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 1957.
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“Sustainability isn’t about following trends. It’s about asking hard questions, doing the research and making informed choices - even when the answers aren’t the obvious ones,” says Georgie Stacey, co-founder of Apatchy London - the accessories
Think small is where RLSD takes a look at some of the companies around the world that we think are doing the right thing with leather. This is a greenwashing free zone – no matter what they produce, sustainability is at the heart of what they do. This week,
Former First Lady Michelle Obama has once again shown her fashion chops, this time by stepping out in a commanding leather hero jacket. The power piece is typical of her signature approach to dressing—bold, confident and unapologetically
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
Only a few pieces of furniture carry as much prestige as the Chesterfield sofa. With their signature deep buttoning, roll-topped arms that are the same height as the back, it is instantly recognisable as a symbol of elegance, craftsmanship and comfort.
Fashion is hungry for sustainability. It celebrates circular design, experiments with new biomaterials and promotes heritage craft as a marketing tool. Yet one of the most circular, heritage-rich tanning traditions, still alive in parts of southern Africa,
In a Botswana village, a pot of crushed bark and roots simmers over an open fire. A cowhide, scraped clean, is lowered into the dark liquid. Over the next few days, it will absorb the plant’s chemistry, transforming into leather. This scene, repeated for
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.
Real Leather. Stay Different. 2025 International Competition Category Winners Announced! After a judging process made gruelling by the amazingly high standard of entries, the results are now in. Find out a bit more about our four category winners and their
Announcing the 2025 Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition category winners! After a judging process made gruelling by the amazingly high standard of entries, the results are now in. The competition featured three
Marre Mujis questioned if the world needed another ballet pump during the development of her best-ever selling shoe, the Foundation Flat. That is testament to her thoughtful design style, even though the answer to that question proved to be a resounding
The Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) International Student Design Competition has unveiled its shortlist, With 1,483 projects submitted from around the world, this year's competition is our biggest yet.