At Chelsea College Of Arts TEX+ Announces The 2026 Textile Graduate Winners
TEX+ has announced the winners of its 2026 prizes, recognising exceptional creativity, technical excellence, innovation and craftsmanship from this year's graduating textile designers.
Presented at the annual TEX+ Showcase at Chelsea College of Arts, the awards celebrate the UK's most exciting emerging textile talent while providing vital financial support, professional development opportunities and industry connections to help graduates launch their careers.
Building on the 50-year legacy of Texprint, TEX+ brings together education and industry to support the next generation of textile designers through exhibitions, mentoring, networking and career development.
Alumni have gone on to work with leading brands including Chanel, Nike and Liberty.
Through its community of designers, educators, industry partners and alumni, TEX+ creates meaningful connections that help emerging textile graduates transition from education into industry.
TEX+ 2026 Prize Winners
· The Pentland Prize - £1,000 and a work placement
Winner: Maia McLaren
· 2 Liberty Fabrics Studio Prizes -
£500 Prize Winner: Grace Holden
£500 Prize Winner: Xavier Theobald
· The Worshipful Company of Weavers Prize - £1,000
Winner: Lisa Rogerson
· The Juliet Vogel Colour Prize - £1,000
Winner: Roisin Foster
· The Pattern Cloud Support Award - One year's complimentary access to The Pattern Cloud Plan.
Winner: Roisin Foster
· Bay & Brown Support Award - Beginners Complete Surface Textiles Print Online Course, Online Floral Print Course and a portfolio session with Tracey Brown.
Winner: Molly White
· Sahara Prize - £500, a one-month placement at Sahara and a design purchase opportunity.
Winner: Harriet Letts
· Inge Cordsen Craftsmanship Prize - £1,000
Winner: Zoe Noble
· TEX+ Industry Prize - Awarded for Technical Excellence - £1,000
Winner: Lili Mizuno
· TEX+ Sustainability & Ethical Practice Prize - £1,000
Winner: Ruby Bolt
· TEX+ International Exhibition Prize - Three places to exhibit at Première Vision Paris.
Twig Searle
Christie Shannon
Lili Mizuno
· Helga Goldman Legacy Prize - Awarded for Innovation & Creativity - £1,000
Winner: Belén Fernández
· John Miles Legacy Prize - £1,000
Winner: Twig Searle
Jeremy Somers, Chair of TEX+, said: "The TEX+ prizes recognise the outstanding creativity, innovation and technical excellence emerging from the UK's textile graduates today. We're incredibly grateful to our sponsors and supporters, whose generosity enables us to celebrate exceptional talent while providing meaningful opportunities that help graduates take the next step in their careers."
Supporting The Next Generation:
The awards come at a time when many graduates continue to face challenges entering the creative industries.
Recent research commissioned by TEX+ found that 56% of textile graduates are not currently working in a full-time textile role, 36% are balancing multiple jobs, and 51% have relied on financial support since graduating.
These findings underline the importance of initiatives like TEX+, which connect emerging designers with employers, mentors and industry professionals while providing practical opportunities that help bridge the gap between education and employment.
About TEX+
TEX+ is a charity and career accelerator connecting emerging UK textile graduates with industry through exhibitions, mentoring and professional opportunities.
Building on the 50-year legacy of Texprint, TEX+ champions the next generation of textile designers and helps them develop the skills, confidence and professional networks needed to build successful careers.
