Wasin Thumrongsakunvong- Board Director and General Manager at Interhides Public Company Limited (IHL).
Leading the company’s Shoe Leather Division. He is known for driving innovation in product design, high- efficiency manufacturing and the sourcing of sustainable materials. His blend of strategic vision and hands-on operational leadership makes him a respected voice in Thailand’s industrial and corporate worlds.
Christopher Koerber – Managing Director, Hugo Boss Ticino
A long-standing RLSD judge, Christopher has built his career across the upper echelons of global fashion, from senior roles at Tommy Hilfiger to his current position at Hugo Boss Ticino. A big-picture strategist, he brings deep expertise in brand management, operations and consumer-driven design.
Polpat “Moo” Asavaprapha – Founder & Creative Director, ASAVA Group; Chairman, Bangkok Fashion Society
Thailand’s most famous designer brings genuine star power to the panel. Trained at Parsons and shaped by stints at Armani, Max Mara and Marc Jacobs, Moo returned home in 2008 to build ASAVA into a luxury house with genuine global reach. He recently dressed BLACKPINK’s Lisa for her visit to Buckingham Palace. As Chairman of the Bangkok Fashion Society, he’s the perfect link between local expertise and global influence.
Ashin Zhou – Innovation Designer, New Balance
With 14 years spanning Nike’s Innovation Kitchen, Levi’s and now New Balance, Ashin brings serious technical and creative firepower to footwear. A specialist in performance design, emerging materials and trend forecasting across running, basketball, trail and track, he was named an Outstanding Designer by the China Leather Association in 2025. He also judges the China Strait Cup Industrial Design Competition.
Sonia Couling — Model, Actress & MC for the Bangkok Final
Hosting the evening is one of Thailand’s most recognisable international faces. Born in Bangkok to an English father and Thai mother, Sonia speaks five languages and her modelling and acting careers have taken her across three continents. She produced and presented Thailand’s Next Top Model, won Best Actress at the Thai TV Gold Awards, flies as a Royal Thai Air Force reserve pilot and, if that’s not enough, competes in polo.
Adrien Roberts – Fashion Education Consultant, Accademia Costume & Moda
Over 11 years as International Director at Accademia Costume & Moda in Rome and Milan, 16 years as International Trustee of the Graduate Fashion Foundation and as founder of Global Fashion Graduate, Adrien has helped shape the careers of designers worldwide. A Central Saint Martins and Royal College of Art alumnus, he remains one of the industry’s most connected advocates for the next generation.
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.
Real Leather. Stay Different. 2025 International Competition Category Winners Announced! After a judging process made gruelling by the amazingly high standard of entries, the results are now in. Find out a bit more about our four category winners and their
Jia-Wen Zhang is currently studying in her senior year at Shizhan University and has studied bag design, shoe design and knitting design amongst a range of other courses. Her project draws upon themes of toxic love; where people seek to control you
The results are in! The Real Leather. Stay Different. Taiwan Region Student Design Competition announces its winners.
And the winner is… Gal Benjamin, a Fashion Design graduate of Shenkar College of Design, Engineering and Art has been crowned International Winner of the Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Design Competition at a live final in London.
