REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT.

REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT.

REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT.

REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT. DESIGN COMPETITIONS

Our mission is to showcase the beauty, durability and sustainability of leather with original and innovative designs and in doing so cut waste, reduce the use of petroleum based synthetics and disrupt the fast fashion cycle. Real Leather. Stay Different. invites designers worldwide to showcase their talent by entering one of our design competitions.

We host an ever growing number of competitions around the world as we work in different regions to move the fashion agenda forward. We have regional competitions for the UK, Nordic Region, China Mainland, Taiwan Region, Africa (spanning 10 countries) and in 2023 the Philippines alongside an International Student Design Competition open to students and recent graduates around the world.

Competitions

Africa

WINNER ANNOUNCED

China Mainland

WINNER ANNOUNCED

International

WINNER ANNOUNCED

Taiwan Region

WINNER ANNOUNCED

Stay tuned for 2025

Previous Winners

Mor Elfassy

College: Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Tel Aviv
Course: Fashion Design BFA
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2024
Categories: International Apparel Design
Location: Tel Aviv, Isreal

Josslyn Shi

College: California College of the Arts
Course: Fashion Design BFA
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2024
Categories: International People’s Choice Award & Overall Winner
Location: California, USA

Roscha Dinler

College: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Course: Information Systems [Programming]
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2024
Categories: International Footwear Design
Location: Nuremberg, Germany

Bingbing Bai

College: Kingston School of the Art
Course: BA Fashion Design Womenswear, MPhil/ PhD (FT) Art & Design
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2024
Categories: International Accessory Design
Location: London United Kingdom

Hsu Yu

College: Shih Chien University
Course: Costume Design BFA
Competition Name: Taiwan Region Student Design Competition 2024
Categories: Taiwan Region Footwear Category & Overall Winner
Location: Taipei, Taiwan

Zhu Xinxin

College: Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology
Course: Footwear & Accessory Design BFA
Competition Name: China Mainland Student Design Competition 2024
Categories: China Mainland Footwear Category & Overall Winner
Location: Beijing, China

Ruth Girmay

Self Employed
Competition Name: 2023 & 2024 African Talent Design Showcase
Title: Most Commendable Designer
Location: Ethiopia

Ana Del Rio Mullarkey

College: De Montfort University
Course: Fashion Design BFA
Competition Name: International & UK Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: INT Joint Overall & People’s Choice Award Category, UK Overall and Apparel Category
Location: Madrid / United Kingdom

Tamar Elbaz

College: Shenkar College of Engineering, Design & Art
Course: Fashion Design BFA
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: Joint Overall & Apparel Category
Location: Israel

Sara Veneziano

College: Accademia Costume & Moda
Course: Footwear & Accessory Design BFA
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: Footwear Category
Location: Italy

Alida Xavier

College: Instituto Marangoni: Fashion, Art and Design
Course: MA Luxury Accessory Design and Management
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: Accessory Category
Location: London, United Kingdom

Pei Yan Kang

College: Shih Chien University
Course: Fashion Design BA
Competition Name: Taiwan Region Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: Overall & Apparel Category
Location: Taipei, Taiwan

Andrei Valera

College: De La Salle College of Saint Benilde
Course: Fashion Design and Merchandising
Competition Name: Philippines Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: Overall & Apparel Category
Location: Philippines

Silja Setala

College: Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Course: Textile Design BFA
Competition Name: Nordic Region Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: Overall & Accessory Category
Location: Finland

Lingling Li

College: Jiangxi Institute of Fashion Technology
Course: Clothing and Apparel Design
Competition Name: China Mainland Student Design Competition 2023
Categories: Overall & Apparel Category
Location: Jiangxi, China

 

Emilia Utbult Karlsson

College: Beckmans College of Design, Sweden
Course: Fashion BA
Competition Name: Nordic Region Student Design Competition 2022
Categories: Overall & Apparel Category
Location: Sweden

 

Emily Omesi

College: Fashion Institute of Technology
Course: Fashion Design BFA
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2021
Categories: Overall & Apparel Category
Location: New York, USA

 

Yu Lun Lu

College: Shih Chien University
Course: Fashion Design BA
Competition Name: Taiwan Region Student Design Competition 2022
Categories: Overall & Apparel Category
Location: Taipei, Taiwan

 

Gal Benjamin

College: Shenkar College of Engineering, Design & Art
Course: Fashion Design BDES
Competition Name: International Student Design Competition 2022
Categories: Overall & Apparel Category
Location: Israel/London, UK

 

Anna Melegh

College: London College of Fashion
Course: Footwear MA
Competition Name: UK Student Design Competition 2022
Categories: Overall & Footwear Category
Location: London, UK

 

YunTian Dong

College: Donghua University
Course: Fashion Art Design BA
Competition Name: China Mainland Student Design Competition 2022
Categories: Overall & Accessory Category
Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

Latest News

JOSSLYN SHI FROM USA WINS 2024 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION

Josslyn Shi from California College of Art has been crowned Overall Winner of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition at a glittering final event held at the U.S. Embassy in London.

Ruth Girmay: Most Commendable Designer at the 2024 African Talent Leather Design Showcase.

Ruth was awarded Most Commendable Designer for the second consecutive year for her design, ‘Overfishing Bag’. Her design was recently displayed at the International Real Leather. Stay Different. Award ceremony in the US Embassy, London.

2024 Real Leather. Stay Different. China Mainland Student Design Competition crowns new stars of leather design!

The winners of the China Mainland Student Design Competition have been named at a glamourous awards ceremony in Shanghai.

2024 Real Leather. Stay Different. Taiwan Award ceremony celebrates green trends through leather design

The winners of the Real Leather. Stay Different. Taiwan Region Student Design Competition were announced at an awards ceremony and runway show at HANASPACE in Taipei.

TAIWAN 2023 OVERALL WINNER CHOSEN AFTER HARD-FOUGHT COMPETITION

Third Student Design Competition climaxes in runway show and celebration as design ‘Gestation’ is named the best. Pei Yan Kang of Shih Chien University won the overall prize in this year’s Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition.

DIVERSITY WINS AT 2023 AFRICAN TALENT LEATHER DESIGN SHOWCASE

The Real Leather. Stay Different. African Talent Leather Design Showcase 2023 Grand Finale showcases the continent’s talent. Ethiopian designer Ruth Girmay was awarded the title of ‘Most Commendable Designer’.

2024 International Shortlist

The Historian

"I HAVE A CRASH ON YOU"

Preservation versus incarceration

PACKING

TILL DEATH DO US PART

The Space Suit

"Gauchos de ciudad"- Simon Gimenez Chiodi – International competition 2024.

El Cuaco: The First Saddle

Deceptive beauty

UNDER LOCK AND KEY

The Modern Nomad

Watchtower

Toratam Umanutam

Form and Substance: The Duality of Human and Material Expressions

MUTAZIONI – multi ((4)) bag

Harmonious Fusion: Integrating Art and Medicine

Abstract Bodies

The Tool Bag

Sustainable Fusion: Hide Cattle Leather and Recycled Fishing Net Hip Pack

Crafting Duality: Sustainable Couture and Cultural Identity in a Modern Arab Context

Maquillage

SUM

Eternal Vitality

MADE BY GRANDMA

幻编Dream weave

鸟鸣无声/Birdsong is silent

: Mutation BOOTS :

Corak

SCHNABBIT

INNOCENTDESIGNLAB

The shell boot

Dwelling Memories

Bittersweet Symphony

Melting Pot

Patina over Plastic

Techstride Modular Oxfords

《Conjecture about shadows》

SURFS

2024 Taiwan Region Shortlist

Second Life

BACK TO 4.54

deformity

SEAFARING COWBOY

Mammamia

Is silence a form of self-protection?

LUNG TIME NO SEE ?

Embrace Myself

FLUDITY

Waiting to grow

tea memories

backlash

Techstride Modular Oxfords

攀植Vine

2024 Africa Showcase Shortlist

Eco-Elegance: The Recrafted Collection

Embodied Collection

Amaluba/Maruva @4141

Jisangu

URBAN LEATHER PASSION: CONNECTING CITIES WITH NATURE'S TOUCH.

The Continuity of the Yarn Culture.

Design Concept for Contemporary Leather Armor

Minimalist Two in One Ladies Tote bag with Focus on Longevity and Circularity.

IRATU

Overfishing Bag

Transformable Travel Bag from Leather and Upcycled Denim

Africas Top Leather Product Designer- Culture. Innovation. Sustainability

Madiba Leather Shirt Bag

HIDE & SICK

"Eco-Chic: Sustainable Leather Accessories for the Modern Conscious Consumer"

REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT.

REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT.

REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT.

ABOUT REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT.

RLSD is a global campaign funded by the Leather & Hide Council of America. It has reached some 750 million people and hundreds of thousands of students and makes the case for the use of leather and other natural materials as critical to a more sustainable future. RLSD points out that we should make the best use of society’s waste and that hides, as the by-product of the dairy and meat industries, should be used rather than landfilled as 130 million hides are every year, cutting CO2 emissions, cutting reliance on synthetics, creating longer lasting materials and challenge the fast fashion cycle.

For those who ask, we do NOT allow any entries using furs and other exotic materials. This campaign is about our responsibility to use society’s waste and to reduce consumption.

Upload your entry now

Working with our partners at Arts Thread to develop lifelong learning and career opportunities for students of fashion and design. Our partnership provides the opportunity to compete on a world stage, participate in industry led workshops, set up an outstanding portfolio and gain access to the resources that will kickstart careers in fashion and design.