Now in its sixth year, Real Leather. Stay Different. returns to Taiwan—celebrating a vibrant legacy of craftsmanship and forward-thinking design. As the competition closes we look to the final event, we’re excited to announce this year’s panel brings together some of the most respected voices in Taiwanese fashion, accessories and leathercraft.
Together, they’ll be evaluating this year’s entries with an expert eye—seeking original, boundary-pushing designs that champion innovation, celebrate tradition and honour leather as a material of lasting value.
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Co-Founder, Alufai Studio | Womenswear Specialist
Yuan-Chin Lin is a Taiwanese fashion designer known for her distinctively romantic yet rebellious womenswear aesthetic. She studied at the London College of Fashion (BA Fashion Design – Womenswear, 2007–2010) and began an MA in Fashion at Central Saint Martins between 2012 and 2013.
During her time in London, Yuan-Chin honed her craft through internships with several acclaimed designers including Peter Pilotto, Giles, and Marios Schwab. She also worked as an assistant to celebrated jewellery designer Husam el Odeh—contributing to high-profile collaborations with Acne, Pringle, Swarovski, Mihara Yasuhiro and others.
Returning to Taiwan, Yuan-Chin spent four years leading the women’s Ready-to-Wear team at Makalot Industrial Co., where she gained experience in large-scale apparel production.
In 2019, she co-founded Alufai Studio, a womenswear label celebrated for its bold, expressive vision. The brand was shortlisted for the 7th Asia Fashion Collection in Tokyo and selected for the Lane Crawford x Labelhood initiative in Shanghai. Alufai Studio has been featured in Vogue Taiwan, Elle Taiwan, Sicky Magazine, Nasty Magazine, and Schön!, and is loved by numerous celebrities and fashion influencers. The brand is stocked in leading fashion boutiques across Taipei, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Beijing, Fuzhou, Wuhu and Changchun.
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Jewellery Artist & Curator
Yu Chun Chen is a jewellery artist and curator with an international career spanning Taiwan, Italy and the Netherlands. After studying metalwork and spending six years working in Italy, she completed a Master’s degree in Applied Arts at the Sandberg Institute in Amsterdam, where she lived and worked for nearly a decade.
Her jewellery has been exhibited in galleries and exhibitions worldwide, reflecting a refined and exploratory practice rooted in materiality and form. In 2012, Yu Chun returned to Taiwan, where she continues to create original pieces and curate exhibitions that spotlight contemporary craft and design.
She founded and directed the Mano Contemporary Jewelry Gallery until 2017, and remains actively engaged in collaborative curatorial projects with institutions and design organisations.
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Founder, RAWPIECE
Darren Huang is the founder of RAWPIECE, a premium leather goods brand based in Taiwan. With a background in industrial design, he applies his design expertise to the creation of high-quality leather bags. Guided by a philosophy of balanced practicality and form following function, Darren has shaped RAWPIECE into a brand known for thoughtful, utility-driven design.
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