Sponsoring Institution: APLF Leather

Type: Design Competition

Eligibility: Open to any design student or freelance designer

Application Deadline: The design competition is open for submissions starting in December and closes mid February.

Highlight: Does the ever-changing world of fashion excite you? Are you a creative person who is interested in designing? Well, then APLF’s Design-a-Bag competition may be the perfect match for you to test out your skills! This design competition is open to any design student or freelance designer. For this design competition, you must submit an online A3-sized document that includes your sketch, a technical, in-scale drawing, and the material’s color story. Participants are allowed to submit more than one design but may not include a name on their drawing to preserve fairness in this design competition. Each year, APLF has a different theme and set of colors, helping challenge you and take you out of your comfort zone! Applications open in early December and must be submitted by mid-February. Winners are decided by online polls on Facebook. Facebook favorites are judged in a final ceremony. Winners receive a free trip to Dubai, opportunities to be featured on design social media accounts, $500, a design course at Arsutoria School which is currently valued at $4900, and access to art magazines. This design competition is unique; anyone around the world can participate, and each design has its own story to tell. Check out the designs of past winners. For example, 2022 Finalist Neil Bryan from the Philippines designed the Amara Handbag which was inspired by an endangered buffalo species. Feeling inspired? Well, grab your sketchbook and design away at this one-of-a-kind design competition!