Nilufar Islam, the final year student from Heriot-Watt's School of Textiles and Design who won the 2014 Bemz Design Award, is about to see the fruits of her work at Bemz.com, as her winning textile design is made available for purchase as sofa covers, chair covers, bedcovers and curtains.
"Having my designs sold by a global company is something many students dream of and for me this is now a reality. I hope to gain as much real industry knowledge as possible and develop all aspects of my design skills to help me make further progress towards my future career in the fashion industry."
The UK competition, which invited students to submit their creations for a new fabric for the Bemz range, was won by Nilufar from Edinburgh (23).
Almost 6,000 people voted for her 'A Bird's Tale' design, inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement, helping her to secure the top slot in the UK. The design is now in production as a Bemz textile product, alongside designers including Marimekko and Designers Guild, within the extensive Bemz range of colours and patterns.
Nilufar said, "Winning the UK Bemz Design Award has been a fantastic experience. I've been very lucky to be given the opportunity to launch 'A Bird's Tale' alongside long-established designers.
"Having my designs sold by a global company is something many students dream of and for me this is now a reality. I hope to gain as much real industry knowledge as possible and develop all aspects of my design skills to help me make further progress towards my future career in the fashion industry."
The successful designs from the Bemz Design Award are now in production.
The fabrics are available at Bemz.com