REAL LEATHER. STAY DIFFERENT. The campaign shows the winner of the design contest for students
The winner of the inaugural Real Leather contest is announced. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition, in association with ArtsThread magazine and Rollacoaster and funded through the Leather & Hide Council of America.
Emily Omesi, a BFA graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City (FIT NYC), scooped the win for her thought-provoking leather jacket design titled Bacterial Genetics, inspired by scans of infectious diseases.
The judging panel included Katie Greenyer of the Pentland Group, Mike Adler, fashion stylist, and Milan Miladinov, art director for Rollacoaster magazine. Commenting on her win, Emily explained:
¨I love working with leather- there really is no other material like it. It is durable and can last a lifetime for the user, and at the same time it is very delicate to sew. Handling leather requires patience and practice - it is somewhat similar to creating a sculpture. Each leather is unique, which makes the process that much more special¨.
The competition attracted nearly 400 entries from 117 universities, representing 58 nationalities from 36 countries. It serves to encourage the use of leather to offer a more sustainable future - and the next generation of designers to think "slow fashion".
With clients including Glenn Close, Josh O'Connor, Maisie Williams, Elizabeth Hurley, Emma Corrin and Monica Belluci, Judge Mike Adler commented:
¨This jacket is not something super editorial, but its modern and futuristic design translates easily into the style of music and celebrities, as well as having a commercial space. We need new designers who challenge the norm and can combine sustainability with haute couture effortlessly. Emily has delivered on all of these points.¨
The other four finalists were Alice Morgan (University of Derby, United Kingdom), Meghan Beattie (Birmingham City University, United Kingdom), Teresita Marrero Escalona (University of Azuay, Ecuador) and Nathalie Hauser (Kolding School of Design, Denmark). Their entries ranged from delicate silver and leather jewelry to intricate mosaics, shape-defining handbags and quirky wardrobe designs.
The competition encourages future talent to work with a material such as natural, sustainable leather produced responsibly in categories of clothing, footwear or accessories, using at least 50% leather. Judges want to witness pieces that will not only last, but will be loved, for a lifetime.
Emily's design has been professionally created, and is featured on the cover of the Fall/Winter 2021 international fashion magazine, Rollacoaster, featuring model Sano Turdiev.