Student wins Fashion SVP’s Designer of the Year Awards

The judging panel, led by former BFC chairman Harold Tillman, noted the “exceptional calibre of entries”, with the award continuing to gain recognition among fashion students and industry stakeholders.

“I was over the moon,” said Sky. This award is motivation to keep believing in myself and contributing what I can to innovate sustainable design practices.”

Sky joined UCA after working in the fashion industry for a couple of years, following graduation with a Diploma in Textile and Fashion Design from the Malaysian Institute of Art. 

And the design that won her the award was named ‘Pretty Ugly’ and told the story of her immigrant grandmother. It explored different sustainable practices, including no-waste pattern cutting and reworked materials.

She explained: “I always knew I had a knack for designing with, and reworking unwanted materials, but I never truly understood why. Taking a deep dive into my ancestry helped me connect the dots. My parents’ impoverished upbringing translated to me being resourceful with my ideas – that was my biggest inspiration.” 

The Designer of the Year Award was a highlight of the Fashion SVP show, which was held at Olympia in London last week. The event welcomed fashion buyers, brands and manufacturers, alongside a continued focus on education and emerging talent.

Event organisers said the 2026 edition reflected: “growing demand for both technical knowledge and new talent pipelines” across the sector.

Sky added: “Meeting and talking to other industry professionals was a highlight! It was truly a blessing to be in a room full of opportunities for young designers like me.”

Fashion SVP will return to Olympia London in November for its 20th edition.

To learn more about studying Fashion at UCA, visit the course pages.