Who isn’t enamored with the smell and feel of real leather?

You know you’ve got good quality leather on your hands when you’re hit by that earthy, woodsy—and in some cases, sweet—scent and when you can’t stop your hands from exploring that supple and buttery texture. What’s even better is how a genuine leather bag can last you years. And we all know that the older it gets, the better it looks.

The Fashion Accessory Makers of the Philippines (FAMPh) is calling all design students to join the “Real Leather. Stay Different. Student Leather Design Competition 2023” (RLSD), a nationwide competition in partnership with the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA). The US organization is a merger of the Leather Industries of America and the United States Hide Skin and Leather Association.

“It’s a very good exercise, not just for the fashion designers, but for the students,” Gina Nebrida Ty, president of FAMPh, told Lifestyle. “The mission of LHCA is to promote the use of genuine leather, meaning, let us not accommodate fake leather or synthetic leather.”

First in the region

RLSD has been held in the United Kingdom, Italy, the US, Japan and China. The Philippines is the first in the Asia Pacific region to have the competition.

Designer Thian Rodriguez believes that the partnership with LHCA, one of the biggest leather organizations globally, is proof that there is something truly unique and exceptional about the work of Filipino designers. He hopes for a good turnout of entries because this will be an indication that many Filipinos are interested in leatherwork, and that the industry can count on young designers to sustain the craft.

The Philippines needs more leather artisans, said Rodriguez. “I think what we need most is to pass on the skill and the knowledge of leathercraft, especially when it comes to making bags and shoes. That’s also one of our struggles now, we’re having a shortage of artisans,” he told Lifestyle.

“One of our goals in FAMPh as well as in Fashion Designers Alliance is also to encourage the younger generation to continue our culture of leathercraft, especially when it comes to techniques,” Rodriguez said.

He didn’t initially feature leather in his creations, until he was sent to London to represent the Philippines in the International Fashion Showcase in 2016.

“I remember being challenged by the curator, ‘Thian, I want something new.’ So from satin and lace, I shifted to leather,” he recalled.

He admitted that he had no idea how to work with the material but eventually mastered it after countless failures and experimentation. “I think leather has its own character,” said Rodriguez.

Three categories

RLSD will have three categories—apparel, footwear and accessories. Participants are required to submit a design that uses 50-percent leather and 50-percent natural Filipino fabric.“The fabric may be inaul, piña—anything that’s Filipino—and then marry it with genuine Philippine leather. It cannot be imported,” explained Ty.

Students who wish to submit their designs have until June 30 to do so. The winners will be announced on July 15.

“We will pick one winner from each category and from the three category winners, we will choose one overall winner who we will send to Milan, Italy in October to compete with the other ‘Real Leather. Stay Different.’ winners from other countries,” explained Ty.

Ty believes that there’s no better way to support the industry than through a competition that is solely for students. “Because they will be the future creatives. Our goal is for them to harness that and really continuously promote the use of Philippine leather,” she said. INQ