through hand-layered vegetable-tanned leather.
Sofia Hollier's Field to Form, a fully circular chair made from raw British Romney wool and linen thread, took the Furniture prize, while Tanmay Bhavsar's VALAY – Bamboo Lighting won Interiors with its modular design celebrating bamboo's natural irregularity.
The People's Choice Awards, decided by public vote, went to Ofir Vissel's A Thought That Remains Awake in Fashion, a handcrafted exploration of memory and emotional endurance using cotton, wool and denim, and Kavish Lineswala's Alankara in Home, a sheesham wood jewellery box designed to encourage a slower, more considered approach to everyday objects.
The designers will also be celebrated at the Only Natural Awards Evening on 15th September, an event bringing together designers, educators, industry leaders and representatives from the programme's U.S. natural material partners.
About Only Natural
Only Natural is an international student design competition supported by Artsthread, backed by six U.S. natural fibre industries representing more than $6 billion in annual exports.
The campaign champions the use of natural, responsibly sourced materials in design education, encouraging the next generation of designers to rethink materiality across fashion and home.
For more information, visit [website URL].
About Arts Thread
Arts Threadis the world’s leading digital platform connecting emerging creatives with industry professionals, institutions, and opportunities that shape creative careers.
Dedicated to fostering talent, developing ethical practices, and driving sustainability in design, Arts Thread serves as an essential resource for young creatives navigating today’s competitive industries.
The Arts Thread platform is a fantastic free tool for new creatives and we have formed relationships with brands, retailers, trade shows, events, media and charities.
Charities such as Designers Against Aids, Greenpeace and United Nations, cultural institutions such as the British Library through to brands such as Levi's, Nike and Urban Outfitters and shows such as NYCxDESIGN New York Design Week, Design Pavilion, Milan Design Week, London Design Festival, designjunction +++
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.
The Challenge: Standing Firm as the Industry Shifts
The wallpaper landscape has changed dramatically. Digital printing has lowered the barrier to entry, spawning countless direct-to-consumer brands and pushing much of the market towards faster, cheaper production.
At the same time, manufacturing in the UK has grown steadily harder - rising minimum wage, national insurance, energy and substrate costs all bear down on margins. Surface Print have embraced all of these challenges - and stand resolutely prepared for the future.
From Helsinki's printing mill to Paris's Le Marais, discover how Marimekko is scaling a design-led brand with purpose, craft, and bold innovation.
But what makes Marimekko's story compelling is not just its aesthetic legacy?
The word "toxic" carries weight. It conjures danger, harm, and things best avoided.
“Yet in the textile industry - Where between 3,000 and 10,000 chemicals move through the supply chain, a reflexive fear of the term is one of our biggest obstacles to progress.”
This article distils the key takeaways and what buyers, designers, and brands should be asking right now.
What Is the Digital Product Passport?
At its core, a Digital Product Passport is a digital record attached to a physical product - For a printed textile product, this means the DPP would capture data on the substrate, inks and dyes used, the printing process and technology, chemical compliance, environmental impact (including water and energy use), supply chain traceability, and end-of-life instructions.
The Market Gap that Changed Everything
Future Fashion was founded in 2019, timed deliberately to coincide with a pivotal moment in global textile technology: the commercial launch of the EFI Reggiani BOLT Single-Pass digital printing system.
The founders recognised that single-pass architecture had fundamentally changed what was industrially possible - and that Pakistan's domestic market had yet to catch up.
Print is no longer defined by the inefficiencies that once characterised it…as advances in production processes and technology have significantly improved its environmental performance.
Taran Rai, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Epson explains why?
London, UK – September 2026 – The Only Natural International Student Design Competition 2026, supported by Artsthread, has revealed its Category and People's Choice winners.
Selected from an exceptional field of entries from student designers across the globe, this year's winning projects span Fashion and Home, showcasing outstanding creativity, craftsmanship and innovation in the use of natural materials.
Bressanone – September 2026 – Durst Graphics today features its P5 350 CORE, a new 3.5-metre hybrid printing platform designed to serve as an accessible entry point into the wider Durst Ecosystem.
The system brings together proven technologies from across the P5 portfolio, offering print businesses a reliable and future-ready first step into industrial digital printing.
This machine reflects Durst's continued commitment to lowering the barrier to entry for print operators seeking dependable, scalable technology without compromising on quality or performance.
Peterborough -September 2026 – Snuggle, a leading trade fulfilment provider, has today announced it is the first company in Europe to install three Epson G9000 DTF systems, marking a significant expansion of its production capacity to meet surging demand from trade customers across the UK and Europe.
The graphic industry is changing at high speed. Automation, artificial intelligence, personalization, new materials and sustainability are transforming the way products are made while, at the same time, opening up new business opportunities for professionals in the sector.
Against this backdrop, C!Print Madrid 2027 will bring together manufacturers, distributors, printers and professionals from the printing and visual communication world at IFEMA MADRID from January 12 to 14, showcasing the technologies and trends driving this evolution.
This eleventh edition arrives with a strong market response: 90% of its more than 7,000 m² of exhibition space is already booked, with leading companies in the sector such as HP, Epson, Fujifilm, Roland DG, Mimaki, Digidelta and Konica Minolta, among others
Las Vegas – Nevada – September 2026 – BARBIERI electronics, a specialist in colour measurement technology, has announced its sponsorship of the G7+ Exchange, an industry gathering set to take place ahead of PRINTING United Expo 2026.
The event will bring together experts and professionals from across the printing sector to discuss advancements in colour management and print quality.
The G7+ Exchange will be held on 22 September 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N109, as part of the broader PRINTING United Expo.
FREMONT, CA. September, 2026– Fiery, LLC, the leading provider of digital front ends for the print industry, today announced it will host an exclusive webinar titled "Beyond CMYK: From more colours to more impact" on Tuesday, 6th October 2026 at 5:00pm CEST.
The 45-minute session will explore how commercial print businesses can move beyond the constraints of standard CMYK to unlock bolder colours, sharper precision, and stronger margins through expanded gamut printing.
As brands increasingly demand vibrant, exact colour matching, print providers who rely solely on standard CMYK risk falling behind.
London, UK – September 2026 – GREEN GRADS, the platform championing UK graduate eco-activists, will host a free hands-on workshop, Make Art from Waste, as part of the London Design Festival 2026.
Taking place on Monday, 14th September from 2-6pm at 21 Great Chapel Street, W1, the event invites participants to weave their own artwork from workplace textile waste, in partnership with the Surface Design Show.
Led by Green Grad and textile artist Claire Malley (@clairemalleyart), the workshop will guide attendees through the process of designing and weaving a unique piece using varied textile waste, including denim offcuts and recycled yarns.
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. – September, 2026 – Epson will showcase its latest digital printing solutions at PRINTING United Expo 2026, the annual event bringing together the print industry to explore the latest innovations in commercial, apparel, packaging, wide-format and specialty printing.
Taking place Sept. 23-25 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, Epson will introduce new solutions for textile applications and showcase its extensive portfolio of commercial, industrial and business inkjet solutions.
Wilmington, Delaware – September 2026 – DuPont™ Artistri® Digital Printing Solutions today announced it will demonstrate fully automated direct-to-film (DTF) production live at its booth during the upcoming PRINTING United Expo.
Visitors will witness two Brown Manufacturing Group, Inc. automation lines running the complete DTF process from start to finish, offering a first-hand look at the technology reshaping the future of textile printing
Roland DG Europe has announced its renewed presence at Viscom 2026, the leading international exhibition for the visual communication industry.
The company will use the event as a platform to reinforce its position as an industry leader, while continuing to drive innovation and improvement across the sector.
Viscom 2026 will take place on 28th and 29th October at Allianz MiCo Milano, bringing together exhibitors, innovators, and decision-makers from across the visual communication landscape.r
Agfa will return to The Print Show for the third consecutive year, reinforcing its commitment to the UK print and signage market.
The event takes place at the NEC Birmingham from 29 September to 1 October 2026, with Agfa welcoming visitors to stand P510 in Hall 1.
This year, Agfa is bringing print technology, workflow software and real-world applications together to demonstrate a complete wide-format production environment.
Telford – UK – September 2026 – The Dlican DLI-360s from China print Supplies has probed to be an excellent investment for Promo Trade Print where it will be helping them meet the demand for personalised drinkware!
At The Print Show. from 29th September – 1 October 2026, CMYUK will launch its new Sign & Graphics Materials portfolio, bringing together a practical, commercially focused range of substrates for everyday display graphics, signage, décor and specialist print applications.
The new collection has been developed with a clear objective: to give customers a focused, reliable range of materials that covers their everyday application requirements, while removing unnecessary complexity from the product portfolio
Emmerich am Rhein, Nordrhein-Westfalen – September 2026 – Brother Industrial EMEA has announced that its DTRX direct-to-film (DTF) roll-to-roll printer will be demonstrated live at a special Textile Edition Open House, hosted by trusted dealer Vemar.
The event will take place on 25–26 September at Vemar's showroom in Paterno, Italy, giving visitors the chance to see the technology perform first-hand.
Crewe = Cheshire – UK – September 2026 Three new UV flatbed printers with updated automation and productivity capabilities, all equipped with next generation RasterLink workflow and RIP software will launch on the Hybrid stand at The Print Show
Mimaki has announced the introduction of three new UV flatbed printers: the large-format JFX220-2515, and the small-format UJF200 Series (UJF200-3042 and UJF200-6042).
Developed to make advanced UV printing easier to operate and more accessible to print service providers, the new products combine simplified workflows and increased automation to support more efficient, productive print operations.
Braintree, Essex – 2 September 2026 – Venture Banners, a leading UK trade-only large-format print supplier, will highlight its expanding textile signage range, including its newest solutions, at The Print Show 2026, taking place from 29 September to 1 October at the NEC, Birmingham.
Frankfurt am Main, 7 September 2026 – Heimtextil has unveiled its Trends 27/28 forecast, titled 'Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living', developed in collaboration with Milan-based design platform Alcova.
The forecast examines how efficiency-driven thinking and technology are reshaping the design of interior spaces and textiles across residential, hospitality, workplace and healthcare environments.
Leicester UK – September 2026 – Vivid Laminating Technologies Ltd has announced the delivery of its latest Veloblade Nexus cutting system this week, produced for Krit Patel and Printvision (UK) Ltd.
The milestone marks another significant step forward in the company's mission to lead the print finishing industry with precision engineering and innovative technology.
The Veloblade Nexus represents one of Vivid Laminating Technologies' most advanced digital cutting solutions to date.
MUTOH has announced that its XpertJet 661UF UV-LED flatbed printer has been named a 2026 Pinnacle Product Award winner, recognising the device's capacity to bring professional-grade UV-LED printing to businesses of all sizes.
The compact printer enables users to print directly onto objects up to 5.91 inches thick across a 19 × 23-inch print area, all within a footprint small enough to fit in the corner of a shop.
Accrington, UK, September 7, 2026: Soyang Europe will showcase three core products from the Platinum Technologies LIYU range on its stand at The Sign Show 2026.
Following its debut in 2025, The Sign Show will return to NEC Birmingham this autumn, once again co-located with established print industry exhibition The Print Show.
This year, the two events will run from 29 September to 1 October, with thousands of visitors expected across the shows.
Soyang, which exhibited at several previous editions of The Print Show, will take the largest stand in The Sign Show section of the hall, with a focus on its new distribution partnership with Platinum Technologies LIYU
Amsterdam, Netherlands – September 2026 – Dutch fashion designer Tess van Zalinge and Epson Europe have unveiled a limited-edition scarf collection to mark the tenth anniversary of the Tess van Zalinge label.
The collaboration demonstrates the creative and environmental possibilities of digital textile printing, while giving new life to archive designs spanning a decade of the label's history.
The collection revisits three archive prints selected by Van Zalinge from collections created over the past ten years
Dorking – UK – September 7th 2026 – FESPA has announced that entries are now open for the FESPA Awards 2027, the print and signage industry's longest-standing and only independent awards programme.
To encourage early participation, FESPA is offering a 50 per cent early bird discount on all entries submitted by 7 September 2026.
Entrants who secure the reduced rate will have until 2 December 2026 to finalise and refine their submissions, giving businesses ample time to present their work at its best.
Pointcarre, a leading provider of AI-powered textile CAD software, has highlighted its new AI-driven image upscaling feature designed to help textile designers restore and enlarge low-resolution pattern files without compromising design integrity.
The new capability addresses one of the most persistent challenges in the textile industry: working with legacy or low-quality design assets.
Klagenfurt, Austria – September 2, 2026 – J. Zimmer Maschinenbau GmbH Klagenfurt and J. Zimmer Maschinenbau GmbH Kufstein | Digital Printing Systems have announced the launch of "Zimmer 2028", a strategic transformation initiative that will unite the two operating companies into a single, unified organisation effective January 1st, 2028.
The initiative represents a decisive response to evolving market demands and increasing economic pressures facing the industrial printing and textile machinery sector.
Birmingham, UK – September 2026 – Epson UK & Ireland will be exhibiting at The Print Show 2026, taking place at the NEC Birmingham from 29 September to 1 October 2026.
Visitors can find Epson at Stand S130, where the company will present live demonstrations of its latest professional printing technologies across UV, Direct-to-Garment (DTG), Direct-to-Film (DTF), and flatbed printing.
Aarhus, DK & Milwaukee, WI — September 2, 2026 — FASTSEWN will showcase the next generation of its flatbed automated textile finishing at PRINTING United 2026 with the U.S. debut demonstration of its innovative full 3.3M width StitchNCut™ flatbed sewing and laser cutting solution.
This solution is designed specifically for high-volume production of Silicone Edge Graphics (SEG), pillowcase graphics, and other grand-format and industrial textile applications.
The centerpiece of the launch will be live remote demonstrations from FASTSEWN’s headquarters, where attendees will see the company’s full-size StitchNCut 3.3-meter automated flatbed sewing and laser cutting system producing finished SEG graphics and pillow graphics under real market-based production conditions.
Newtown PA – 11 August 2026 – Hybrid Software will showcase the technologies shaping the future of print production at PRINTING United Expo 2026. At booth C1371, visitors will see how artificial intelligence, GPU-native rendering, workflow automation and advanced colour management are improving productivity, quality and efficiency across print production.
Demonstrations will span the Hybrid Software Group portfolio, including Labels & Packaging, Brandz, Helix, Color, Xitron and Meteor Inkjet.
For sticker businesses, moving from offline to online sales is more than simply adding a new sales channel.
It requires a well-structured process that makes product discovery, customization, ordering, and fulfillment as seamless as possible for the customer.
According to Wacław Mostowski, CRO & Co-founder of Antigro Designer, when implemented effectively, online sales can expand market reach, improve operational efficiency, and create new opportunities for scalable growth.
A strong e-commerce presence allows print businesses to reach customers beyond their local market while creating a more accessible and convenient buying experience.
Crewe , United Kingdom – September 2026 – Hybrid Services Ltd, the exclusive distributor of Mimaki technology across the UK and Ireland, has confirmed that its dedicated Mimaki showroom remains open to visitors five days a week following the successful conclusion of its recent Demo Weeks event.
The Demo Weeks programme welcomed a wide range of visitors to the showroom, giving attendees the opportunity to explore the latest print technology, discover new ideas and advance their Mimaki journey.
With the event now complete, Hybrid Services is reminding those who were unable to attend that the showroom continues to operate on an ongoing basis.
Open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, the Mimaki showroom houses an extensive range of technology spanning sign and graphics, industrial printing, textile and apparel, and 3D printing.