Dezeen School Shows: a sustainable knitwear collection that mimics the textures of moss, bark and mushrooms is among the student projects from this year's New Designer showcase.
Also featured is a sculpture collection that explores industrial pipework forms, and a multimedia project that aims to raise awareness of the emotional impact of menstrual disorders.
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."
Circular Order Brooch by Gina Tang
"Arrangement is not only a structural logic, but also a kind of beauty that invites repeated looking and touching.
"This project aims to make the viewer feel curious – wanting to come closer, to touch or even gently move the piece, and notice the small, less obvious changes.
"Each piece is designed to be interacted with, responding to the wearer's movement – sometimes through structural shifts, sometimes through a very soft sound – rather than to function as decoration.
"These quiet, almost accidental moments of discovery are what the project is ultimately about."
Student: Gina Tang
Course: BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing
School: Edinburgh College of Art, University of Edinburgh
Lounge by Joshua Watson
"This project introduces a new approach to outdoor living, with a refined and sophisticated seating design.
"Foldable for easy storage, Lounge is built to last, and is a product for all seasons."
Student: Joshua Watson
Course: BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design
School: Kingston University
Hybridism by Fay Markopoulou
"This ceramic collection reflects the richness and contradictions of cultural identity. Memories, influences and experiences from different places are brought together to create a single ceramic piece.
"By mixing and contrasting different clay bodies and surface treatments, the work reflects on the complexities of living between cultures, never fully belonging to one or the other.
"Each piece becomes a personal record of disruption and belonging, inviting viewers to reflect on their own cultural journeys."
Student: Fay Markopoulou
Course: HE Ceramics
School: Morley College
'Don't you just love coffee!' The Amara CM29WS Next Generation Premium Coffee Machine by Anna Lynch
"This project combines the convenience of coffee pod systems with the quality and ritual of fresh bean-to-cup brewing.
"Prioritising quiet operation, sustainability and an intuitive user experience, the coffee machine integrates fresh grinding with carefully selected recyclable components.
"Developed through an iterative process, the design refines both form and function to deliver an elevated coffee experience for contemporary homes."
Student: Anna Lynch
Course: BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design
School: Swansea College of Art
Split by Rebecca and Lauren Ketchell
"Split is a collaborative animated odyssey, following two twins separated into parallel worlds, searching for individuality while inevitably finding their way back to each other.
"Combining Blender animation, digital sculpting and traditional painted textures, the project explores themes of identity, twinhood and connection through a dystopian, haunted, psychedelic pop-culture landscape.
"The intriguing and mysterious narrative opens up the emotional cadence that exists between twins.
"Drawing on wider social and cultural issues such as belonging and loss, the film is underpinned by personal reflections on the uncertainty of the contemporary world."
Students: Rebecca and Lauren Ketchell
Course: BA (Hons) Illustration
School: Arts University Bournemouth
The London Stadium Sustainable Redesign by Ella Smith
"This project is a sustainable redesign of London Stadium, UK, focusing on five key areas: the showroom, VIP lounge, home changing room, music centre stage and roof.
"Each area is driven by sustainable design choices and a modern aesthetic, enhancing user experience while promoting West Ham Football Club's brand identity throughout.
"Home to West Ham and host to large-scale concerts, the stadium serves a wide demographic through an immersive experience across all its spaces."
Student: Ella Smith
Course: BA (Hons) Interior Design
School: Southampton Solent University
Orchids by Marisa Thorogood
"This project was inspired by a visit to the Kew Gardens Orchid Festival in London, UK.
"Drawing from the vivid colours and intricate structures of orchids, the project explores bold print design through observational drawing and hand-drawn motifs.
"These were developed into vibrant repeat patterns and screen-printed, alongside a series of single screen prints that embrace striking colour combinations, intended to bring energy and joy to everyday spaces."
Student: Marisa Thorogood
Course: BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
School: Manchester School of Art
Industry Interwoven by Joseph Robinson
"This collection of tabletop sculptures is designed to showcase the pleasing utilitarian forms that can be found within the often overlooked and discarded sites of our industrial past.
"These mazes of pipes and infrastructure were designed to be functional, and this project celebrates their aesthetic appeal."
Student: Joseph Robinson
Course: BA (Hons) Artist Blacksmithing
School: Hereford College of Arts
Cycles of Sadness by Zehra Saygi
"This project explores the emotional realities of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a condition that remains widely misunderstood despite its significant impact on mental health and wellbeing.
"Inspired by the continued dismissal of women's health concerns and the lengthy delays many experience before receiving a diagnosis, the project aims to create awareness through emotional engagement rather than clinical explanation.
"Through moving image, exhibition prints and poetry, the work visualises feelings of repetition, isolation, exhaustion and vulnerability associated with PMDD.
"A restrained visual language and quiet pacing encourage reflection on the often invisible nature of menstrual-linked mental illness.
"Cycles of Sadness invites viewers to consider how women's experiences are perceived, understood and supported, while creating space for recognition, conversation and empathy."
Student: Zehra Saygi
Course: BA (Hons) Graphics and Illustration
School: Cambridge School of Visual and Performing Arts
Flora and Fibre by Holly Bint
"This project explores the relationship between sustainability, nature and contemporary high-end knitwear.
"Inspired by the landscapes of Dartmoor, UK, the collection translates organic textures, colours and formations into tactile, sculptural knitted samples.
"Research into mushrooms, moss, tree bark and natural surface patterns informed experimental knitted structures and silhouettes.
"Using British wool, deadstock lambswool, mohair and natural dye techniques, the project embraces mindful material choices and slower processes.
"Influenced by research into high-end contemporary knitwear, the collection combines technical experimentation with refined construction.
"Flora and Fibre challenges perceptions of sustainable fashion, demonstrating how responsible sourcing and natural fibres can exist within a high-end context."
Student: Holly Bint
Course: BA (Hons) Textiles Design with Business Studies
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.