The Colourist: Bangladesh Winner announced for International Design Competition
We’re delighted to announce the winner of the Bangladesh Heat of the International Design Competition, following this year’s international heats held across the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
This year’s theme, Climate Threads, challenged participants to respond to the urgent realities of climate change through commercial thinking alongside innovative and sustainable textile design. The Bangladesh Heat showcased an exceptional approach to the brief, with the winning project demonstrating how textile innovation can address environmental challenges while supporting the economic importance of Bangladesh’s denim and ready-made garment industries.
Congratulations to the Bangladesh Heat Winner
Huge congratulations to Khadija Khatun, whose project ‘Breath of our River: A Zero-Water Waste, Anti-Microbial Denim Dyeing Model’ was selected as the overall Bangladesh winner.
Judges were impressed by the project’s innovative approach to sustainable denim dyeing, which seeks to transform environmental waste into valuable textile resources. The concept responds directly to the impact of industrial pollution and harmful algal blooms on Bangladesh’s rivers, using algae collected from waterways as a natural colour source while simultaneously exploring ways to restore balance to affected aquatic ecosystems.
Particular praise was given to the project’s thoughtful integration of locally available waste materials. Algae provides earthy olive, sage and mint green shades as an alternative to petrochemical pigments and synthetic indigo, while discarded oyster shells are used as a natural mordant and clove stems provide a tannin-rich bio-binder. The use of clove stems also introduces antimicrobial and deodorising properties, adding further functionality to the finished textile.
The project’s focus on a zero-water waste dyeing model was also recognised for its potential to combine environmental responsibility with commercial viability. By applying a specially developed natural dyeing method inspired by pad-thermofixation, the project demonstrates how existing textile processes could be reimagined to reduce water consumption and pollution without compromising the importance of denim production to Bangladesh’s economy.
The result is a compelling example of how sustainable textile innovation can address environmental challenges while also creating practical opportunities for the industry.
Looking ahead to the International Grand Final
Khadija will now go on to represent Bangladesh at the International Grand Final of the International Design Competition, hosted at the William Morris Gallery in London this November.
There, they will compete against the winners of the International Heats held across the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, India, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, bringing together emerging textile talent from around the world in celebration of innovation, sustainability, and the future of textile design.
We congratulate Khadija on this outstanding achievement and thank everyone who took part in the Bangladesh Heat for their creativity, commitment and contribution to this year’s competition.