Emerging Designers 2026: Colour & Materials Showcase

Published 28 July 2026

Author

8 min read

We spotlight the top emerging design talents innovating at the intersection of colour and materials in 2026 – those poised to shape the future colour, material and finish (CMF) landscape. With projects that safeguard craft, prioritise non-toxic materials, and harness the power of storytelling, this year’s cohort is thoughtful and defiant; attuned to nature, human emotion and cultural heritage; and resource-conscious in practice.

Nature-Attuned Design

Material- & Process-Led Practitioners

Material Memories & Narratives

Driven by a need to reconnect with nature, this year’s cohort attunes their designs to the natural world and its rhythms, while others actively collaborate with living systems. Explorations in natural palettes, sensory design and biotechnology seek to improve the experiences and making of everyday products and environments.

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Themes of mass-production, rising AI usage and mounting waste challenges spur creatives to home in on slow processes, where materials and techniques guide final outcomes. Waste streams provide ample opportunities across disciplines, while explorations in unexpected aesthetics and materiality bring novelty to products and surfaces.

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A reflective and emotive narrative runs through many of this year’s projects, with graduates turning childhood nostalgia, family memories, intimate social experiences, complex stories and hybrid cultural identities into captivating designs. Elsewhere, traditional craft is modernised to maintain relevance for new generations.

Emerging Designers 2026: Colour & Materials Showcase

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Topics

Accessories

Active

Art & Design

Colour

Craft

Home & Interiors

Materials

Menswear

Packaging & Graphics

Print & Pattern

Race and Cultural Diversity

Textiles

Womenswear

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