The Leather & Hides Council of America (LHCA) in partnership with Real Leather. Stay Different. & The Leather Hub is hosting a free online webinar titled Material Thinking: Leather, Sustainability and the Future of Design on June 2, 2026 at 6.30pm IST.

India Session: June 2 at 6.30 pm IST – https://linkly.link/2jgIG

This year LHCA is actively encouraging Indian design students to participate in RLSD 2026 & the June 2 webinar has been organised specifically to support Indian student participation ahead of the June 30 entry deadline.

The webinar is aimed at fashion, footwear & accessories design students and will be conducted in two parts.

Part 1 covers the deeper meaning of leather in contemporary fashion and product design exploring sustainability, material responsibility, design thinking and industry expectations.

Students will receive guidance on the RLSD 2026 competition structure, assessment criteria and portfolio presentation from Adrien Roberts, international fashion education strategist & former senior academic at Istituto Marangoni & Accademia Costume & Moda.

Part 2 is a masterclass on leather led by Dr. Christine Anscombe, globally renowned leather specialist & Chair of the IULTCS Training Commission. Christine will cover leather properties, material selection, performance, sustainability & how to choose the right type and quality of leather for different product applications.

The session is particularly relevant for design students looking to enter the RLSD 2026 competition

Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) is a global student design competition open to fashion, footwear & accessories students worldwide with entries closing June 30, 2026.

A second global session will also be held on June 5, 2026 at 9.00am BST – 1.30pm IST – for students who cannot attend the India session.

Register here:

India Session: June 2 at 6.30 pm IST – https://linkly.link/2jgIG

Global Session: June 5 at 9.00 am BST (1.30 PM IST) – https://linkly.link/2jgIV

Registration is free.

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