Students named Top 40 winners of Liberty Fabrics x GFW competition

“It was honestly surreal,” explained Charmaine. “I literally had to take a minute to process the news because it felt crazy. Once the shock wore off, I was so happy, and the first thing I did was call my family to share the moment with them.

“Getting to work with their iconic fabric is both an honour and a thrill. It’s the chance to incorporate my personal perspective into something meaningful and impactful.”

Liberty asked fashion students to create a 2D submission of one full look using 1–3 designs from its Liberty Fabrics SS26 Floral Rebellion collection, utilising Liberty’s signature fabric, Tana Lawn™️ cotton.

Charmaine’s design is titled ‘Petals for the People’, and was inspired by the pioneering Black transgender activist, Marsha P. Johnson – her iconic use of flowers and spirit of self-expression.

“This piece is for anyone who wants to embrace their true self, make a bold statement, and feel empowered to be exactly who they are,” said Charmaine.

Her design, which uses ‘Punk Posy B' from the Liberty Floral Rebellion collection, consists of circular cuts to create a silhouette that feels flowy, free and unrestricted.

For someone who usually starts with a concept, not the fabric first, this reversal of the brief pushed Charmaine’s creativity in a completely new direction and made the process “incredibly fun”.

Vlad’s design was inspired by the communist regime in Eastern Europe, specifically Romanian ‘proletariat art’, which refers to the state-mandated artistic style of Socialist Realism during this era. Artists were expected to glorify the working class, industry and the Communist Party’s ideology.

“Liberty means freedom”, explained Vlad. “Understanding 'Liberty' as a concept was my favourite part of the brief because it highly pertains to my own lens on freedom; freedom of thought, of expression, of creation, something which I employ in my artistic endeavour.”

As for the design, Vlad presented a silhouette that is tight in some places and volumetric in others, symbolising the ambivalent reality and the duality of suppression and escapism.

The two students will progress to the final stage of the competition, creating their final look using Liberty’s iconic Tana Lawn (trademarked) cotton. Their finished garment will be shown in a professional catwalk show at GFW 2026 and displayed within the GFW exhibition.

Following the runway show, three overall winners will be selected by a judging panel. The winners will receive a £1,000 cash prize, a one-day immersive mentorship programme with the Liberty team, and a Liberty goody bag.

Follow @vladtabacaru_official and @charm.c_official

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