15 September 2026
Design-A-Bag Competition 2027 Opens for Submission
In a world where everything can be replicated, true innovation inspires wonder.
DAB 2027 invites designers to create leather bags that transform craftsmanship, materials and creativity into objects of beauty and emotion.
Design-A-Bag (DAB) Online Competition, the premier leather bag design event for designers and design students worldwide, is pleased to announce the opening of submissions for the 2027 edition. Organized by Fashion Access since 2007, the annual competition continues to foster creativity and elevate emerging talent across the global fashion industry. Following a 53% surge in entries from 52 countries and regions in 2026, DAB remains a vital platform for designers to showcase innovative work to industry professionals worldwide.
Finalists will be sponsored to attend Fashion Access 2027 in Hong Kong, which is held alongside APLF Leather and Materials+, the world’s leading international exhibition for leather and fashion manufacturing industries. The Overall DAB Winner will win a 4-week design course at Arsutoria School in Milan, Italy.
The submission deadline is 08 January 2026 (GMT+8 23:59)
DAB 2026: The Minds Behind The Bags
2027 Competition Theme:
CRAFTING WONDER
Technology can copy. Algorithms can predict. But wonder — that moment when craft transcends function and becomes something unforgettable — cannot be manufactured.
DAB 2027 challenges designers to go beyond utility and aesthetics, to create pieces that evoke emotion, spark curiosity, and celebrate the magic of the human touch. Wonder lives in the unexpected detail: in the way leather folds, catches light, or tells a story through texture. Using leather as the primary material, each creation should be a testament to artistry, technique and soul. These are not just bags. They are wonders waiting to be crafted.
2027 Design Direction:
1. Leather, what else? Genuine leather must be used…
and can be complemented by other natural or non-leather materials.
2. Look for inspirations and fashion indicators from archives to explore iconic bag designs for the future
Break the existing rules that had navigated us in the past years. Discover the latest trending leathers and colours for your bag design. Participants can get inspiration from APLF Colour, Leather & Material Trends Fall-Winter 2027/28.
Please visit here for more competition guidelines.
Prizes include:
- The three finalists will receive a free round-trip air ticket to Hong Kong to attend the Final Judging Ceremony during Fashion Access
- Each finalist will receive USD500 cash prize
- Opportunities to be featured in APLF.com
- The Winner can attend a 4-Weeks Accessories (Bags & Shoes) Design Course at Arsutoria School, Milan, valued at EUR 4,500 plus a EUR 1,000 accommodation allowance sponsored by APLF
2026 Overall Winner
The 2026 Design-A-Bag Competition successfully concluded during APLF Hong Kong 2026, with Ms Phan Nguyen Hoai Thuong from Vietnam as the Winner. Her winning design, The Unbowed Bag, symbolizes strength and composure through chaos. Remarkably, this is her very first design as a fashion student at Hoa Sen University. The versatile bag functions as a structured handbag or disassembles into an elegant clutch. She is also the winner of the Design-A-Bag Vietnam Talent Edition held in November during APLF ASEAN 2025. Her design exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship and perfectly embodies the theme of new uses and functionalities.
Ms Phan Nguyen Hoai Thuong and her winning bag – The Unbowed Bag
First & Second Runner-Up
Berlin Bag, Zhuo Wei Si (China)
BELONGING, Nilgun Demirhan (Turkiye)
Online Favourite Design
The Cogon Bag, Arvie Valencia (UAE)
Click here to learn more on the design concepts of the finalists.
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