SUPIMA hosted its second annual Supima Design Lab on November 5 at LAVAN Studios in New York City, bringing together emerging and established global design talent for a showcase celebrating creativity, craftsmanship and the versatility of American-grown Pima cotton. The presentation featured collections from the 2026 Supima Design Competition finalists, designers from the Festival d'Hyères and select international designers. Talia Bourne of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago was named the 2026 competition winner, receiving a $10,000 prize for her collection exploring the concept of entanglement.
NEW YORK, Nov. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SUPIMA, the non-profit luxury brand dedicated to promoting American-grown Pima cotton worldwide, proudly announced Talia Bourne of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as the winner of the 2026 Supima Design Competition during the second annual Supima Design Lab, held on November 5 at LAVAN Studios in New York City.
Hosted by renowned photographer, filmmaker, and fashion industry icon Nigel Barker, the evening brought together emerging and established global design talent for a dynamic celebration of creativity, innovation, and craftsmanship. Following the success of its inaugural combined format in 2025, SUPIMA once again united its annual Supima Design Competition and Supima Design Lab for one immersive showcase.
Guests experienced a presentation-style showcase featuring collections from the 2026 Supima Design Competition finalists, emerging designers from the prestigious Festival d'Hyères, and a select group of leading international designers. Each collection incorporated SUPIMA's signature American-grown Pima cotton, renowned for its exceptional softness, durability, and lasting color, highlighting the fiber's versatility across a range of design perspectives.
The evening culminated with Talia Bourne being named the 2026 Supima Design Competition winner, earning a $10,000 prize for her collection exploring the concept of entanglement. Inspired by the lifecycle of knots as they unravel, the collection showcased the transformation of each piece through the manipulation of fabric over time. Developed through a months-long mentorship program led by CFDA Award-winning designer Bibhu Mohapatra, the finalist collections showcased the next generation of fashion talent through original eveningwear designs that demonstrated exceptional craftsmanship and innovative approaches to SUPIMA cotton.
2026 Supima Design Competition Finalists:
- Changshin Park | Fashion Institute of Technology
- Elias Frost | Drexel University
- Tay Freeman | Parsons School of Design, The New School
- Xingyi Liu | Pratt Institute
- Adelynn Prushing | Kent State University
- Talia Bourne | School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2026 Festival d'Hyères Finalists:
- Brais Albor Rodriguez | Italy
- Dieter Vlasich Obermann | Mexico-Germany
- Farnia Salim | Iran
- Jennifer Milleder | Austria
- Loïs Cousin | France
- Matil Vanlint | Belgium
- Rachel Luurssen | Netherlands
- Sofia Castellon | Mexico-USA
- Xiao Xu | China
- Yui Chen | China
2026 Leading International Designers:
- AFEW Rahul Mishra | India
- Jane Wade | New York
- Lucas Emilio Brunner | Switzerland-Chile
- Vautrait | Italy
- Youssef Drissi – LATE FOR WORK | Morocco
All designer information and assets are linked here.
The 2026 Supima Design Lab showcased SUPIMA's continued commitment to nurturing emerging talent and fostering collaboration across the global fashion community, while highlighting the exceptional quality and versatility of American-grown Pima cotton. This year's 19th Supima Design Competition collections were evaluated by an esteemed panel of returning and new judges, including Abby Silverman, Claire Stern Milch, Elliot Duprey, Evan Hirsch, Fern Mallis, Freya Drohan, Heidi Bivens, Jerome Lamaar, Kevin Huynh, Laura Pitcher, Lisa Lockwood, Jason Rembert, Susan Alexandra, Aaron Royce, Kelly Augustine, and Natalie Lim Suarez.
PHOTOS
Link to download event images / Photo Credit: Matthew Carasella
ABOUT SUPIMA
SUPIMA is America's luxury cotton: founded in 1954, the SUPIMA brand, short for "Superior Pima", designates an elite variety of Pima cotton sustainably grown only in the West and the Southwest U.S. It is prized the world over by designers and discerning consumers who value its resilient strength, lasting color, and indulgent softness.
SUPIMA PRESS CONTACTS:
Paul Wilmot Communications
Jane Son | json@paulwilmot.com
Julia Ely | jely@paulwilmot.com
Lizzie Carney | lcarney@paulwilmot.com
Media Contact
Julia Ely, Supima, 1 212.206.7447 6428, supima@paulwilmot.com
SOURCE Supima
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