Celebrating Emerging Talent at New Designers 2024

Our recent trip to New Designers was an inspiring journey into the future of creativity. We were blown away by the talent on display, showcasing the hard work and dedication of degree students from across the country. The creativity and innovation in their final year projects left us in awe.

For those less familiar with New Designers, it’s an annual event hosted at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. This vast and brightly lit space brings together emerging talent from universities across the UK. Open to both industry professionals and the public, the event runs for two weeks, covering a wide range of disciplines including jewellery, fashion, product design, furniture, illustration, and surface pattern.

This year, we had the absolute honour of visiting as judges for the Kindred Collaboration Award. This associate prize includes mentorship, portfolio-building advice, a work placement opportunity, and most excitingly, the commission of a Kindred collection. Our criteria for selecting the winner included a display of skill, a flair for creativity, originality, authenticity, and a strong sense of connection.

In addition to the award, we prepared our ‘Love Your Work’ badges to present to standout designers who impressed us with their fresh approach to design. These badges were a small token of our appreciation for the incredible talent we encountered.

We’ve collated an overview of the designers that truly stood out to us, each one showcasing a unique and inspiring approach to their craft.

Love Your Work Badge Acknowledgments

Sophie Mitchell

Instagram: @sophiemitchelldesigns
Nottingham Trent University, Textile Design
We loved the playful and tactile nature of Sophie’s work. The use of colour and inviting messaging really stood out as something truly unique.

Melissa Berry

Instagram: @mberrytextiles
Cardiff Metropolitan University, Textile Design
Melissa’s expressive illustration style and still life observations create fresh and contemporary designs that we couldn’t get enough of.

Franki Barber

Instagram: @franki_makes
Leeds Art University, Textile Design
The detail and charm in Franki’s breadth of illustration captivated us. We could have looked at Franki’s work all day.

Jessica Gasking

Instagram: @jessicagasking
Staffordshire University, Surface Pattern & Textile Design
Jessica’s playful designs, print techniques, and use of typography struck a beautiful balance between retro and modern—and evoked a sense of happiness.

Kindred Collaboration Award Shortlists

Safiyyah Altaf

Instagram: @safiazraaart
Swansea College of Art, Surface Pattern & Textiles
The detail and elegance of Safiyyah’s work blew us away. Each design tells a strong story, adding depth to an already beautiful collection.

Daisy Jenson

Instagram: @daisyjprint
Manchester School of Art, Textile in Practice
Daisy’s fresh and considered use of colour, shape, and pattern created a truly elevated collection that captured our curiosity and evoked joy.

Kindred Collaboration Award Winner

And finally, we were honoured to present our Kindred Collaboration Award to…

Ellie Laundy

Instagram: @the.striped.hare
Falmouth University, Textile Design
Ellie’s work showcases a beautifully curated story featuring expressive characters, bold shapes, and confident colour application. We loved how Ellie demonstrated experimentation and a true sense of expression throughout the collection.

At Kindred, we pride ourselves on partnering with artists and designers who share our values of care, creativity, and heart—and Ellie captures this perfectly. We look forward to working together on an exciting new collection.