Profile: QILING LIANG – Only Natural Design Competitions

QILING LIANG

University of Westminster

Qiling Liang is a London-based designer whose work is driven by a simple question: how can natural materials help us create more meaningful and lasting relationships with the objects we live with? Originally from China, she holds an MA in Textile Design from the Royal College of Art and is currently pursuing a second Master's degree in Fashion Business Management at the University of Westminster. Combining creative practice with strategic thinking, she explores how craftsmanship, material innovation, and sustainability can shape the future of design. Her practice investigates the emotional and cultural value of making, drawing from Chinese handcraft traditions, biomaterial research, and sustainable design principles. Working across textiles, fashion, and handcrafted floral art, she develops designs that celebrate natural materials, slow processes, and human connection. Rather than creating products for short-term consumption, Qiling aims to design objects that can be treasured, repaired, and remembered. Her work reflects a belief that craftsmanship is not only a method of production, but also a way of preserving culture, emotion, and the relationship between people and nature.

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Eichhornia crassipes

Category: Accessories

Competitions: Fashion Competition 2026

Eichhornia Crassipes is a sustainable jewellery collection developed from water hyacinth, one of the world’s most invasive aquatic plant species. While water hyacinth is capable of absorbing pollutants and improving water quality, its uncontrolled growth disrupts ecosystems, blocks waterways, reduces biodiversity, and creates significant environmental challenges. This project explores how an ecological problem can be transformed into a valuable natural resource through design. The material was harvested, cleaned, dried, processed into fibres and composite boards, and tested for durability, density, and biodegradability. Through a series of material experiments, water hyacinth was transformed into a biodegradable material suitable for jewellery production. Digital fabrication and hand-finishing techniques were combined to create a collection of contemporary jewellery inspired by the plant’s natural growth patterns. Rather than treating invasive species as waste, the project proposes a circular design approach that converts environmental burden into meaningful products. By connecting material innovation, craftsmanship, and ecological awareness, Eichhornia Crassipes demonstrates how design can contribute to more regenerative relationships between people and nature.