Profile: Preethi Kosanam – Real Leather Design Competitions

Preethi Kosanam

London College of Fashion

As an award-winning leather designer and artefact artist, I specialize in creating contemporary fashion pieces that blend heritage craftsmanship with forward-thinking design. My work explores the intersection of tradition and innovation, with a strong focus on cultural narratives and sociopolitical themes. With a global academic foundation—an MA in Fashion Artefact from London College of Fashion and a Diploma in Fashion Business from Parsons—I approach design with both conceptual depth and commercial insight. In 2024, I was honored with the Dents Prize for the most creative and commercially viable glove design and named Young Leather Worker of the Year by the Leathersellers’ Foundation. These recognitions reflect my dedication to meaningful design, storytelling through material, and pushing the boundaries of leather as a medium. My Designs are driven by storytelling through fashion. I focus on sociopolitical themes, using real materials to create pieces that question norms, reflect movements, and connect craft with purpose. My work bridges design, activism, and human narratives.

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Nari

Category: Accessories

Competitions: International

Project Nari is a fashion activism initiative that transforms the overlooked history of the Heathrow virginity tests of the 1960s–70s into symbolic artefacts of remembrance and resistance. Inspired by the South Asian women who endured and protested these invasive procedures, the project explores themes of identity, home, and belonging through personal and collective narratives. Artist Preethi Kosanam reclaims this hidden injustice using leather, brass, khadi cloth, and indigo dye—materials rich with cultural and political meaning. Leather straps become symbols of strength; brass marquetry honors traditional South Asian patterns; khadi cloth evokes resistance; and indigo dye layers the work in colonial memory. Nari is both protest and tribute—uncovering silenced histories, offering solace to communities affected by generational trauma, and honoring the resilience of those who fought for dignity. Each artefact is a testament to suffering endured, voices raised, and the quiet strength that shapes cultural memory and belonging.