Creativity, digital innovation, and exceptional craftsmanship: At the FashionTEX Festival 2026 in Riga, two outstanding emerging female designers were honoured with the Experts’ Prize and the Audience Prize.

Experts’ Prize for Han Nguyen from Italy

The international expert jury awarded the FashionTEX Experts’ Prize 2026 to Han Nguyen from Accademia Koefia in Rome.

The jury evaluated the creative vision, the use of digital technologies such as CLO3D, 3D printing, laser cutting, and knitting techniques, as well as the craftsmanship and quality of the finished designs.

Han Nguyen particularly impressed the jury with her seamless integration of digital design and physical execution. The jury praised the exceptional quality of her digital textures, her distinctive creative approach, and the precise craftsmanship of her three-dimensional elements. Her work achieved the highest overall score.

Audience Prize for Letīcija Orlova from Latvia

The FashionTEX Audience Prize 2026 was awarded to Letīcija Orlova, a fashion design student at the Art Academy of Latvia in Riga.

This award was decided by the audience: Following the digital and physical fashion show, visitors were invited to vote for their favourite outfit by scanning a QR code.

Letīcija Orlova captivated the audience with her design and received the highest number of votes.

An International Stage for the Award Winners

The award-winning creations received further recognition through their presentation on 22 and 23 October 2026 at the Hanzas Perons cultural venue, as part of Riga Fashion Week.

With these two awards, FashionTEX celebrates the creativity and innovative spirit of a new generation of European fashion designers who are shaping the future of fashion by combining digital technologies with traditional craftsmanship in pioneering ways.

Photo Credits: Miks Uzans Photography