7 April 2026
in  

The Ashford Award Winners for 2026

We are delighted to announce the winner of the 2026 Ashford Award is designer Belinda Gredig,  based in Mönchengladbach, Germany. 

With an academic background in fashion design from Central Saint Martins, University of Arts, London, and textile design specialising in weaving from the Swedish School of Textiles, Belinda Gredig is a designer revolutionising how textiles and fashion mesh together. Belinda’s love of textiles has led to her using some unusual materials to create her designs such as nettles and glass. She says, “While sitting at the spinning wheel or loom, it gives me the opportunity to explore different ways of thinking-making, through maneuvering between disciplines, working from fibre towards form – handweaving-to-form”.

The Bilbao International Art and Fashion (BIAAF) awarded her the Fashion Design award in 2024 for her innovative design uniquely hand woven from glass and hand carded and spun nettle.

Belinda is now working towards her PhD in the fields of textiles and fashion and is preparing a collection for her application to the 42nd International Festival of Fashion in 2027, in Hyeres, France.

As her Ashford Award prize, Belinda will receive an e-Carder and an e-Spinner to help her expand her range of innovative textiles.

The Runner Up is “Spinning for Calm” . The non-profit Mobile Fiber Arts, LLC, from Ramona, CA,  USA, in association with the US Veterans Administration, use the fibre arts as therapy for veterans with mental health and  physical challenges. Their goal is to help as many vets, along with their families, as possible  by providing equipment and teachers in a mobile fibre arts classroom.  

We look forward to following your progress.

Elizabeth and Richard, James and David