Real Leather. Stay Different. 2025 International Student Design Competition continues to scale

gt&i co-ordinated campaign, Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) campaign – led by the Leather & Hide Council of America – continues to build momentum as it closed its 2025 entries this week with record-breaking numbers.

Nearly 2500 new designer profiles were created on the competition platform, with more than 1,300 entries submitted; a 28% year-on-year increase in submissions. The scale of international engagement evidences its relevance to a new generation of fashion talent seeking sustainable and natural alternative to synthetics.

 With more than 10,000 designers now part of the RLSD community the campaign has cultivated a strong global network of young creatives who embrace natural materials and reject fast fashion in favour of slow style.

The international final takes place in Taipei, Taiwan in October.

gt&i has been appointed by the Mohair Council of America to deliver a new digital campaign promoting U.S. mohair as a sustainable, high-performance and premium material of choice.

Launching under the Only Natural platform, the campaign  – titled Naturally Mohair  – will establish a fresh B2C voice for U.S. mohair. Through bold storytelling, immersive content and a dedicated digital presence, the campaign has been designed to elevate the mohair’s natural credentials, luxury appeal and cultural heritage  – connecting it with a new generation of design-aware, sustainability-conscious consumers.

Set to run throughout summer 2025, Naturally Mohair includes the launch of a dedicated B2C website, a new Instagram presence, editorial content and a collaborative feature series on the Only Natural website.

The project expands gt&i’s growing portfolio in the U.S. natural fibres space, that includes both the Only Natural and Real Leather. Stay Different. international student design competitions and reinforces our mission to place these materials at the forefront of sustainable design innovation.

gt&i was appointed by the U.S. Soy Export Council to support the activation of their sponsorship and speaker programme at London’s Economist Sustainability Week 2025 – one of the most influential global business forums on climate and food systems.

With U.S. Soy both the greenest on the planet, and one of the most influential with some U.S. $31.2 billion of exports in 2024, our role stretched from messaging and staging, to media liaison and social media support  The result, coverage in European agriculture, sustainability and policy media titles including Farmers Guardian (UK), Agra Europe (Germany) and Editorial Agricola (Spain) and a feature on the Millennial Masters podcast.

For cut though media comms on agriculture and sustainability, contact: [email protected]

gt&i group’s specialist Ai services agency StudioAi London was commissioned to bring to life the world’s highest penthouse with a series of stunning Ai generated visuals.

Spanning some 21,000 sqft across two floors of Burj Khalifa, the ‘Sky Palace’, on the market for $49.5m, now comes complete with stunningly rendered Ai visuals.  The images give would-be buyers a vision of the completed 107 and 108th floor apartment, and how the interior spaces could compete with the astonishing external views.

From main living areas to bedrooms, bathrooms and studies, the property is one of a kind and comes with its own private lift.  See more and experience the video tour courtesy of The National here.

Contact Tim Lewis for further information on Studio AI London – or to express an interest in the Sky Palace.  [email protected]

The Constitution Gallery at the US Embassy, London had a makeover as gt&i worked with the Embassy team to stage the finals of the International Real Leather. Stay Different. fashion awards.

Promoting sustainable slow-style and championing the use of natural materials, Josslyn Shi from California College of Art was crowned Overall Winner following a welcome address from host Jane. D Hartley, US Ambassador to the UK.

Attended by 250 movers and shakers of the fashion world the judging panel brought together fashion brands, educators and influencers including Christopher Koerber of HUGO BOSS, Anna Melegh from Christian Louboutin, Matteo Mastrotto, CEO of Rino Mastrotto, fashion education consultant Adrien Yakimov Roberts and celebrity stylist Mike Adler.

To find out more visit chooserealleather.com – for sponsorship opportunities and more speak to [email protected] 

Over the past year, and in response to increasing focus on shoot costs and usage rights, gt&i has collaborated with a diverse range of clients, from destination resorts and airlines to food brands, charities and UK utilities, to provide (and test) campaign-aligned, high-impact AI-generated imagery. The result is the official launch of our cutting-edge solution, StudioAi, which enables business to realise the impossible, quickly and cost effectively.

For campaign launches and SKU roll-outs to the challenges of localisation around the globe, we bring the strategy and campaign know how, creative direction and image application that show the value of experience and technology when deployed together.

To experience our work, visit Studioai.London.  For incredibly quick, cost effective and always stunning solutions to your image challenges, speak to one of our team or email [email protected]

From leakage reduction to sewer maintenance, infrastructure investment to environmental protection, South West Water’s [SWW] work spans well beyond supplying drinking water to households across the region.

Realising the many challenges ahead, from population growth and tourism to climate change, SWW engaged  gt&i to review strategy and to deliver a new umbrella campaign.

The mission to think to the future – to educate, inform and engage customers on the true value of water and the impacts that consumption has on the regions rivers and lakes which is where every drop comes from. Introducing Water is Precious now running across the region including OOH, print, radio, digital, media relations and social.

To find out more about the real costs of water visit South West Water here

In an era where design is all too often driven by passing trends, where cost is a priority and value increasingly eroded, gt&i is working with US trade bodies, representing natural materials from hemp and cotton to wood and leather, to deliver a campaign to change attitudes to natural materials, to promote style before fashion and to champion the planet’s future champions.

The result is Only Natural – an international design competition co-ordinated by the Leather & Hide Council of America that challenges emerging designers to embrace the timeless beauty of nature and craft bespoken items in fashion and home categories.  gt&i developed the competition format, brand and digital channels and is managing PR and marketing activity.

Now open for entries at onlynatural.internationaldesigncomp.com/

Sometimes the smallest of changes can make the biggest difference. We’ve been busy partnering with Central Networks, an IT industry leader for more than 30 years. A simple yellow tweak to the logo and a fresh strapline now embodies their simple focus – IT’s what we do.

The work spans from strategic positioning and ongoing communications support to website and social media management.

Take a look at the website at www.centralnetworks.co.uk and don’t forget to follow on Instagram @central_networks1

Water companies have a broad remit. From delivering water at the turn of a tap to sewage treatment, from reservoir building to planning for climate change. gt&i works with South West Water to help tell the story and bring the water we take for granted to life.

Keen to inform customers of the breadth of work that has been done and is in the pipeline – and the issues that need to be addressed – South West Water and gt&i are working to develop a long term strategy that is good for customers, for the environment and for business where balanced discussion leads to informed decision making and great campaigns.

For strategy, creative, social and channel activation contact [email protected].