‘Tennis Club’ Aces Real Leather, Stay Different, International Student Design Competition

Israeli designer Tal Zohar wins RLSD 2026 International Student Design Competition with 'Tennis Club', championing leather and sustainable slow fashion.

BANGKOK, THAILAND, October 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- ‘Tennis Club’ Aces Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition

● Tal Zohar’s ‘Tennis Club’ takes Real Leather. Stay Different. top title
● Competition showcases leather as slow fashion choice for young designers
● Students from more than 100 fashion colleges compete in annual competition

The finals of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition, which attracted thousands of entries from students from the world’s best fashion colleges, culminated last night in a catwalk show and awards party at the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok.

Tal Zohar from Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Israel took the coveted title with her outfit ‘Neo-Heritage Tennis Club’. The outfit – drawing design inspiration from the 1920s and 1970s and introducing the palette and construction lines of the tennis court – features a leather jacket quilted to represent the strings on a racquet and was paired with a tight-pleated leather skirt. Accessorised with sun visor and leather ball bag, it used entirely natural materials.

Judged by a panel of fashion, retail and leather production and design experts - who understand what will shape future markets - the competition puts the emphasis on sustainable fashion.

Accepting her trophy, Tal commented: “The brief challenges designers to think about a more sustainable future for fashion asking us to work only with leather and natural materials. The strength and durability of leather and the growth of athleisure gave me both inspiration and audience. Tennis Club draws on the journey for female tennis players from the first modern skirts allowing freedom of movement on court to the athleisure of today.”

A springboard for emerging design talent, the competition is supported by the Leather and Hide Council of America. The brief requires the use of natural fibres, with at least 50 percent bovine leather. Alumni have gone on to work for the world's leading brands including Louboutin, Dior, Loewe, Louis Vuitton and New Balance. Judge, and Hugo Boss Ticino Managing Director, Christopher Koerber added:

“We work in a commercial world – where designs need to stand out and sell. But this competition also recognises that change is needed – towards a more considered fashion that has a soft footprint on the planet and a long-lasting imprint on the wardrobe. Tal’s work is what this competition is about; stunning design, commercial application and sustainable delivery. No plastics, no untried materials, just a showcase for slow style that is at home at the sports club as it is on the catwalk."

Kerry Brozyna, President of sponsors, the Leather and Hide Council of America, commented on the importance of this global fashion competition saying: “Most of us understand the damage that fast fashion is doing to the planet. But many are not aware of the role of natural fibres can play in reducing plastics-based pollution and waste, by providing high quality, durable and recyclable clothing solutions that are cherished. Every year the leather industry diverts millions of hides, created by our demand for meat and dairy products, from landfill. And from those hides we make leather goods that last a lifetime.”

“Reaching designers and giving them the opportunity to learn about, and work with, leather is critical. Practical hands-on knowledge is the best way to discount the disinformation people are fed on a daily basis. Our mission is to empower designers and consumers alike to make informed choices to the benefit of all.”

The Awards were hosted by model and actress Cindy Bishop.

-ENDS-

Notes to editors:

Meet the judges:

Wasin Thumrongsakunvong (Board Director and General Manager of Interhides Public Company Limited), Christopher Koerber (Managing Director of Hugo Boss Ticino), Polpat "Moo" Asavaprapha (Founder and Creative Director of ASAVA Group and Chairman of the Bangkok Fashion Society), Ashin Zhou (Innovation Designer at New Balance) and Adrien Roberts (Fashion Education Consultant and International Director at Accademia Costume & Moda).

Meet the RLSD 2026 International Category Winners:

Overall Winner 2026 & Apparel: Tal Zohar (Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art, Israel). Design title: The Neo-Heritage Tennis Club
- A leather-quilted jacket in cow leather and natural cotton, inspired by childhood tennis and the style of the 1920s and 1970s. Its palette and construction lines come straight from the court.

Accessories: Siang-Ying Lu (SAIC School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA). Design title: Playscape
- Inspired by Isamu Noguchi's playgrounds, this bag starts as a single circle of offcut leather, folded and sewn with no further cutting. The leather's natural stretch shapes its form.

Footwear: Roscha Dinler (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany). Design title: Fragmented Structure
- Taking its cue from Kintsugi, this footwear is built entirely from leather scraps and offcuts, sculpted directly on the last, so repair and construction become the design.

People's Choice: Tran Trong Nghi Nguyen (Ton Duc Thang University, Vietnam). Design title: Champa the Legacy
- An evening gown inspired by Bàu Trúc pottery, with cracked, fired-clay surface textures and Champa sculpture motifs reinterpreted in handcrafted leatherwork.

Host Nation Representative (Thailand): Kittidech Chankraithong (Srinakharinwirot University). Design title: RODE-MAIL
- A minidress, balloon jacket and mini sailor hat inspired by his daily bus commute, using traditional Thai gold-leaf gilding as a new surface finish on leather.

Greg Moore
gt&i Limited
+44 7748 968695
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