Are you Africa’s next top leather product designer? The RLSD Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase 2025 is running a live registration booth at Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week (ASFW) from 24th–26th April 2025 at the Sarit Expo Centre, Nairobi. Whether you're a seasoned

Have you registered yet? Join other designers in signing up for the Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase! Come find us at the ASFW Sarit Expo Center, Nairobi. The RLSD Africa 2025 team is here to guide you in turning your idea into a global success.

"I wasn’t sure what would come of it. But I told myself, just apply. You never know which doors it could open,” recalls Eddie Louis, reflecting on his first encounter with the Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase in 2023. In 2024, Eddie

Ruth Girmay of Ethiopia is a name that has come to symbolize excellence, innovation, and purpose-driven design in Africa’s creative leather space. A two-time winner of the Most Commendable Designer Award at RLSD Africa, she’s used her platform to advocate for sustainability and

This afternoon, RLSD Africa Project Lead Beatrice Mwasi moderated a powerful panel discussion titled “From Waste to Wonder: Leveraging Leather, a By-product of the Meat Industry, for Sustainable Fashion.” Panelists highlighted Africa’s vast leather potential, driven by the

“Winning isn’t always about trophies.” George Otieno, founder of Akala21, short for “Akalas for the 21st Century” was a finalist at the RLSD Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase 2024. What drove him to enter? A burning desire to show the world what he’s truly capable of. His

When it comes to strength and endurance, few materials rivals leather and its legacy in bookbinding is living proof. One remarkable example? The Gutenberg Bible, printed in the 1450s and bound in leather, still exists today a testament to leather’s ability to outlast generations.

Only 1 day left until the submission deadline for the Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Competition 2025. The clock is ticking, submit your design concept now! All we need at this stage are your sketches accompanied by detailed drawings of your design, a

Deadline Day is here! If you've been sketching ideas, or waiting for the “perfect moment” this is it. The doors close tonight at 6th June, 2025 midnight BST for the Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase 2025. Still wondering if your idea is good

“Quality is not an act; it is a habit.” — Aristotle For designers, this isn’t just a quote, it’s a mirror. Leather, by nature, demands intention, it doesn’t hide shortcuts, it showcases them. So, when you choose to design sustainably, cut purposefully, and finish with care,

As a designer, your finishing is your fingerprint, it’s where your identity shows up. It’s the detail that whispers, “This is me.” The world’s top brands know this truth; finishing isn't an extra, it's essential. It’s what transforms a good product into a memorable one. So, as

Stephen Maosa captures fleeting moments of childhood wonder and transforms them into a bold, unforgettable design with La’balaba. Inspired by the butterfly, delicate yet full of life, this piece combines dynamic curves, vibrant color-blocking, and precise craftsmanship to

Great designers aren’t just creators, they’re listeners. Customer feedback, cultural shifts and subtle lifestyle changes all whisper clues about what to design next. A bestseller is rarely a happy accident; it’s the result of designers who tuned in before anyone else. Insight is

From Africa to the global stage in Taipei, Farida Eid stood distinguished as Africa’s Most Commendable Designer ,a symbol of the vision and the boundless potential of Africa's creativity. Her recognition wasn’t just an award ,it was a statement that Africa’s design future is

Today at the RLSD International Showcase in Taipei, Farida Eid, Africa’s Most Commendable Designer engaged with Christopher Koerber, Managing Director of HUGO BOSS Ticino, and Mike Adler, Celebrity Stylist and Creative Consultant, as they assessed her designs. That exchange

“Dallol Mirage.” Inspired by Ethiopia’s otherworldly Danakil Depression, this RLSD Africa 2025 piece turns extremes of nature into design; fire, mineral, salt, colour. What looks like a landscape becomes a language. What was once discarded becomes a masterpiece. Getaneh Kifle |

Soaked in Red,” Provocative. Poetic. Unapologetically Bold. Eddie Louis Ochom | OCHOM EDDIE LOUIS designs at the intersection of vulnerability and power. Channeling Viking symbolism, and Caribbean vibrance into garments that speak to identity, emotion, and liberation Eddie

Inspired by nature. Defined by discipline. “Royal Plume Bag” is Biniyam Solomon Bekele | @biniko444 ode to grace. A slow-fashion masterpiece shaped by patience, intention, and the quiet power of craftsmanship. Reclaimed leather is transformed into fluid, hand-finished detailing

“Lusaka Wrapped.” A showcase. A statement. A celebration. Three transformative days. Fifteen trailblazing finalists. Five defining awards. RLSD Africa cements its place as a continental movement for sustainability, authenticity and design excellence. “Leather Lives On – From

Winner Spotlight: RLSD Africa 2025 – All eyes on Omosalewa Ogunjimi | Shallyblaq — our Apparel Category Award Winner! Her Unburnt design lit up the runway with heritage, craftsmanship and sustainable power. A queen honouring a queen. A vision crowned. Africa didn’t just show