Image: Tyla Groeninckx (2025 Fashion Competition Entry)
Only Natural is pleased to unveil the judging panels for its 2026 International Student Design Competition. This year’s selection brings together a dynamic group of voices from across fashion, design, media and material innovation – and reflects the growing reach and influence of the movement that connects students with figures who are actively shaping the future of design.
Each judge brings a distinct perspective, grounded in a shared commitment to advancing natural materials as the foundation for responsible, long-lasting design.
FASHION JUDGING PANEL
The 2026 Fashion panel is composed of a cross-section of cultural voices, from media and education to independent design practice.
Andrea Cheong
A leading voice in fashion sustainability, Andrea is a social media creator and author of the bestselling Why Don’t I Have Anything To Wear? Through her Fashion Our Future platform, she has built a global audience around transparency, garment care and conscious consumption. Her work focuses on empowering consumers to understand how clothing is made, encouraging longer-lasting relationships with what we wear.
Ana Del Rio
Award-winning British/Spanish designer Anais known for her contemporary approach to leathercraft, combining heritage techniques with experimental surface treatments. Based at Cockpit in London, her work sits at the intersection of craft, material innovation and wearable art, with a practice grounded in both technical excellence and material sensitivity.
Lara Jensen
Fashion and costume designer Lara brings extensive experience across performance, music and film. A Senior Lecturer in Costume for Performance at London College of Fashion, her work bridges education and industry, offering a deep understanding of how design operates across disciplines and contexts. Her clients include Lady Gaga, Madonna and Beyonce.
Mor Elfassy
Designer and Only Natural 2025 Overall Fashion Award winner, Mor represents the next generation of material-led design. Her practice centres on timeless garments created from high-quality natural materials, with a focus on longevity, precision and minimalism.
HOME JUDGING PANEL
The Home panel draws together the breadth of contemporary design thinking, spanning journalism, curation, architecture and design.
Amy Frearson
An architecture and design journalist, Amy works across digital media, publishing and live events. As editor-at-large for Dezeen, she brings a global perspective on design, with a particular focus on innovation, sustainability and emerging practices.
Grant Gibson
Writer, editor and founder of Material Matters, Grant is a leading voice in design and materials discourse. Through his podcast and writing, he explores the role materials play in shaping our world, making him a longstanding advocate for material intelligence in design.
Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng
Norwegian designer Anna works between art and design, creating sculptural objects that foreground material presence and process. Her work challenges conventional ideas of function, encouraging deeper emotional and physical connections to objects.
William Knight
Co-founder of Material Matters and a key figure in the UK design landscape, William has spent over two decades shaping major design events including London Design Festival and Clerkenwell Design Week. His work continues to champion the role of materials in driving innovation and industry change.
Yu Watanabe
Designer and Only Natural 2025 Overall Home Competition winner, Yu brings a research-led approach to design, exploring the intersection of materials, technology and social impact. His work reflects the competition’s ethos – using design as a tool to address complex global challenges.
A PANEL SHAPING THE FUTURE OF DESIGN
Together, the 2026 judging panels bring a collective of thinkers, makers and communicators who understand that material choice sits at the heart of design’s future.
As Only Natural continues to grow, the strength and diversity of its judging panel remains central to its impact – ensuring that the next generation of designers is recognised, supported and challenged to think differently.
Entries for the Only Natural 2026 Student Design Competition are now open.
