The Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition returns for 2026 and the sixth chapter of our global search for bold, future-facing design talent.
This is your opportunity to design with real leather, challenge the fast fashion cycle and showcase your work on an international stage. Previous finalists have presented their work in London, Milan and Taipei, with each year opening new doors for the designers involved.
Have you got what it takes to stand out globally and shape the future of fashion?
Sign ups are open now. Head to rlsd.internationaldesigncomp.com to register and submit your entry.
The buzz around this year’s Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition is growing by the day. We’ve already been inspired by the incredible entries coming in from students and recent graduates around the world. But the
Bell Quintão is not a brand built on hype. There are no seasonal surges, no trend-chasing, no mass production runs. Instead, working independently from her studio, Brazilian-born designer Bell Quintão produces small-batch, one-off leather pieces designed to
When it comes to animal print, you’d be forgiven for thinking that leopard is the fashion set’s only chosen choice of motif - but not in 2026. In fact, while those distinctive spots are undoubtedly having a moment once again, it’s the more unexpected
Last year’s winners have been announced following an inspiring final event in Taipei – you can explore their designs and stories on our competition pages.
Planning to take part this year? 2026 competitions are now open, start shaping your ideas now. We can’t wait to see what you’ll create next!
From the Great Plains in the North to the grazing fields of the South, US hides make premium leather that is coveted in across the world.
More than five million people work in the global leather industry delivering natural, organic, sustainable, recyclable – and incredibly durable – material for the seats in cars and on planes, bags on our shoulders, jackets on our backs and shoes on our feet. At its heart sits the Leather & Hide Council of America, the national voice of an industry recognised for the quality of its hides, and the integrity of its supply chain. Its work helps its members divert around 30 million hides from landfill every year, by creating beautiful leathers for supply to customers in a 450-billion-dollar global sector.
US hides are prized for their quality and also for their sustainability. Ongoing investment in supply chain optimisation and traceability has made them the first choice for sectors from automative and aviation to fashion and footwear. This is the story of the world’s leading leather-producing nation.
Born and raised in Walsall, the historic centre of the British leather trade, it’s no wonder that Lauren Broxton thinks that leather working is in her blood. “It was inevitable really,” she says. “I grew up here – you can’t walk around the
India’s design culture has always been shaped by the craftsmanship of hands that understand material, form and function. Valued for its strength, adaptability and longevity and used to make everything from footwear and accessories to everyday objects,
Aside from quilted lambskin, interlocking ‘CC’s and the camellia flower, there’s not much more synonymous with Chanel than black toe caps on classic cream leather - most famously a feature of Coco Chanel’s favourite slingback pumps, launched in
When it comes to leather jackets, any honest fashion expert will tell you that there’s rarely any reinvention involved. Rather, it’s about circulating classics (in new and interesting ways, if you can). In recent times, we’ve seen funnel neck
A groundbreaking laboratory study has found that fashion’s pivot to recycled polyester may be doing more environmental harm than good. Research published by the Changing Markets Foundation reveals that recycled polyester creates significantly more
NAIROBI, AFRICA | FEBRUARY 2026 The 4th Edition of the RLSD Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase has officially been launched, reaffirming Africa’s growing influence in shaping the future of responsible, design-led, and sustainable fashion. Anchored
The Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) 2026 competition has officially launched in Vietnam. Far more than just a design contest, this is an opportunity for Vietnamese talent to engage with the international fashion scene and build careers on a global
The Chinese Year of the Horse is here and brands across fashion and lifestyle are celebrating with limited releases, capsule collections and collectible pieces that honour strength, vitality, freedom and prosperity. Here’s our selection of the best launches
