Pictured from left to right: Zachary Berry (Footwear winner), Mingyu Xu (Furniture winner), Molly Wade (Apparel & Overall Fashion winner), Anjala Shamla Shajan (Accessories winner), Sam Bird Smith (Interiors & Overall Home winner)
On 24 September, creative talent and industry experts from the natural materials sector gathered at the U.S. Embassy in London to celebrate the winners of the inaugural Only Natural Student Design Competition. Organized by the Leather and Hide Council of America with trade association partners, including the Softwood Export Council and the American Hardwood Export Council, the competition aims to challenge the future of design and manufacturing by championing the use of natural, sustainable materials.
Students and recent graduates were invited to submit innovative and beautiful designs for one of two awards: Fashion and Home. The brief was to create a piece inspired by nature and made from two or more only natural fibers and materials such as leather, cotton, wool, wood, stone, bamboo, mohair, hemp, and cork.
The winners were selected by a panel of industry experts who voted for the best design in five categories. For Fashion, these were Apparel, Accessories, and Footwear. For Home, the categories were Interiors and Furniture. The judges also selected Overall Winners who were crowned at the awards ceremony.
In Fashion, Molly Wade claimed the Apparel Category and the title of Overall Fashion Winner with her project Shenn Vyrneen Aym (translation: An old love of mine). Molly is a graduate of the London College of Fashion, UK. Her design incorporated wool, shearing sheepskin, and regenerative leather.
Sam Bird Smith claimed the Interiors Category and Overall Home Winner title for his project Phyto. Sam studies at Nottingham Trent University, UK, and his winning work featured the innovative use of algae-based bioplastic.
The finalists displayed their winning designs in the Embassy’s Constitutional Hall, which was transformed into a natural setting. The event also included a panel discussion hosted by design writer and Material Matters podcaster Grant Gibson, who was joined by fellow judges Ana Del Rio, an award-winning leathercraft fashion designer and Edwin Ryder, founder of EASTJR Ltd. Sustainability expert Joanna Knight, a published writer and speaker in the furniture and furnishings sector, completed the line-up.
Kerry Brozyna, President of the Leather & Hide Council of America, praised the initiative: “We are proud to support the Only Natural competition, which showcases the creativity and innovation of the next generation of designers who are committed to sustainability. This competition highlights the endless possibilities that natural materials offer. We hope it will inspire more young designers to think sustainable and drive these practices in the wider industry.”