Five world-renowned creative luminaries gathered at Texprint London last week, the presentation of the best new graduate textile designers from the UK, to select the winners of five special prizes (pictured right). The judging panel comprised:

• Sophie Steller - knitwear studio chief and head of creative development at SPINEXPO
• Stuart Stockdale - design director of the great British women's and men's brand Jaeger.
• Sue Timney - textile designer, interior decorator and stylist, founder of Timney-Fowler.
• David Shah - founder of View Publications which publishes the industry bible Textile View.
• Orla Kiely - the creative force behind the eponymous interiors and fashion brand.

The experts reviewed the work of the 24 selected textile designers,  working in knit, print, weave,  stitch and mixed media, who are taking part in this year's mentoring and career development programme. They chose four special winners, each of whom will receive a £1,000 prize, sponsored by The Clothworkers' Foundation and Liberty Art Fabrics:

• David Bradley from the Royal College of Art wins the Body prize, awarded to the best fashion fabric
• Harriet Toogood from the University of Brighton wins the Space prize, for the best interiors fabric
• Emma Shipley from the Royal College of Art wins the Pattern prize
• Chloe Hamblin from Chelsea College of Art wins the Colour prize

David Shah commented on the winners' work on behalf of the judges: "There is some very impressive work here. The future of the European textiles is about craft and sustainability and originality. It's exciting to see some much great new design."

In addition to these four winners, Sophie Steller chose six further designers to take part in the SPINEXPO Travel Prize:

• Egle Vaituleviciute from Chelsea College of Art
• Karina Klucnika from London Metropolitan University
• Harri Batty from Buckinghamshire New University
• Catherine Tremellen from the Royal College of Art
• Lauren Bowker from the Royal College of Art
• Amy Jo Lewis from the Royal College of Art

The 10 designers will travel to Shanghai, September 6-8, 2011, to show their work at the exhibition of fibres, yarns and knitted fabrics at SPINEXPO.

All 24 carefully-selected designers were presented to sponsors, press and key decision-makers and leading creatives in the fashion and interiors markets by Texprint's chairman, Barbara Kennington, who thanked the judges for their careful deliberation and expertise in selecting prize winners.

Texprint London - a gallery-style display focusing on key pieces by each new talent - is a one day only event on Thursday 14 July from 9am to 7.30pm at Chelsea College of Art & Design, Pimlico, London SW1P 4JU. The designers' full collections will be available to view on request.

Following the trip to Shanghai, all 24 designers will present their work at Indigo, Paris, the textile design exhibition which is part of Première Vision Pluriel, September 20-22, 2011. While at Indigo, the designers' work will be judged for the Woolmark Texprint Award in support of Campaign for Wool - a new prize recognising design excellence in fabrics created with 60% or more Merino wool.

www.texprint.org.uk