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EVERAU × RMIT | Designing the Future of an Australian Icon
Exploring how Australian sheepskin footwear can evolve through design, culture and the next generation of creative voices.
For us, Australian sheepskin footwear has always represented more than comfort.
It reflects something deeply connected to Australian lifestyle — our relationship with landscape, craftsmanship and the relaxed coastal culture that continues to shape how we live. But while heritage matters, we’ve always believed that heritage should continue moving forward.
This year, EVERAU partnered with RMIT University's School of Fashion and Textiles to launch the 2026 Student Design Award for Sheepskin Shoemaking — inviting emerging designers to rethink one of Australia's most recognisable cultural objects through a new generation lens.
The collaboration wasn’t simply about redesigning a boot.
It was about asking a bigger question:
How can an Australian icon evolve while staying connected to its roots?
As Tina Dong, EVERAU Branding & Marketing Manager explains:
“At EVERAU, we see an opportunity to go further: to reposition the Ugg not only as a relevant part of today’s fashion wardrobe, but as a uniquely Australian expression of style, rooted in heritage, craftsmanship, and the coastal lifestyle that inspired it.”
For us, design has never been about changing something for the sake of change. It’s about understanding where something comes from, respecting the craftsmanship and materials behind it, and imagining where it can go next.
That thinking naturally aligned with RMIT and its approach to design education.
Dr Alexandra Sherlock, Lecturer in RMIT’s Bachelor of Fashion (Design), described the collaboration as an opportunity for students to look beyond footwear itself:
“This collaboration invited students to engage with the sheepskin boot not simply as a product, but as a complex cultural object with deep connections to Australian lifestyle and craft traditions.”
She continued:
“Working with EVERAU allowed students to explore how heritage footwear can be reimagined through contemporary design thinking, while maintaining respect for materials, techniques and stories.”
That idea — respecting materials while exploring new perspectives — sits at the heart of this project.
Following a competitive selection process, Lydie Taylor, Tianyin Yang, Madeleine Graham and Harrison Spunner were selected as recipients of the 2026 Student Design Award. Their work collectively explored themes of fashion and comfort, Gen Z cultural relevance and emotional durability, while reimagining the sheepskin boot through entirely different perspectives.
From refined ballet-inspired silhouettes that elevate everyday wearability, to concepts that pair ocean oilskin with sheepskin from the land, each idea offered a different interpretation of what Australian design could become.
Perhaps the most exciting part wasn’t creating something entirely new.
It was seeing something familiar through completely different eyes.
Because the future of Australian sheepskin footwear isn’t about leaving its story behind.
It’s about continuing to write new chapters.
The collaboration has been covered by RUSSH, Ragtrader and RMIT University. Read more via the links below.