Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition 2025 Heads East
Entry deadline: 30 June 2025
Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD), the global campaign driving sustainable innovation in fashion, has just announced something huge: For the first time ever, the RLSD International Student Design Competition final is hitting Taipei – Asia’s buzzing epicentre of fashion, culture and cutting-edge creativity.
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Meet the Judges RLSD 2025
Following fantastic events in the fashion capitals of London and Milan, RLSD has now set its sights eastward and will be landing in the heart of Taipei at the renowned AMBI SPACE ONE, Taiwan’s first intelligent, fully immersive venue located in the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper.
And you could be there too. Imagine this: Four exceptional finalists – category winners from Apparel, Footwear, Accessories, the People’s Choice, plus the newly crowned RLSD Taiwan overall winner – will experience an all-expenses-paid trip to Taiwan. Youll present your designs live, to our influential judging panel that includes Kora Hsieh (Editor-in-Chief, Harper’s BAZAAR Taiwan), Yu Lee (Taiwanese fashion influencer), Christopher Koerber (Managing Director, Hugo Boss), Adrien Roberts (International fashion education consultant) and Mike Adler (International celebrity stylist).
The final and awards night will unfold over two unforgettable days (27-28 October 2025). Finalists will also get to explore Taipei’s Eastern District (Xinyi District), the heartbeat of street style and boundary-pushing individuality. This vibrant neighbourhood reflects the RLSD spirit – merging traditional Taiwanese craftsmanship with futuristic, catwalk-ready innovation that sets Taipei apart.
Mike Adler, Celebrity Stylist and RLSD judge, says, “Bringing RLSD to Taipei is incredibly exciting! This is a chance for young designers to shine in one of Asias most vibrant fashion cities – well known for their unique street style of nonconformist, avant-guard looks. If you’re passionate about designing a sustainable future and ready to seize a life-changing opportunity, enter now. Taipei awaits you!”
Yu Lee, Taiwanese fashion influencer, added, “It’s exciting to see the RLSD international finals held in Taiwan for the first time. Year after year, local designers have brought thoughtful, boundary-pushing work to the competition. This is their moment to be seen on home ground, and it’s a powerful sign of the creative energy growing in this part of the world.”
Each finalist’s winning design will feature in the prestigious RLSD Capsule Collection, touring globally at major events. Finalists will also benefit from extensive publicity linked to the competition.
Enter today: The RLSD competition is open to current fashion students and graduates from 2023 or 2024. Designs must feature at least 50% cattle hide leather in Apparel, Footwear or Accessories categories.
Don’t miss your chance! Entries close at 11:59 pm (BST), 30 June 2025.Enter now at:rlsd.internationaldesigncomp.com/competition-event/international-2025
Notes to editor
About Real Leather. Stay Different.
Real Leather. Stay Different. is a global campaign that has reached some 750 million people and hundreds of thousands of students. It makes the case for leather (and other natural materials) and for making the best use of society’s waste, particularly the hides that are the by-products of the dairy and meat industries, before looking to the petrochemical industries for manmade materials. Flexible and durable, leather is the natural alternative to fast fashion.
About Arts Thread
Arts Thread is the worlds leading digital platform for emerging artists & designers and a launchpad for the next generation of creative talent. Arts Thread has built relationships with over 950 creative institutions connecting to over 400,000 students in approximately 130 countries, partnering with leading brands, organisations, events, media to help launch the next generation of creative talent globally.
For further information please visit www.artsthread.com.
