The Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition, in partnership with ArtsThread, has confirmed its category and People’s Choice winners for this year. Almost 2,000 entries, from over 134 academic institutions, across 40 countries, were received across the competition’s international and regional formats. Now, just four remain to compete head to head in a live London final on 15th September in front of a judging panel of leading fashion industry experts, to become the overall winner for the 2022 International Competition.
The four category winners are:
The category winners were chosen over a month long selection process, involving Real Leather. Stay Different. representatives and, ultimately, a judging panel of leading fashion industry representatives who accessed entries anonymously, with their scores being aggregated to establish each category winner. The International People’s Choice winner, Lior Weinberg, was selected via an online public vote which ran between 28th July – 7th August. She secured 2,490 votes of the total 37,000 cast across all nominees.
Rosie Wollacott Phillips, Head of Sustainability for Mulberry, and competition Judge commented;
“It was an unbelievably challenging task for everyone involved in the selection and judging process to identify the category winners, such was the quality, diversity and sheer volume of entries. But we did so independently with the People’s Choice vote ensuring broad consensus for our fourth finalist. I am deeply encouraged by what I have seen. Creativity is alive and well – and there is a real appetite in these young designers to explore how they can incorporate leather into their work.
“Leather is a beautiful and sustainable material when sourced properly. I’m delighted to be supporting tomorrow’s generation of design talent, who take sustainability seriously, to reconsider their relationship with leather and other natural materials in order to create stunning designs where longevity and minimal environmental impact is key. I am looking forward to meeting these designers in person for the global final that will decide the overall winner.”
THE WINNING DESIGNS
Category Winner : Accessories
Name: Gianluca Ambrosini, SCAD Savannah, USA
Course: Accessory Design MFA, 2023
Instagram: @gian_bygianlucaambrosini
Gianluca is a Peruvian Accessory designer with a B.F.A Industrial Design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and is currently based in Georgia, getting an M.F.A in Accessory design, specialising in handbags. His approach to design is rooted in storytelling, creating interesting and tongue-in-cheek designs that start a conversation. Having worked at Coach as an apprentice for a year, he tries to strike a balance between innovation and commerciality, creating products that allow a wide range of customers to express themselves.
Category Winner: Apparel
Name: Gal Benjamin, Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Israel
Course: Fashion Design BDES, 2022
Instagram: @galbenyamin_
Gal Benjamin is a 24-year old designer currently based in Israel, who specialises in Menswear Atelier, Pattern Cutting, and Gender Neutral/ Mixed FM Fashion. His work explores the distinctly stereotypical masochistic worlds of motorsport, and as a contrast, the works of Pierre Solage and Hans Hartong, pioneers in the genre of lyrical abstraction, characterized by free, emotional and personal compositions that are unrelated to objective reality. His designs are made using advanced pattern cutting and sewing techniques in leather, emphasizing zero waste techniques as well as items designed with consideration and sewn fully from leather leftovers.
Category Winner: Footwear
Name: Anna Melegh, London College of Fashion, UAL, UK
Course: Footwear MA, 2022
Instagram: @annamelegh
Anna Melegh is a footwear and accessories designer turning everyday objects inside out by using the methods of surrealism. Anna comes from an artistic family and having nearly 10 years of art and shoe-focused education. All started at the Secondary School of Visual Arts in Budapest learning to be a leather goods maker. She finished the BA Footwear and Accessories course in Northampton and completed the MA Footwear at London College of Fashion in 2022.
“I think we should dare to think more outside of the box, in terms of designs and ideas as well as materials. I believe fashion has the power to raise awareness of the various issues, make the viewer stop and think – just like any other art.”
Category Winner: People’s Choice
Name: Lior Weinberg, Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Israel
Course: Fashion Design BDES, 2022
Instagram: @liorweinberg
Lior Weinberg is a 24 year old third-year fashion design student at Shenkar College of engineering and design in Israel. She specialises in Apparel, Womenswear, Lingerie and Swimwear. Her work examines dress codes and uniforms over the years, and the paradox that fashion creates in our need to imitate others but also distinguish ourselves from each other.
Stay tuned for more updates on the winner’s and a look into their inspirations for each design!
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