The US Embassy in London was suitably transformed into a natural, lush green garden setting to celebrate the winners of the inaugural Only Natural Student Design Competition. 

Attracting more than 400 entrants from 68 countries in its first year, in the Fashion section Molly Wade won the Apparel category and the title of Overall Fashion Winner with her project titled Shenn Vyrneen Aym’ (An old love of mine). 

Wade, an MFA Fashion Design graduate from the London College of Fashion is now working for Vivienne Westwood. She won with a design incorporated wool, shearling sheepskin and regenerative leather.

Other category winners included Ashraful Alam (Fashion) taking the People’s Choice Award, Zachary Berry (Footwear), Anjala Shamla Shajan (Accessories).

In the Home section, Sam Bird Smith was awarded the Interiors category and Overall Home Winner title for his project Phyto. Bird Smith studies at Nottingham Trent University.

The competition was judged by a panel of industry experts comprising of Alex Brownless (CEO, Arts Thread), Grant Gibson, Edwin Ryder, Ana Del Rio, Jens Laugesen (London-based award-winning Danish fashion designer) and Nikita Jayasuriya (leader in sustainability initiatives for top fashion brands).
 
Alex Brownless, CEO of Arts Thread, said: “The Only Natural competition has set a new standard for sustainable design. The ingenuity and craftsmanship displayed by all the entrants show the extraordinary potential of natural materials to drive a more sustainable future in fashion and home design. I am thrilled to see so many young designers embracing the challenge and delivering truly beautiful and thoughtful designs.”