The prize rewards up-and-coming product designers with a £5,000 bursary and the chance to exhibit their work in a solo show at the museum, in a bid to “champion new talent and nurture the development of a vibrant design sector”.
Collins, who is known for his afrofuturistic carpentry pieces, was selected by a judging panel including members of the Design Museum’s curatorial team and the daughter of late American textile designer Ralph Saltzman, after whom the award is named.
Collins first rose to prominence with his throne-like Iklwa chair, which he designed while a graduate student at Northumbria University and which was later picked up for mass production by English furniture maker Benchmark.
His work often explores the African diaspora and his own Afro-Caribbean heritage, whether creating a homage to Senufo stools or naming Iklwa after the short spear used by the Zulu.
The designer won the inaugural Ralph Saltzman Prize from a shortlist of five nominees, each put forward by a more established studio.
Collins was nominated by London practice Industrial Facility, which praised the designer for his unique visual language.