Grand Prix Inclusive Design 2026
Image: embrace3 designed by Silke Hofmann. Model: Jacobe de La Tour. Photo: Ingmar Kurth.
DESIGN
Silke Hofmann
1st Prize
Launched in 2019 by Eyes on Talents and Paris Good Fashion in partnership with APF France handicap, the Grand Prix Inclusive Design recognises designers dedicated to shaping a more sustainable and inclusive world. This year’s fourth edition, supported by Zalando, focused specifically on human-centered design across objects and fashion. In a ceremony held at the Institut Français de la Mode (IFM) the 1st Prize was awarded to Silke Hofmann for embrace3, a custom-fit intimate apparel system for asymmetrical bodies. Specifically responding to the lived experiences of those affected by breast cancer or torso asymmetries, the project uses 3D body scans and additive surface textures to provide personalized breast support.
Image: Isabel Louise Niemann, Point of Return, BA collection 2024, Hochschule Bielefeld – University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI), department of Design. Photo: Mika Springer.
DESIGN
Isabel Louise Niemann
2nd Prize
A graduate of the Hochschule Bielefeld – University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSBI), Isabel Louise Niemann was awarded the 2nd Prize for her BA collection, Point of Return. Inspired by the film Interstellar, Niemann’s collection is based on a scenario in which Earth has become uninhabitable due to man-made environmental disasters, and reinterprets the concept of protection. The collection represents diversity and features adaptive garments designed collaboratively with wheelchair and exoskeleton users, combining archetypal workwear with the protective logic of spacesuits.
Image: U-DRESS accessory designed by U-EXIST. Photo: Clementine Fauquet.
DESIGN
U-EXIST
Special Mention
Roubaix-based studio U-EXIST was awarded a Special Mention for its U-DRESS accessory, which transforms prostheses and assistive devices into fashion objects. The project enables users to express their personality through over 400 interchangeable patterns. U-EXIST challenges the boundaries of disability by turning functional constraints into a form of creative and visible expression.
About the Grand Prix Inclusive Design
RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2026
Image: Hassell, Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Centre, Yumbe District, Uganda, 2024.
ARCHITECTURE
RIBA International Awards for Excellence
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has announced the 34 winning projects of the RIBA International Awards for Excellence 2026. Recognising inspiring architecture across fifteen countries and four continents, this year’s cohort responds directly to urgent social, environmental and urban conditions across the globe. Whether addressing climate, migration, housing, rapid urbanisation, or infrastructure, the awarded projects demonstrate how thoughtful design can positively impact everyday life and help build a more equitable and resilient future.
About the RIBA International Awards for Excellence
Les femmes s’exposent 2026
Image: Un soleil d'or à la tombée de la nuit series © Fiona Forte
PHOTOGRAPHY
Fiona Forte
Prix SAIF – Les femmes s’exposent
Fiona Forte is the winner of the Prix SAIF – Les femmes s’exposent for her series Un soleil d'or à la tombée de la nuit. She began this project in 2020 at Sítio Ágatha, in Pernambuco, Brazil. A place that has become a space of welcome and transition for her: in the way she sees, understands and positions herself. Fiona was welcomed by the Cavalcante family, in which Luiza, Nzinga and Ágatha – three generations of women – live on land where their ancestor was enslaved. These women campaign for social and environmental justice through Afroecology.
RIAS Awards 2026
Image: Collective Architecture, Paisley Central Library, Paisley, Scotland, 2023.
ARCHITECTURE
RIAS Awards
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has announced the ten winning buildings of the 2026 RIAS Awards, which recognise excellence in Scottish architecture. This year’s list of winners features architectural projects of all types and sizes, ranging from new social housing, healthcare and education buildings, to a contemporary Highlands cottage, a new library and a series of major historic building conservation projects.
OPLINEPRIZE INTERNATIONAL #18
Image: Plantoid © Primavera De Filippi
ART
Primavera De Filippi
Prix des commissaires
Under the theme “IA : Generative – Generation”, the 2026 edition of the OPLINEPRIZE INTERNATIONAL awarded the Prix des commissaires to Primavera De Filippi. An artist, researcher, and legal scholar Primavera De Filippi explores the intersections of art, law, and technology. Her artistic practice embodies the findings of her research in the physical world, giving life to hybrid creatures that exist simultaneously in digital and material spaces. In 2014, she initiated the Plantoid project, a flagship work of her artistic practice. Plantoids are autonomous plant-like life forms based on blockchain technology: these mechanical sculptures feed on cryptocurrencies and use these funds to reproduce themselves by commissioning artists to create new versions.
