BI-WEEKLY CULTURE REPORT

20:20 / 20(FEMALE DESIGNERS)

bits&bobs

20:20

Whilst at 20(SOMETHING) I started 20:20. A bi-weekly cultural drop to keep us relevant, insightful and engaging.

Cleaner

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Smarter

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Happier

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More beautiful

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Cleaner · Smarter · Happier · More beautiful ·

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines.

    Cleaner

    The latest beats in sustabnailty, things that make our world a better place.

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and half circle lines.

    Smarter

    Innovation to solve difficult problems, elevate understanding and makes progress accessible.

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and circle lines.

    Happier

    Positive notes amongst the sea of negativity, to keep us going and remind us of the good that exists.

  • Geometric drawing of an outline square with sections divided by vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines.

    More beautiful

    Anything to elevate the cultural aesthetic, visually inspire and fight the slop.

  • Roxy Travers is building a new kind of retail at F*** Fast Fashion: a swap shop turning second-hand into a community-powered system."

    • CLEANER - F*** FAST FASHION - VOL 16

  • Intertapes is building an archive of found cassette tapes from around the world: mixtapes, voice memos, bootlegs and field recordings rescued from drawers and flea markets.

    • SMARTER - INTERTAPES - VOL 14

  • Britain’s boldest design has lived not always in galleries but in newsagents, cornershops & cupboards.

    • MORE BEAUTIFUL - RETRO CRISPS - VOL 13

  • Fashion has always shaped our idea of beauty. Mugler's latest campaign asks us to reshape beauty instead.

    • HAPPIER - STRENGTH AS BEAUTY - VOL 20

20(FEMALE DESIGNERS)

self-initiated initiative for International Women’s Day 2026

In the UK, 60% of design students are female, yet women make up only 40% of working designers. It’s clear the industry doesn’t lack talent, but it lacks access.

Therefore, to mark International Women’s Day, we invited 20 female designers studying, graduating, or early in their careers to spend a day inside 20(S).. Real conversations with the team, a live brief, honest feedback and an opportunity for a 20-day paid placement for one participant.

The brief was simple: create a poster that captures your perspective as a new designer right now. I half expected 20 gloomy posters. Fair enough. It’s a weird time to be starting out. But what came back completely flipped that.

There was honesty, but also optimism, critical thinking and energy. These were people ready to shape the industry they were entering. The conversations weren’t all easy, but 20 young women left feeling more prepared, more connected and excited about what comes next. That was the point.