Following the AW21 cover shoot with Sano Turdiev modelling international Student Design Competition winner Emily Omesi’s amazing creation, we look at the leather-making talent discovered in some of the competitions around the world.  

 

Italy

 

The Italian Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition was run in partnership with UNIC – Italian Tanneries and LINEAPELLE, Italy’s international leather fair. 80 entrants from Italy’s very best colleges drew inspiration from artists, writers and planet Earth. As well as the apparel, footwear and accessories categories, there was a public vote, with a winner chosen by readers of the Real Leather. Stay Different. website. Winners and runners displayed their designs at a fantastic exhibition at LINEAPELLE 2021 in Milan.

 

Winner of the People’s choice Philomena Seelos is studying Costume and Fashion at the Accademia Costume & Moda di Roma. She designed a collection of five bags in two colourways with reversible and adjustable straps, so the whole look can be changed easily from minimal to statement, depending on the mood.

Winner of apparel Brigida Aiello studied a Masters in Fashion Design Womenswear and Fashion Design Menswear at Istituto Marangoni of Milan. She designed a coat with details inspired by virus shapes. Thanks to the skills she developed in the competition, she now works with leather for a brand owned by the LVMH group.

Winner of footwear Astrid Heisterberg is studying an undergraduate degree in Leather Technology at Polimoda di Firenze. Her shoe collection focuses on sustainability. She used leftover leather from factories and schools making each one unique.

Elisa Castiglioni is studying at Accademia Costume & Moda di Roma. Her handbag capsule collection, Lucky Me, contrasts the neutral colour of vegetable tanned leather contrasts with the brightness of metal and liveliness of colour

 

Taiwan

 

The Taiwan competition, held in association with the Taiwan International Leather Association (TILA), attracted more than 540 entries from students at 34 participating universities. It featured four categories, footwear, accessories, apparel and design.

Design winner Hsiao Yi Tzu studied Industrial Design at the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. She designed a furniture collection with the concept of finding privacy in shared spaces as an inspiration.

Apparel winner Lai Tsui Yu majored in fashion design in Shih-Chien University. Her Jacket design was inspired by the Riot Grrrl 1990s feminist punk movement. She uses the colours black for punk and green because it was used by the Suffragettes to signify hope.

Accessories winner Lin Ting-Yu graduated from the Department of Industrial Design in Shih Chien University. Her bag designs were inspired by plants including the poppy, pimpernel, and desert unicorn-plant – particularly how the flowers opened.

Footwear winner Cecilia Stefany is studying fashion design and merchandising at Shih Chien University Kaohsiung. The overall theme for her design, titled Rockya is ‘Heels don’t determine your gender’ and it champions gender equality. Another influence is Motocross!

 

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom Real Leather. Stay Different. competition was held in partnership with Leather UK. Winners drew on a huge range of influences for ground-breaking designs with sustainability at the forefront.

Footwear winner Jeaeun You is studying at De Montfort University, Leicester. She was inspired by the movement of people – their walks, habits and actions - which led her to base her design on performance art.

Apparel winner Aneta Milaszewicz is a graduate from Manchester Metropolitan University with a BA in Fashion. Her design is inspired by a nomadic Siberian tribe called the Nenets. She referenced the silhouette of Nenets’ traditional outfits and the way they decorate their clothes.

 

Accessories winner Celina Smith is a Fashion Design student at the University of South Wales. Her bag was inspired by festivals, particularly their future and how the impact of the pandemic has shifted our mindsets towards sustainability and the environment.

 

 

China

 

The Chinese competition, held in partnership with the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA),culminated in a fantastic awards ceremony in Xinji, China’s leather capital, despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. It celebrated both the 2020 and the 2021 competitions which attracted more than 800 entries from 23 universities.

2021 apparel winner Jingtian Luo and Liwei Cao of the Northeast Electric Power University designed a clothing creation called Fantasy Diary 1. They took inspiration from the paintings of Li Bai and words written by the ancients.

2020 accessories winner Shanshan Yang studies at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Her design combines gloves and vest and is called Warmth of Hugging. She was inspired by her little sister, who sought her hugs every night before bed.

2020 footwear winner Zhen Wang is studying at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. His design, called Octopus, combines 3D printing, bionic design, modular design and traditional leather sculpting techniques. The shape of each leather carving is moveable and can be freely arranged and distributed like an octopus sucker.

The Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competitions are set to be even bigger and even better for 2022, to find out more, visit chooserealleather.com