Profile: lewis bailey – Real Leather Design Competitions

lewis bailey

Leeds Arts University

Fashion Design BA (Hons) graduate from Leeds Arts University with experience across fashion design, marketing, social media, and content creation. Through internships in fashion design and fashion marketing, along with professional experience in social media content creation, I have developed a broad understanding of the fashion industry and the connection to design, branding, and audience engagement. My creative practice is inspired by themes of transformation, identity, and the discovery of beauty in unexpected places. My graduate collection used beetles as a visual reference, drawing inspiration from their intricate structures, colours, and forms to inform silhouette, shape, and material choices. Constructed entirely from leather, the collection explores the concept of hidden beauty and transformation, celebrating details that are often overlooked yet possess extraordinary visual impact. These same themes informed my dissertation, "Subculture to Runway: Drag Performers & Their Influence on Contemporary Fashion." Inspired by the drag performers who have played an important role in my life, the research explored how drag challenges traditional ideas of beauty and self-expression while influencing contemporary fashion. The project also served as a tribute to the creativity, artistry, and cultural impact of drag performers whose contributions continue to shape the industry. Across both my design and research work, I am interested in how design can act as a tool for transformation, storytelling, and self-expression, revealing hidden beauty and giving visibility to diverse identities and perspectives. I am passionate about creative innovation, sustainability, and pushing the boundaries of design. I am seeking opportunities within fashion design, accessories, creative marketing, social media, and content creation. I am looking forward to continuing to develop and contribute to meaningful and forward-thinking work.

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ELYTRA

Category: Apparel

Competitions: International

LEWIS BAILEY’S 2026 GRADUATE COLLECTION INTERROGATES NOTIONS OF BEAUTY, UNIQUENESS, AND VISIBILITY THROUGH THE UNLIKELY LENS OF THE BEETLE. THROUGH ITS ABSTRACT, VERSATILE, AND DISTINCTIVE ATTRIBUTES, THE BEETLE BECOMES A DIRECT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION. ITS IRIDESCENT COLOURS, SEGMENTED SILHOUETTE, AND TEXTURED EXOSKELETAL ARMOUR ARE REFRAMED INTO OBJECTS OF FASCINATION. DRAWING FROM NATURAL FORMS, BAILEY TRANSLATES THE BEETLE INTO BESPOKE GARMENTS THROUGH KEY THEMES OF COLOUR, SILHOUETTE, AND SURFACE. ELYTRA-LIKE (THE HARD, SHELL-LIKE FOREWINGS OF A BEETLE) STRUCTURES, EXAGGERATED PROPORTIONS, AND TEXTURED LEATHERWORK ALL SUGGEST A TENSION BETWEEN RIGIDITY AND FLUIDITY, BOTH IN NATURE AND IN DESIGN. THE COLLECTION CHALLENGES TRADITIONAL IDEAS OF FEMININITY, WOMENSWEAR, AND THE FEMALE BODY, PROPOSING A FIGURE THAT IS FORTIFIED, SACRED, AND WITHOUT FLAW. THROUGH THIS, HE EXPLORES TRANSFORMATION, WHERE IDENTITY IS CONSTRUCTED, DECONSTRUCTED, AND PERFORMED. THE BEETLE SERVES AS BOTH A METAPHOR AND A MUSE: AN EMBLEM OF RESILIENCE, METAMORPHOSIS, AND DEFIANT BEAUTY. THE COLLECTION SHOWS BEAUTY AND STRENGTH THROUGH INTENTIONAL, INNOVATIVE DESIGN. BAILEY ENCOURAGES THE VIEWER TO RECONSIDER WHAT IS DEEMED BEAUTIFUL, PRESENTING A BODY OF WORK THAT CELEBRATES DIFFERENCE, ARTIFICE, AND THE ELEGANCE WITHIN THEM, ULTIMATELY REDEFINING CONVENTIONAL IDEAS OF DESIGN AND BEAUTY.