Heriot-Watt Degree Show to display designs inspired by the world
From fashion engineered for natural disasters to collections designed around lived experience and wellbeing, Heriot-Watt University’s annual Degree Show returns this week with a powerful showcase of creative, socially responsive design.
Hosted at the University’s School of Textiles and Design in Galashiels, the event celebrates the creative achievements of graduating Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from across six different design disciplines.
This year’s show will take place in the newly refurbished High Mill building, offering visitors the chance to experience innovative student work within the historic converted textile mill where the School is based in the heart of the Scottish Borders.
What makes this exhibition particularly exciting is the confidence with which students are challenging convention, experimenting with form and purpose, and proposing design-led solutions to real-world issues.
It is open to the public free of charge from Saturday 23 to Saturday 30 May (closed Sunday 24 May), between 10am and 5pm
On display will be more than 90 exhibitions from 100 students, alongside live fashion shows at 12.00pm and 2.00pm on Saturday 23, highlighting some of the most ambitious and thought‑provoking collections produced this year. Members of the public, industry professionals and media are warmly invited to attend.
Professor Fiona Grant, Executive Dean of the School of Textiles and Design at Heriot-Watt University said: “This year’s Degree Show is a powerful reflection of how our students are engaging with the world around them.
“Their work is inspired by everything from personal identity and mental health to climate resilience, inclusivity and sustainable production. What makes this exhibition particularly exciting is the confidence with which students are challenging convention, experimenting with form and purpose, and proposing design-led solutions to real-world issues.
“Presenting this work in the newly refurbished High Mill building marks an important moment for our School and provides a fitting stage for the exceptional talent graduating this year.”
The students showcasing their work are graduating from six undergraduate programmes. These are BA Fashion, BA Design for Textiles, BSc Fashion Technology, BA Interior Architecture & Design, BA Communication Design and BA Fashion Branding & promotion. Students from four postgraduate degrees will also be exhibiting. These are MA Fashion and Textiles Design; MSC Fashion & Textiles Management; MA Interior Architecture and Design, and MA Design Management.
This year’s Show reflects students’ engagement with major global and social issues, combining creative excellence with critical enquiry and technical innovation.
Highlights include clothing thoughtfully crafted for natural disaster evacuations in response to the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. The collection has been designed by Marina Logan, a Glasgow‑based Fashion Technology student whose graduate showcase integrates practical features such as e‑textiles, built‑in lighting, face masks, modular garments and secure attachment points, drawing on research with first responders and humanitarian organisations including the Australian Red Cross.
She explains the motivation behind her collection, saying: “With climate change getting worse and natural disasters becoming more frequent, I wanted to design clothing that helps people evacuate quickly and safely. It’s about removing the panic of ‘what do I wear?’ and giving people peace of mind when every second counts. You can just leave the house as fast as possible, already wearing something that will help you. You don’t have to worry about torches, batteries or what to pack – it’s all built in.”
Exploring how tartan has been perceived and reinterpreted through history is the focus of a new display by Fashion Branding and Promotion student Lif Bailey. Tartan Through Time reimagines traditional Scottish tartan as both a creative and cultural tool, bringing people together through workshops, community-led activities and shared design experiences.
At the heart of the display is a framed piece featuring tartans created by people across Scotland, each reflecting personal stories and meanings. Alongside this, Lif has developed a prototype kit that allows participants to design and create their own tartan.
Lif explains: “Tartan connects people more than we often realise. Yet the craft is at risk, as skills and knowledge are lost and authenticity begins to fade. I believe that by working together, we can reinvent and sustain this tradition for the future.”
Professor Richard A. Williams, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, said: “The Degree Show is always a highlight in the University calendar, celebrating the imagination, skill and determination of our students as they take the final step in their academic journey.
“This year’s exhibition is especially meaningful for me, as it will be my final Degree Show in my capacity as Principal and Vice-Chancellor before I stand down later this year. To see such bold, thoughtful and socially engaged work presented in the beautifully refurbished High Mill building is a source of immense pride.
“Our graduates leave Heriot-Watt equipped not only with outstanding creative and technical ability, but with a deep understanding of how design can shape a better, more sustainable and inclusive future.”
Heriot-Watt School of Textiles and Design is a centre of excellence in design and dates back to 1883, when classes in weaving, dyeing and chemistry were introduced to train workers for the local textiles industry.
Honorary Graduates include the late British fashion icon Dame Vivienne Westwood.
The Scottish Borders is at the heart of Scotland's luxury textile and design industry and is home to manufacturers including Barrie, one of Scotland's oldest cashmere knitting manufacturers. It was acquired in 2012 by French luxury fashion house Chanel.