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

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

Ruth Girmay

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

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.

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’.

2023 International Competition overall winners announced in Milan

The final of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition 2023, took place in fashion capital Milan where the judging panel made, for the first time, the decision to jointly award the prize to Tamar Elbaz, for her work WHIM, and Ana Del Rio Mullarkey for El Domingo.

2022 International Winner crowned at glittering awards ceremony

Chosen amongst almost 400 entries, the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition 2022 Overall Winner was decided by our panel of judges at the competition final in Soho, London. Congratulations Gal Benjamin, a Fashion Design graduate of Shenkar College of Design in Israel, who modelled his winning design, ‘Alexithymia’.

African Talent Leather Design Showcase 2023 Announcement

Our first Africa Showcase is something different for Real Leather. Stay Different. Not a traditional competition, we are inviting entries from designers including students and those in employment, the best of which will be chosen to appear in a showcase that promotes the breadth and depth of talent in the creative industries in 10 countries in Africa. This will also enable RLSD to promote our sustainability values, championing the use of natural materials and encouraging a focus on slow style over fast fashion.

2023 International Shortlist

Stream of Consciousness

Emotionally Durable Accessory Based on Modularity

prunel

Ex;anté – project Perak

MUYUM

FLUIDA

How leather industry's off-cuts can be utilised in order to avoid landfill

Ata Sué | Zihita Collection

Weave

Gauntlet modular handbag

Tessellation upcycled leather jacket

My Digital-Physical World

ARTEM ANIMA X BAINS

Fight or Flight

REINVENT

Manmade?: An Extension of the Natural State

Whim

MY LITTLE MONSTER

Humanesque

CYBER WEST

RLSD: The Statement Hybrid

Summer kisses, Winter tears

MEERESKREATUREN – LEATHERBACK JACKET

SIPHON

The Good Life

The Giger Coat

Blinkered: Falconry T-Shirt

"EL DOMINGO" (SUNDAY)

Sinful Sanctity

Concious Cuts

Spin-to-Win

Jacron Chainmail Top

"God you look AMAZING!" "WHAT! Are you Serious?"

COWPUNK

Melaya Wrap

I(M)PERFECT

Beyond Bauhaus

Novus Sustainable Leather Everyday Sneaker – Mitchel Hoye University of Queensland

Natalie Circus

Chasing Clouds / 逐云

Fishing Net

Surrounded by Technology

Cum-Joe—Sneakers

Fragile Future

SURVIVE

2023 Taiwan Region Shortlist

DRUNKARD'S UTOPIA

ROUSE|回溯

Words cut deep

掩埋(Landfill)

New generation of Blue&White

Surrounded by Technology

Tafoni

Day & Night

Pangolin Trade and Female Power

Amis:勇士的祈願 / Amis: Warrior's Prayer

PUPA

Pangolin Trade and Female Power

2023 China Mainland Shortlist

《数量关系》Quantity relationships

jumping space

时空门 space-time gate

To Make the Most

《变形计划》/Deformation plan

浮生半日闲Floating Life Half Day Leisure

四单元101室Unit4,room101

Garden Tour

CELLULAR MEMORY

《戏诉人生》

The magic STINGRAY

洑水布依 Fu water Buyi

切点

Lightly

城市丛林 Urban Jungle

CAT STYLE

PUPA

ODD HOLE

共生symbiosis

《雪域》/《Snowland》

FOAM ABLATION

VOYAGER

Muscle life 肌生

生生不息 continuous reproduction breed in an endless succession

2023 UK Shortlist

Ex;anté – project Perak

Ata Sué | Zihita Collection

The Boatpack

Urban Camouflage

Artisanal Heritage

How leather industry's off-cuts can be utilised in order to avoid landfill

RLSD: The Statement Hybrid

Institution 7 Collection Envy

Real Leather Stay Different 2022 entry

"God you look AMAZING!" "WHAT! Are you Serious?"

Waste to Wardrobe

Blinkered: Falconry T-Shirt

Puppets in the club

The Endless Loop

SIPHON

Nicnevin

The Giger Coat

Freddy's Come To Play

The Good Life

ARTEM ANIMA X BAINS

Weave

"EL DOMINGO" (SUNDAY)

PROTÉGER L’ÉLÉGANCE

Artifact Live Project

Real Leather. Stay different. Amalia-Adela Samoila

MEERESKREATUREN – LEATHERBACK JACKET

BLINKERED

Beauty and ugliness

An Ode to Metaphors

The Forgotten Cinderellas

Abyss

Hybrid project: link the past and future

2023 Nordic Region Shortlist

Braided bag

On the go

Lantern Bag – a bag for celebration

Saddleback: Laukka

Tessellation upcycled leather jacket

PDFE – Puffer Design For Everybody

sculptural wearables

An ode to the core memories

Cocoon

the devil's new skin_ Pinja Antikainen

PALASET- 3D patchwork consept

Salmiakki cocktail dress

Fragile Future

2023 African Showcase Shortlist

Backpack pro

ALL IN ONE CONVERT-ABLE LEATHER MULTI-BAG

MURSI TATTOO AND LIP PIERCING

THE HONEY KING

The HOPE

Manyatta Homesteads

Drape your footwear

International Design Competition

Nyami Nyami

"No Planet B" sustainable ladies bag

The Butterfly Bag

Diversity Bag

Weaving the Nation

Mwilas Jacket

Extended Lives

2023 Philippines Shortlist

TURN OVER

Reviving Heritage: Redefining Bakya Shoes for Today's Style

KUBO Sandals

Banyuhay (Metamorphosis)

Anakaiñosis

Hinabing Pintas (Beauty that was woven together)

Bakapat

Manlot Leather Jewelry

MATATAG

Mithi ng Diwata

"Pintados Bakya" shoe design

Off Cut

PADAYON

Tapatan

PACENCIA: A Tribute to Memories

VESTIDO TERNO

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.