Winner of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition announced

Emily Omesi, a BFA undergraduate of Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City (FIT NYC) has won this year's Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition. Omesi won with her leather jacket design entitled ‘Bacterial Genetics’, inspired by scans of infectious diseases.

Commenting on her win: “I love working with leather, there is truly no other material like it. It’s durable and can last the wearer a lifetime but is also very delicate to sew. Handling leather takes patience and practice, similar to creating a sculpture. Every leather hide is unique, which makes the process that much special.”

Emily Omesi wins Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition

Omesi's design ‘Bacterial Genetics’ was inspired by cell scans from her brother’s research on infectious diseases. Her inspiration also came from 80’s outerwear to create a cropped bomber jacket with an exaggerated dolmen sleeve with sculptured swirls. The jacket is made of 100 percent cow leather.

Omesi not only received the RLSD trophy, but also has had her design professionally made and featured on the cover of the A/W 2021 issue of the fashion magazine Rollacoaster.

The judging panel consisted of Katie Greenyer, Creative Director for the Pentland Group, Mike Adler, Fashion Stylist, and Milan Miladinov, Art Director at Rollacoaster magazine. Mike Adler commented:“This jacket is not only super editorial but its modern and futuristic design easily translates into music and celebrity styling as well as the retail space. We need new designers who will challenge the norm; and can combine sustainability with high fashion effortlessly - Emily has delivered on all these points. From the cover of Rollercoaster to the rest of the world!”

The other four short-listed finalists were Alice Morgan (University of Derby, UK), Meghan Beattie (Birmingham City University, UK), Teresita Marrero Escalona (Universidad del Azuay, Ecuador) and Nathalie Hauser (Kolding School of Design, Denmark). Their entries ranged from delicate silver and leather jewellery to intricate patchwork, shape-defining handbags, and extravagant costume designs.

The competition encourages the use of leather in delivering a more sustainable future - and the next generation of designers to think about ‘slow fashion’

Photos: Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition