Image: Tajda Drazic
This January, Only Natural returns for its third year, challenging the next generation of designers to place natural materials at the heart of their work and help shape a more responsible future for design.
Since launching in 2024, Only Natural has grown into a global platform connecting students, educators and industry around a shared belief – that design must move away from synthetic, disposable systems and towards materials that work in balance with the natural world.
The 2026 competition opens for entries on January 12, welcoming current students and recent graduates from around the world.
Why Only Natural?
Fashion, furniture and interiors are still built on extractive, short-term systems. Synthetic, oil-derived materials dominate production. Products are designed to be replaced, not repaired.
Only Natural exists to challenge this status quo. The competition champions natural materials and asks emerging designers to question what design is for, and who it should serve. It is not just about creating more. It is about creating with care, intention and longevity.
Supported by leading natural fibre and material organisations representing hemp, wool, hardwood, softwood, mohair and leather, Only Natural offers more than a brief. It provides a platform for young designers to be seen and heard and to be part of a growing global movement.
The 2026 brief
Entrants are invited to create a beautiful, durable design that places natural materials at the centre of creativity. Work should celebrate the inherent qualities of natural fibres and materials, offering a clear alternative to throwaway fashion and interiors.
Submissions are open across two competition streams:
- Fashion – apparel, accessories and footwear
- Home – furniture and interiors
Designs must be made primarily from natural materials, such as wool, hemp, leather, wood, cotton, linen or innovative nature-based alternatives. Pieces should be designed to last, with consideration for repair, reuse or recycling.
Judges will be looking for originality, strong conceptual thinking, cultural relevance and a clear, thoughtful approach to sustainability.
Who can enter?
The competition is open to:
- Current higher education students
- Recent graduates who completed their studies within the past two years
Previous entrants are welcome to re-enter.
What to expect
Entries will be reviewed by an international panel spanning design, sustainability and education. Category winners, overall winners and a People’s Choice Award winner will be selected, with shortlisted work showcased to a global audience.
Winners will be invited to the 2026 Only Natural Awards event later in the year, where emerging talent and the power of natural materials will be celebrated together.
Full judging panel announcements will be shared soon.
Key dates
- Competition opens: January 12, 2026
- Entry deadline: June 30, 2026
- Awards event: Autumn 2026 (date and venue tbc)
Join the movement
Only Natural is more than a competition. It is a movement rethinking how materials are valued in design education and practice.
If you want to challenge the systems you’ve inherited and explore what design becomes when nature leads, the 2026 competition opens soon.
Entries open January 12.
Register now to be ready when the competition launches.
