Dezeen School Shows: a ceramic project exploring plant history and the overlooked contributions of female botanists is among the projects in this year's New Designers showcase.

Also featured is a hand-embroidered reinterpretation of a Greek myth and a digital illustration portraying characters drawn from Vietnamese culture.

New Designers

Institution: New Designers Class of 2026

School statement:

"The UK's most established graduate design showcase returns in 2026, spotlighting the next generation of design talent.

"Taking place from 1 to 4 July, New Designers reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of design today, bringing together emerging talent in a more dynamic, connected and immersive experience for both exhibitors and visitors.

"For over 40 years, New Designers has championed emerging creative talent, providing a vital platform for more than 2,500 graduates annually to present their visionary ideas to industry professionals and the public.

"The 2026 edition marks an exciting new chapter, uniting graduates from across the UK in a single, cohesive showcase taking place over one week."

Re-Play by Millie Herbert

"Millie is a designer and maker whose work explores unconventional processes, techniques and material applications to create contemporary furniture with purpose.

"Her project, Re-Play (Recycled plus Play), is a statement seating collection designed to inspire curiosity, interaction, and connection.

"By transforming plastic waste into functional furniture, the collection promotes circular design while celebrating creativity and playfulness.

"Through both the making process and outcomes, Millie aims to encourage audiences to engage more meaningfully with design and discover joy and inspiration in everyday spaces and experiences through sustainable, thoughtful material innovation."

Student: Millie Herbert
Course: BA (Hons) Product, Furniture, Ceramics
School: University of Staffordshire

Alpine by Gwen Fabra Davies

"Rooted in the clarity of the alpine landscape, this collection draws on the quiet order of the mountains: clean lines, repeated patterns and a sense of calm.

"The textures and knits echo the rhythm of groomed snow, while a palette of ice turquoise, white and red brings a crisp, grounded energy.

"It sits somewhere between function and refinement, taking cues from traditional protective and vintage sportswear but giving it a more considered, modern feel.

"At its core, it's about translating the simplicity and structure of winter into something you can wear."

Student: Gwen Fabra Davies
Course: BA (Hons) Textiles Design with Business Studies
School: University of Brighton

The Stables, Plymouth's SARC by Katie Arnold

"This project explores the design of a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), focusing on creating a calm, non-clinical environment.

"Through trauma-informed design, the scheme prioritises privacy, dignity and emotional comfort, using natural materials and considered spatial planning to support individuals throughout each stage of their journey."

Student: Katie Arnold
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Design
School: University of Plymouth

Distorted Doilies by Eleanor Scott

"My final collection, Distorted Doilies, explores bobbin lace, looking at the outcomes, tools and objects used to create lace. I aim to inform my audience through my works about this endangered craft.

"I have always found lace and woven textile fibres fascinating, exploring how they can be translated into metal and observing the negative space that is created in lace.

"While exploring this collection, I have been able to work with Newhailes Museum, exploring their archive of lace doilies that have directly informed my work.

"Using traditional silversmithing techniques, combining the softness of fabric and lace with the strength and stability of metal through silver."

Student: Eleanor Scott
Course: BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing
School: Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh

Between Wool and Gold by Romy Philo

"Between Wool and Gold is a hand-embroidered wearable textile artwork inspired by the Greek myth, Jason and the Golden Fleece. Rather than retelling the myth directly, the piece explores its atmosphere and symbolism through texture and materiality.

"Central to the development of this piece is material manipulation, particularly needle-felted organza.

"This incorporates traditional silk shading, often described as painting with stitch, for its fineness and realism, with gold work, alongside more spontaneous mark-making. It begins with precise, refined techniques, but as the viewer's eyes travel down the piece, the stitches gradually loosen.

"The work appears to unravel, shifting from technically precise stitches to more abstract and expressive marks. Simultaneously, the materials transition from predominantly inorganic, such as metal and rayon, to increasingly organic ones, including wool, mohair and raffia.

"This gradual unravelling and introduction of natural fibres suggests a return to its organic origin, a ram's fleece. However, the gold metal threads that run throughout it maintain its foundation in mythology and magic."

Student: Romy Philo
Course: BA(Hons) Hand Embroidery
School: Royal School of Needlework

The Roundabout Way by Cat Sarabia

"I am inspired by a love for stories, imagination and finding joy in small magical moments. My work explores identity and human interaction through playfulness and humour.

"My goal is to celebrate the diversity of humanity through kindness and compassion, one story at a time."

Student: Cat Sarabia
Course: BA (Hons) Illustration (Online)
School: University of Falmouth

Weathered Landscape by Amy Roberts

"Inspired by the Welsh mountains in Abergavenny – capturing the contrast between calm and stormy conditions through texture, tone and form.

"Made from 100 per cent British wool, sourced raw from local farmers and naturally dyed by hand. This is a tactile, sensory piece exploring sustainability, material connection and comfort."

Student: Amy Roberts
Course: BA (Hons) Textile Design
School: Hereford College of Arts

Let's Imagine a Pizzeria – Children's Pretend Playset by Laura Smithson

"Single-material playsets dominate the play-pretend toy market, though their realism is limited.

"Seeking to make pretend play more meaningful, my project introduces a wider variety of materials to play with food, selected for their similar characteristics to real food and equipment.

"The collection is designed to capture an entire recipe-making process, balancing rustic theming with sensory exploration, enhancing the immersion of play for children while keeping light-hearted fun central to the experience."

Student: Laura Smithson
Course: BA Product Design
School: Sheffield Hallam University

Identity by Phuong Dung Nguyen

"I am a final-year BA (Hons) Illustration student, originally from Vietnam. I enjoy exploring and experimenting with a variety of materials, and I am continuously developing my skills across different media such as collage, clay and printmaking.

"I have a particular interest in picture books and aspire to become a mixed-media picture book illustrator.

"I am especially passionate about character design, focusing on creating cute and quirky characters in whimsical worlds inspired by Vietnamese culture as well as other cultures around the world."

Student: Phuong Dung Nguyen
Course: BA (Hons) Illustration
School: Nottingham Trent University

The Secret History of Plants and the Women Who Found Them by Hattie Taviner

"This project explores botanical history and the overlooked contributions of women working within the natural sciences.

"Through woodwork, ceramics and two-dimensional botanical imagery, it draws on the visual language of Victorian scientific study and archival cataloguing.

"Scientific forms, including a worktable and chemical apparatus, are recreated using decorated surfaces and traditionally domestic, feminine materials, creating a tension between empirical systems and ornamentation.

"Influenced by botanical illustration, museum collections and early scientific image-making, the work explores ideas of observation and preservation and questions the relationship between science, craft and femininity."

Student: Hattie Taviner
Course: BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft
School: University of Brighton

Partnership content

This school show is a partnership between Dezeen and New Designers. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.