Competition

Three visionary young designers have been named category winners and a fourth took the People’s Choice, as the sixth annual competition celebrating sustainable, natural leather craftsmanship gears up for a spectacular showdown in Bangkok, Thailand

With design inspirations ranging from a childhood on the tennis court to a sculptor's playground and the ancient art of Kintsugi, this year's Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) International Student Design Competition has uncovered some of the boldest emerging talent in leather design.

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Some things peak on day one. These aren’t those things.

There's a moment, somewhere between six months and two years into owning a truly well-made leather piece, when something shifts. The bag that felt stiff and slightly severe when you carried it out of the shop now fits your shoulder like it was shaped for it.

2026 Taiwan Real Leather Stay Different Design Competition: Finalists Announced

TAIPEI, May 12, 2026 – The 2026 "Real Leather. Stay Different." (RLSD) Student Design Competition in Taiwan has officially announced its shortlist, naming 20 finalists who represent the vanguard of the next

RLSD AFRICA TALENT LEATHER DESIGN SHOWCASE 2026: A JUDGING PANEL

As the RLSD Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase 2026 enters its judging phase, attention turns to the distinguished panel entrusted with identifying the designs that best embody this year’s competition brief. More than a collection of respected industry

RLSD 2025 Thailand Regional Apparel Category Winner.

Thailand Apparel Category Winners, Phanteera wowed judges with design Europa’s Embrace, draws inspiration from Greek mythology - specifically the tale of Europa and the white bull.

Wu Jo-I, Taiwan Overall Winner & Host Nation Representative

Wu Jo-I, who attends Shin Chien University in Taipei, said her work begins with the perception of a scene. She then turns observed moments into geometric and structural forms. She won the Taiwan overall title for her accessory design, Pressure Lines Between

Nguyẽn Lan Anh, International People’s Choice Winner

Lan Anh said of her People’s Choice winning design HORN-TO-HOPE: “It unites the strength of the rhino with the resilience of the orchid to symbolise endurance through adversity. Rhinos, threatened by poaching, and orchids, thriving in harsh conditions,

Sara Morandini, International Accessories Category Winner

Sara’s project, Ombrage, which took the accessories title, is a unisex collection of leather goods, footwear and jewellery inspired by the primal forces of nature – water, air, earth and

Islam Nashef. International Apparel Category Winner

Islam’s collection, Shields, took the apparel title. The designs range from structured, tailored silhouettes that emphasise the body’s shape to looser, more fluid forms that incorporate supportive

Jamie Unlu O’Grady. International Overall Winner and International Footwear Category Winner

Jamie took the overall title with a collection of shoes that that was both revolutionary and highly marketable. He said: “SubTraction reimagines footwear as a modular system - personal, purposeful and circular. Bold in its rejection of convention, the

Winner’s ambition to take ground-breaking modular design to market

Taipei, Taiwan [28 October 2025] - At an awards ceremony held today at Taiwan’s Taipei 101 for the Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) 2025 International Student Design Competition, judges crowned Jamie Unlu O’Grady, from the UK’s De Montfort

Real Leather. Stay Different. Thailand 2025 Winners Announced

The Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) Thailand 2025 final competition took place in style on August 25, 2025, at Victor Club, Samyan Mitrtown, in an atmosphere filled with creativity, inspiration, and innovation from Thailand’s rising design talents.

Farida Eid Crowned RLSD Africa’s Most Commendable Designer, 2025

Farida Eid from Egypt is the RLSD Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase 2025 Most Commendable Designer. Her winning entry, the Zahw –Serpent Sandal, captivated judges with its striking symbolism, technical precision, and deep cultural resonance, setting a

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