Following the Only Natural Awards Evening on 15 September, the seven winners of the Only Natural 2026 Student Design Competition spent three days exhibiting their work at Material Matters London (15-17 September) – a design exhibition held during the London Design Festival.
Now celebrating its fifth London edition, the Material Matters London moved this year to UNLOCKED Shoreditch, a former industrial warehouse on Curtain Road.. Over three days it welcomed 3,072 visitors and brought together global brands, emerging designers and material innovators with the architects, commissioners and manufacturers who decide which materials get used.
The winning projects were chosen from 380 entries across 60 countries. They ranged from a hand-braided cowhide dress and a chair made from raw British Romney wool to a modular bamboo lighting system and fine jewellery crafted from golden grass and naturally dyed fish scales. Next to them, a dedicated Co-operators’ Corner introduced visitors to the six U.S. natural material trade bodies that make Only Natural possible.
Overall Home Winner Tanmay Bhavsar, for VALAY, said: “Hosting us and creating such a wonderful platform for exchanging ideas and knowledge meant a great deal to me. It truly was a wonderful experience and I’m so grateful to have been part of it.”
Overall Fashion Winner Ana Luisa Braun Rodrigues, for Shimmer Jewellery, added: “Natural materials help designers to think outside of the box. I never imagined that one day I would create a bracelet made of fish scales!”
Amanda Symm, of the Leather & Hide Council of America, representing Only Natural, said: “Our seven winners come from different cultures and design disciplines, but they share a commitment to putting natural materials at the heart of their work. Their creativity gives us real confidence in the future of responsible design.”
Visit our socials to see more from the exhibition.
