nicholas mudungwe

@RLSD_Africa @kjbrozyna Great work, ALLPI is set to enhance the impact of this intervention by supporting the commercialisation of RLSD competition winners.

RLSD Africa is where innovation meets sustainability, shaping the future of leather design excellence across the continent and beyond. @kjbrozyna #rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

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 up - Africa led. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 that echoes the peacock feathers iconic “eye spots,” a universal symbol of pride, renewal, and inner radiance. For Biniyam, RLSD Africa Finalist 2025, luxury is not spectacle. It is mindfulness in material, integrity in process, and meaning in every stitch. This November, the “Royal Plume Bag” enters the RLSD Africa stage, refined, radiant, and rooted in purpose. The stage is set. The story continues this November. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

Soaked in Red,” Provocative. Poetic. Unapologetically Bold. Eddie Louis Ochom | @OCHOMEDDIELOUIS designs at the intersection of vulnerability and power. Channeling Viking symbolism, and Caribbean vibrance into garments that speak to identity, emotion, and liberation Eddie transforms a personal and often silenced struggle, hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, into an act of creative defiance. Layered crimson and maroon leather become theatre, turning discomfort into disclosure and invisibility into impact. The heat, weight, and tension of the garments serve as a visceral metaphor for the push and pull between exposure and concealment, shame and self-acceptance. With Soaked in Red, Eddie reframes vulnerability as strength. Fashion becomes catharsis: a place where pain takes form, resilience reveals its beauty, and every seam carries a story of dignity and rebirth. This November, “Soaked in Red” arrives on the RLSD Africa stage, raw in feeling and fearless in expression. The stage is set. The story continues this November. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

“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 | @rohageta , RLSD Africa Finalist 2025, transforms reclaimed cow and sheep leather into layered patchwork that echoes Dallol’s cracked terrain. Resin details in neon green, ochre, and iron red reflect its surreal geothermal hues. Every bag is finished individually, each one a world of its own. For Getaneh, sustainability is not a trend. It is imagination applied with intention. This November, “Dallol Mirage” steps onto the RLSD Africa stage, bold in colour and rooted in Ethiopia’s natural wonder. The stage is set. The story continues this November. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 here, bold, and unmistakably world-class. A moment that reminds the world , Africa doesn’t follow trends; it defines them. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 marked a dialogue between global luxury and African ingenuity. This is Africa’s moment. The world is listening. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 the first stitch in every iconic piece. Listen closer. Design smarter. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 celebrate joy, presence, and identity. Every detail, from top-grain leather to polished gold-tone accents, honors both creativity and functionality, making the design an emblem of elegance, personality, and soulful expression. La’balaba commands attention, sparks emotion and reminds us to embrace the beauty in every fleeting moment. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

@matigary @Jamwanda2 @MthuliNcube01 @GGuvamatanga Well done Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has won the bid to host the Intra Africa Trade Fair’s permanent headquarters, which will be funded by Afreximbank to the tune of $28 million. Zimbabwe beat multiple other African countries bidding to host the IATF HQ. This is a major economic and diplomatic coup on Zimbabwe’s government part. Congratulations Zimbabwe.

@VwalaViola @EUinTZ @eacmarkup @jumuiya @JMakamba @yose_hoza @winharder_ @ScholaDecaprado @kipepe123 @funjojr @ringia_adelah Excellent work

Tanzania is stepping up! From June 9–13, stakeholder across the leather value chain gather in Dar es Salaam for #TanzaniaLeatherClusters workshop. It’s time to unlock local industry potential—starting with school shoes! 🥿🇹🇿 #EmpowerLeatherTz Cc @EUinTZ @eacmarkup @jumuiya

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 you create your product ask yourself? What detail will make your product unforgettable, even before someone touches it? #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 enough? It is. What’s not good enough is letting this opportunity pass you by. You don’t need a finished product, just your design concepts and a clear message that shows how your design supports sustainability. Take the leap. Click the link in our bio to submit, or message us now for help. Great ideas don’t wait and neither should you. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

“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, you’re not just meeting a standard, you’re embodying a habit. That’s what we’re looking for, creators who let quality guide them daily. Not for show. But as a way of thinking. A way of making. A way of leading change. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 storyboard, and optionally, a short 2-minute video introducing your project. The final deadline is 6th June 2025 at midnight BST, and there will be no extensions. Don’t miss your chance to be seen on a global stage. Click the link in our bio to create your account and upload your submission today or message us for assistance. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

“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 leather design journey began in 2020, marked by challenges, but reaching the RLSD finals changed everything. “Many creatives want their work to be seen but lack the right platforms,” George shares. “RLSD gave us that stage and opened doors to a global audience.” He didn’t take home the top prize, but the impact was undeniable: media interviews, recognition, and real connections. “That’s a win.” #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion

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 continent’s large livestock population, and called on governments, private sector players, academia, and financial institutions to unlock this opportunity. ALLPI’s Regional Design Studio Project Manager, Preston Viswamo, shared insights on initiatives like the Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase, calling on designers to showcase their creativity in leather as a response to the fast fashion crisis. #rlsdafrica2025 #slowfashion