We’re about to take a Christmas break before we dive into next year’s RLSD Student Design Competitions–stand by for news on our International, China Mainland, Africa, Taiwan Region, Thailand and Vietnam launches. But before we go, here’s a review of our busiest year so far.
We celebrated the winners of our 2024 Student Design Competitions all over the world. Josslyn Shi from California College of Art was 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.
And the second Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase was the hit of the Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Regional competition winners for the Taiwan Region competition were celebrated at an awards ceremony and runway show at HANASPACE in Taipei, and the China Mainland winners were named at a glamorous awards ceremony in Shanghai.
Aside from the celebrations, the RLSD Student Design Competitions provided great opportunities for the winners. In November our 2024 winners, and 2023 alumnus Ana Del Rio, had the chance of a lifetime. They visited one of Europe’s most respected and finest leather manufacturers, and a valued partner of the RLSD Design Competitions, Rino Mastrotto. They took in the Mastrotto tanneries in Veneto and Tuscany and also took the time to see the sights and enjoy the beautiful countryside.
Away from the Design Competitions, we made some new friends and reacquainted ourselves with some old ones.
We fell in love with Bentleys leather. A family business established in 1989 by Tim Bent, Bentleys is more than just a shop, it is a museum of the beautiful. Like most museums, every artifact tells a story and we couldn’t resist sharing them with you. Unlike most museums, most of the exhibits are for sale, so if you find yourself in London’s Lower Sloane Street, pop in and see what takes your fancy. Stocking antique luggage from the great French houses of Vuitton, Goyard and Hermes, and their less well-known British contemporaries, the shop provides a glimpse into the lifestyles of past ages and a link to the craftsmanship and traditional skills that are in danger of being lost. We’ve been profiling one of their pieces each month and they really do show how long-lasting leather is and how it gets more and more beautiful with age.
And our old friend Fiona Ward has continued her series of inspirational articles on leather’s impact on the fashion world and the great things sustainable leather companies are doing.
We’re also very proud of the leather-loving family we are building. Thanks to the 3,290 of you who voted in our People’s Choice categories in all competitions and the more than 100,000 of you who follow us on our social platforms giving us 370,000 engagements.
Merry Christmas to all of you! See you in the New Year.
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.
Company’s brands join the Leather Working Group (LWG) aiming to lead the auto industry in responsible raw material procurement.
London Fashion Week saw a range of quirky yet stunning looks from both regular and up-and-coming designers from around the world. Check out our faves!
We may be biased, but we’re also know we’re right! We look at the ways leather beats its manmade competitors.
Meet 21 year old Alyssa Tarantino, student at ACM in Rome and participant in the Italy Student Design Competition.
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