Italian Design Competition: Sabiha Alganer

24th August 2021

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Meet Sabiha Alganer. After winning multiple contests with her fabric and surface designs, Sabiha completed her undergraduate degree on Textile and Fashion at Mimar Sinan Art School. She then went on to researching surface painting techniques in Indonesia where she found her interest in working with leather.

Sabiha then completed her internships with leatherwear companies and completed her master’s degree on Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni University of Milan in 2020.

What first attracted to using leather for your design?

Leather has its own magic and charm. It is always full of surprises. Designing with leather is like  going on a journey.

Do you have any design inspiration that influence your work?

My effort to  gain a greater understanding of life pushes me to experiment with my art work. When I melt lead and put it into water, it is uniquely shaped within the reflection. I designed this leatherwear collection taking inspiration from the different shapes the lead can come out in. I believe that everyone reflects themselves in what they wear.

What do you think using leather allows you to do with your designs that another material or medium would not?

I prefer to design with leather due to its sustainability. Additionally, as a designer who also designs with fabric, I find it much more innovative to create a surface design with leather.

Why do you think leather has consistently remained ‘in style’ while other materials come in out?

We can produce many different finishes with leather according to our taste. This gives us more choice. Also, leather is a natural material, the more you use it, the more personalized your products will be.

How do you think leather will adapt to a fashion industry increasingly focused on sustainability?

On the one hand we can use leather products that last may years instead of fast fashion. On the other hand, the quality of raw materials is improved in a more natural way. As we know, there are many kinds of animal and plant skins. I think colouring and dyeing processes will become more natural with the biological developments.

Today we can use leather products that last may years – in place of fast fashion items.  In addition the raw materials, the hides, are being tanned in a more natural way. As we know, there are many kinds of ways of working with animal skins using vegetable tanning. I think colouring and dyeing processes will become ever more natural with further development of biological techniques.

To check out entries from other students and more on the Student Design Competition click here!

Photo credits:

Print: ph. Tommaso Tancredi 

Fb: @timmotokkinen

Ig: @tommaso_tancredi