Heriot-Watt students showcase sustainable and locally inspired designs

Heriot-Watt University showcased student designs inspired by the Scottish Borders at its 2025 School of Textiles and Design Degree Show.

Around 140 students from Scotland, France, Poland, the Czech Republic, India, Malaysia and the United States took part.

The show displayed textile designs, interior designs, fashion garments, digital designs and design management work at the High Mill building in Galashiels.

Projects included compostable clothing, a photographic book on ocean waste, garments with musical microchips, a medical centre inspired by beehives and a children’s book about wool.

Sasha MacAulay, a fashion technology student from Fife, created a range of fully compostable garments made from natural materials like Harris Tweed, woollen yarn scraps, linen, bamboo silk and waxed cotton.

For fastenings, MacAulay used braiding, lacing and fabric buttons based on sailing knots, and the threads were biodegradable.

MacAulay also made nine garments for the show, including jackets and a fairisle jumper.

Rhianne Dagg, a communication design student from Kelso, produced a photographic book showing plastic pollution found along the east coast of the Scottish Borders.

Dagg’s work included images of plastic bottles, toys, gloves and fishing nets, with photos arranged by colour and type.

Erik Dibos, a fashion student from Chicago, designed menswear with microchips stitched into the garments, linking to Spotify music tracks.

The garments also featured prints based on cymatics, created from water ripples on a speaker.

Aneesha Nair, an interior architecture and design student from Malaysia, designed a beehive-inspired cancer treatment centre.

The design included two hexagonal pods, with a café on the lower level and treatment and social areas above.

Meanwhile, Yennifer Roquett, a fashion branding and promotion student from Venezuela, wrote and illustrated a children’s book about wool, including real wool samples from local companies.

For the first time, the Degree Show connected the university’s campuses in Scotland and Dubai through an online portal.

Joatan Preis Dutra, project lead for the 2025 Degree Show and assistant professor in digital design and innovation at Heriot-Watt School of Textiles and Design, said: “The Degree Show is a milestone moment for our students – a celebration of their creativity, dedication and personal growth.

“This year, we’re proud to introduce the digital portal connecting our campuses in Scotland and Dubai, symbolising Heriot-Watt’s identity as one global university.

“It’s a reflection of the joint programmes we deliver across continents, and the shared values that unite our international community.”

Julian Malins, executive dean at Heriot-Watt School of Textiles and Design, said: “Design skills are increasingly in demand, so we’re excited to be introducing this new cohort of extremely talented students to the industry.

“We look forward to hearing about the next chapters in their careers.”