The award ceremony for the China Mainland region of the 2025 Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition recently concluded successfully in Shanghai. The global campaign, organized by the Leather and Hide Council of America (L&HCA), saw its China Mainland competition co-organized by the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA) and sponsored by Xingye Leather Technology Co., Ltd., centered on the theme “Leather and Sustainable Fashion,” gathering emerging global design talents to inject fresh energy into the sustainable fashion sector.
Leather as the Medium: Slow Fashion Takes Center Stage
As an International competition hosted by L&HCA and fully supported by CLIA in China mainland, “Real Leather. Stay Different.” consistently champions “promoting the fashionability, sustainability, and diversity of leather.” Now in its sixth year, the competition has expanded to six regions: China Mainland, China Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Africa, and an International Region.
The competition persistently advocates the philosophy of “prioritizing natural materials,” encouraging the use of societal waste products like cowhide – a byproduct of the dairy and meat industries – and opposing excessive reliance on petrochemical-based synthetic materials. This embodies the “Stay Different” and sustainable design ethos. Consequently, this year’s rules maintained the core requirements: entries must consist of at least 50% cowhide leather by surface area combined with natural materials like silk, cotton, or linen; the use of fur or exotic skins is strictly prohibited. Designs must focus on three three categories: apparel, accessories and footwear.
From the launch of the China Mainland registration channel on March 1st to the June 15th deadline, over a hundred submissions were received from design institutions across the country within just three months. Each piece carried the young designers’ exploration of individuality and contemplation of the present: Some used materials to address contemporary dilemmas, challenging the aesthetic hegemony dominated by filters; others transformed the natural scars of vegetable-tanned leather into badges of life, redefining the poetry of imperfection; still others turned sun hats into seed pouches, folded workwear into briefcases, and transformed silent granaries into “walking containers,” vividly illustrating the flow of agrarian wisdom within the veins of the metropolis.
Compared to last year, 2025 China Mainland competition demonstrated remarkable performance this edition. It attracted participation from students across 15 institutions nationwide, including 8 newly joined schools whose diverse creative perspectives infused fresh vitality into the event. This ultimately led to a historic breakthrough: culminating in four entries securing historic first-time places on the international shortlist.
Creativity Blooms: Emerging Talent Garners Attention
The award ceremony commenced with opening speech by Mr. Chen Zhanguang, Vice Chairman of CLIA. Ms. Jane Li, Vice President of L&HCA and representative of the organizing committee and Mr. Sun Shaojun, Manager of the Strategic Investment Department at Xingye Leather Technology Co., Ltd. graced the event with their presence. Mr. Alexander Blamberg, Director of Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Consulate General Shanghai was also invited, adding significant weight to this international design gala. The authoritative oversight of professional judges, including representatives Mr. Guo Feifei and Ms. Xu Lin, ensured the fairness and professionalism of the competition.
The ceremony reached its climax as 21 young design stars and 6 major awards were unveiled:
Congratulations to the China Mainland Overall Winner: Li Yuanyuan from Donghua University, with the entry “THE PARADOX OF BLOOM”
Apparel: Li Yuanyuan from Donghua University, with the entry “THE PARADOX OF BLOOM.”
Footwear: Guan Shaoxia from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, with the entry “ECHOES UNDER THE SURFACE.”
Accessory: Chang Xinqi from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, with the entry “GRANARY.”
People’s Choice Award: Cui Yinuo from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, with the entry “RHYME OF CLAY AND FORM”
Runners-up: Li Wen with the entry “A CORNER FOR TEA”, Gao Jingqian with the entry “CYCLE”, Lai Yueheng with the entry “TerraFlex.”
Second Runners-up: Zong Xuanze with the entry “ENTWINE”, Han Hengyu with the entry “WHEN THE BAOXIANG FLOWER BLOOM”, Liu Shiyi with the entry “THE VISIT.”
Additionally, eleven other emerging designers received Excellence Awards.
Where the scars of vegetable-tanned leather become medals, and straw coexists with liquid metal within geometric fissures – these young designers are using leather as their manifesto, piercing the boundaries of tradition. From apparel to footwear to leather goods, they construct innovative narratives through material textures and deconstruct seams to break industry paradigms. Every detail carries an inquiry into the essence of design; every craft innovation rewrites the rules of the industry.
Design as the Soul: Building the Future of the Leather Industry Together
The conclusion of this year’s competition marks not only the crowning of achievements but also another vibrant practice of sustainable fashion concepts. Each piece of leather carries the gift of nature; each design speaks of youthful authenticity. These works may be nascent, yet brimming with the courage to challenge convention; perhaps unrefined, yet overflowing with sincerity towards the world. They are the students’ answers, rendered through design, to the question “What is sustainability?” – and more importantly, they represent the future hope of the leather industry.
It is reported that the Overall Winners will be invited to the international award ceremony in Taipei this October. The 2025 Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition is using design as the pen and sustainability as the ink to write a new chapter where fashion and nature coexist. Next year, more emerging designers are anticipated to join this green celebration and witness the boundless possibilities of sustainable fashion together.
Read more about the 2025 winners here.
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