From the Sector

Following the success of its inaugural year, MAXXAM®, the iconic textile brand founded by visionary designer and inventor Rosemary Moore, once again joins forces with Graduate Fashion Foundation (GFF) to launch the second edition of their innovative national design competition. Building on the momentum, creativity, and exceptional talent showcased last year, the 2025/26 competition invites fashion students across the UK and internationally to reimagine the future of womenswear using MAXXAM’s celebrated seamless, four-way stretch textiles.

Open to second- and final-year students from GFF member universities, the competition challenges entrants to create a trend-led womenswear S/S 2027 capsule collection. This year’s brief places a stronger spotlight on interchangeable, multipurpose athleisure-inspired pieces, with particular emphasis on swimwear, honouring MAXXAM’s heritage as the textile that redefined body-con dressing and one-size-fits-all silhouettes. Students are encouraged to explore new stripe variations, jacquards, surface effects and sustainable design strategies, reflecting the brand’s ongoing commitment to low-waste manufacturing and its transition toward bio-based fibres.
 
First created in the early 1980s, MAXXAM® became a global phenomenon for its distinctive crinkle texture, technical innovation and body-inclusive fit, earning its place in popular culture, on international runways, and even in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Today, MAXXAM continues to evolve, with new textures, scuba-inspired surfaces and sustainable yarn developments offering designers fresh creative opportunities. 

Rosemary Moore, inventor of the original MAXXAM® fabric said, “We are excited once more to be part of GFW It was a real pleasure connecting to the new generation of students last year and supporting them through the creative and the manufacturing process, we are aiming this year to also take them behind the scenes of our textile manufacturing in the midlands, especially if they offer creative concepts we can put into practice for them.”

Three finalists will be selected to produce one full look from their submitted range, working hands-on with MAXXAM Textiles and its UK manufacturing partners. These final looks will be showcased at Graduate Fashion Week 2026, displayed within the exhibition and modelled on the catwalk during the prestigious Gala Show.

From these finalists, Rosemary Moore will name one overall winner, who will be awarded a trophy live on the Gala runway on 18 June 2026, alongside a £250 cash prize and further industry mentoring experiences. There is also the potential for winning designs to be considered for future commercial development. 

Students are encouraged to document their design journey online, sharing updates, videos and in-progress work using #MaxxamXGFW.