The Colourist: India Winner announced for International Design Competition
We’re delighted to announce the winner of the India Heat of the International Design Competition, following this year’s international heats held across the UK, 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 India Heat showcased a strong range of creative responses to the brief, with the winning project drawing inspiration from one of nature’s most overlooked forms: fungi.
Congratulations to the India Heat Winner
Huge congratulations to Ms Antara Dhore, a third-year Fashion Design student at MKSSS‘s, School of Fashion Technology, Pune, whose project ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’ was selected as the overall India winner.
Antara’s project takes inspiration from fungi, exploring the intricate textures, layered structures, irregular forms and unexpected colour combinations found in fungi growing beneath forests and on fallen wood.
Often associated with decay or viewed as something without value, fungi became the starting point for Antara’s exploration of the beauty and creative potential that can be found in nature’s most overlooked corners.
Through the project, Antara challenges us to look differently at what is often ignored. The organic forms and varied textures found in fungi provide a rich source of visual inspiration, while their ability to grow and transform in unexpected environments reflects themes of resilience, transformation and imperfection.
The resulting concept celebrates the uncommon and encourages a greater appreciation of the natural world, demonstrating how inspiration for textile and fashion design can be found in places that are easily overlooked.
Antara’s work offers a thoughtful interpretation of this year’s theme, using the visual language of nature to explore ideas around transformation, resilience and finding beauty in the unexpected.
Looking ahead to the International Grand Final
Antara will now go on to represent India at the International Grand Final of the International Design Competition, hosted at the William Morris Gallery in London this November.
There, she will compete against the winners of the International Heats, bringing together emerging textile talent from around the world in celebration of innovation, sustainability and the future of textile design.
We congratulate Antara on this outstanding achievement and thank everyone who took part in the India Heat for their creativity, commitment and contribution to this year’s competition.