Tal Zohar of Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Israel, has won the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition with ‘Neo-Heritage Tennis Club’, a quilted leather jacket and pleated skirt inspired by the tennis court.
Leather starred as the antidote to fast fashion at the finals of the competition, which attracted thousands of entries from students from more than 100 of the world’s best fashion colleges. Category and national winning designers gathered with industry insiders, media stars and educators for a catwalk show and glittering awards party at the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok on October 29.
Winner Tal, from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, took the title with her outfit ‘Neo-Heritage Tennis Club’. It draws on the styles of the 1920s and 1970s and uses the palette and construction lines of the tennis court. The leather jacket is quilted to represent the strings on a racquet and is paired with a tight-pleated leather skirt. Accessorised with a sun visor and a leather ball bag, the whole ensemble is made from natural materials.
Accepting her trophy, Tal said: “The brief challenges designers to think about a more sustainable future for fashion asking us to work only with leather and natural materials. The strength and durability of leather and the growth of athleisure gave me both inspiration and audience. Tennis Club draws on the journey for female tennis players from the first modern skirts allowing freedom of movement on court to the athleisure of today.”
Judge Christopher Koerber, Managing Director of Hugo Boss Ticino, said: “We work in a commercial world where designs need to stand out and sell. But this competition also recognises that change is needed towards a more considered fashion that has a soft footprint on the planet and a long-lasting imprint on the wardrobe. Tal’s work is what this competition is about; stunning design, commercial application and sustainable delivery. No plastics, no untried materials, just a showcase for slow style that is at home at the sports club as it is on the catwalk.”
The competition is sponsored by the Leather and Hide Council of America. The brief requires the use of natural fibres, with at least 50 percent bovine leather. Alumni have gone on to work for the world’s leading brands, including Louboutin, Dior, Loewe, Louis Vuitton and New Balance.
Kerry Brozyna, President of the Leather and Hide Council of America, said:
“Most of us understand the damage that fast fashion is doing to the planet. But many are not aware of the role of natural fibres can play in reducing plastics-based pollution and waste, by providing high quality, durable and recyclable clothing solutions that are cherished. Every year the leather industry diverts millions of hides, created by our demand for meat and dairy products, from landfill. And from those hides we make leather goods that last a lifetime.”
“Reaching designers and giving them the opportunity to learn about, and work with, leather is critical. Practical hands-on knowledge is the best way to discount the disinformation people are fed on a daily basis. Our mission is to empower designers and consumers alike to make informed choices to the benefit of all.”
The awards were hosted by model and actress Cindy Bishop.
Josslyn Shi from California College of Art has been crowned Overall Winner of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition at a glittering final event held at the U.S. Embassy in London.
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