The winner of the 11th edition of the Craft the Leather competition is Asahi Sato, a student at the Hiko Mizuno College of Jewellery in Tokyo. His Roots and Modernity collection consists of three pairs of shoes that highlight the qualities of vegetable-tanned leather (pictured). The project, promoted by Consorzio Vera Pelle Italiana Conciata al Vegetale (Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium), involved eight young talents from international design schools focused on innovation and craftsmanship. Voting took place during Lineapelle 105, where all prototypes were on display.
Craft the Leather 2025
The winner was determined by the combined results of three voting processes: the Technical Jury’s decision, the votes of attendees at Lineapelle, and votes cast via the Consortium’s social media channels (Instagram and Facebook). The first two votes secured Asahi Sato’s victory, while the last – through social media – garnered the highest number of votes for Salmantina collection by Ana del Rio, a student at De Montfort University in Leicester (UK). Following the final vote tally, Del Rio placed second, tying with Dempsey Pauwels from the Academie Beeld Sint-Niklaas (Belgium) and the LEXaqua collection.
Asahi Sato’s shoes win
Consorzio Vera Pelle Conciata al Vegetale has awarded Asahi Sato a cash prize to support his further education in design. His shoe collection, Roots and Modernity, was praised for “emphasising the link between raw material and craftsmanship”. To “enhance the unique characteristics of vegetable-tanned leather”, the Consortium explained in a press release, “the soles were shaped by working the leather while wet, creating organic undulations that give the shoes a distinctive identity”.
“This collection stems from my experience in the Craft the Leather workshop held in San Miniato”, Sato commented. “This experience led to the development of new details, such as cutting lines designed to evoke the texture of wood”.
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