Pallas Textiles competition provides real-world experience

They each have a different major, but the three students studying at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) who placed in the 2026 Pallas Textiles Student Design Competition all agree that they have gained new professional skills and confidence from participating.

First-place winner Sophia Simonson ’28 created Refractions as part of her MIAD studies in Interior Architecture and Design. She is one of 20 students studying at MIAD through a cross-registration program with Concordia University. MIAD students Kaitlyn Powers ’26 (Illustration) and Natalie Spetell ’27 (Product Design), both of whom have minors in Communication Design, received Honorable Mentions.

Sophia Simonson “Peony Haze” 2026

The contest, a second partnership between Pallas Textiles and MIAD, invites students to create original textile patterns and submit them for review by a panel of industry professionals. Finalists receive feedback from the panel to refine their concepts into a presentation-ready package. 

“I wanted to create something that reflected individuality, perception and human experience,” says Simonson, whose work will be shown at NeoCon 2026 in Chicago. “On a trip to San Francisco, I was inspired by textured glass blocks and the light shining through them, creating layered shapes and patterns that immediately reminded me of the intricacies of the human eye and how differently we all perceive the world around us.”

Kaitlyn Powers “Transformation” #3 2026

“I tried to not think just about how the pattern would look on screen, but how it would function as a repeating pattern on a furniture piece in a space. I … was even able to implement it into my spring commercial studio project!”

Powers, who is assistant designer at Carter’s following her spring graduation from MIAD, says her work, Transformation, “illustrates rebirth in nature, and the ability to form new connections, which inspires social and creative growth. This award has shown me so many technical aspects of the textile design industry and I am so grateful MIAD has this partner to connect students to the professional world.”

Natalie Spetell “Ripple – Daylight” 2026

Spetell was also inspired by nature. “My work, Ripples … represents rippling water and glints of sunlight within the structure of geometric shapes. It took much trial and error to discover the direction I needed to go, and I hope that it inspires curiosity and motivation in viewers to always explore, whether in nature, a classroom or a workplace.”

“This recognition means so much to me, not just because of winning, but because of the confidence it brings me as a designer,” Simonson adds. “Being able to share and explore my passions is such a rewarding thing already, allowing me the confidence I need to continue producing my best work,” agrees Spetell.

Learn more about MIAD’s Interior Architecture and Design, Illustration and Product Design majors.