Tex+ Supporting New Textile Talent Returns to London
Britain’s premier platform for emerging textile designers is back after a five-year gap. The cream of textile talent emerging from colleges across the UK were given their own TEX+ showcase last week in London at Chelsea College of Arts.
Formerly known as Texprint and then TexSelect, the event was revived this year under the new name of TEX+. In 2019, TexSelect took the difficult decision to close as key personnel retired and funding became challenging.
TEX+ aims to bridge the gap between education and the textile industry by offering mentorship, internships and business connections. TEX+ also maintains a networking platform for professionals and recent graduates, creating a supportive community for young designers.
Image courtesy of Bonnie Magee. Image courtesy of Scarlett Farrer.
Over 50 years, in its previous incarnations, TEX+ has interviewed more than 10,000 young textile designers and supported more than 1,250 to make new connections and find their start in the industry.
The revived event, at Chelsea College of Arts (10-12 July 2024) featured 25 young graduate textile designers. Seven prizes and five TEX+ accolades were awarded to nine of the selected designers, each bringing an engaging, creative vision to the textile design landscape.
We spoke to some of the prize winners, who were universally enthusiastic about the benefits of the revived showcase.
Image: Rock Lobster by Frederica Marlow.
Bonnie Magee, Sanderson Art in Industry Trust Prize and the TEX+ Arts Award
After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art, Bonnie learned about the TEX+ from her tutors. She won the prestigious Sanderson Art in Industry Trust Prize and the TEX+ Arts Award. Reflecting, Bonnie said: “With the Sanderson Prize, you receive prize money that I am putting towards getting an overlocker, which will help me carry on without the university’s facilities.”
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