Students, do you have a design idea for real leather?
Fashion is cleansing itself of greenwashing. We’re learning that not all vegan leather is created equal. Fossil fuel-based synthetics are making the problem worse. The best vegan leather alternatives are ideally made of plant and food waste; durability and biodegradability issues aside, the one true rule in going green is to not add more than what is already there.
However, hides will keep coming as long as society consumes meat and dairy. It is a by-product of the dairy and meat industries. US leather accounts for more than 10 percent of all hides produced globally each year.
This is why the Leather and Hide Council of America started its global campaign “Real Leather. Stay Different.” and partnered with fashion organizations worldwide. In the Philippines, the Fashion Accessory Makers of the Philippines, made up of some of the top names in accessory design in the country—like Maco Custodio, Zarah Juan and Amina Aranaz, who creatively integrate 100-percent leather in some of their globally acclaimed designs—is the perfect partner.
The “Real Leather. Stay Different.” Philippine Student Design Competition 2023 is open to students in art and design schools and colleges in the Philippines. Participants will be challenged to design a single piece of apparel, accessory or footwear item using 50-percent genuine Philippine leather and 50-percent natural and/or indigenous Philippine fabric/material. Shortlisted finalists will be invited to create their design concept with the assistance of FAMPh and local sponsors.
With timeless design and excellent craftsmanship, a piece can be a daily companion and future heirloom for generations to come.
It will run alongside regional competitions in Italy, China, Taiwan, the UK, and across Africa as well as the Nordics. The winning design will be professionally made to form part of a capsule collection and unveiled at an event hosted in Europe in October 2023 organized by L&HCA.
Real leather products are durable. With timeless design and excellent craftsmanship, a piece can be a daily companion and future heirloom for generations to come. Slow fashion is not only a buzzword but a way of living; minimizing consumption by creating and owning pieces that you love for life is the true answer to fashion’s waste problem. I look forward to the next fashion innovation.
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Visit chooserealleather.com/competition or follow @famph_ on Instagram for more information.