Lusaka / Addis Ababa / Nairobi – 26–28 November 2025 — Africa’s leading leather products designers will converge in Lusaka to celebrate leather as the sustainable alternative to fast fashion, throwaway consumerism and oil-derived manmade materials.
The Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase 2025 (Design Exhibition: 26–28 November 2025, Runway Showcase: 28 November 2025) will be held alongside the 18th Africa Leather Value Chain Forum. Together, the two platforms bring together industry leaders, innovators, policymakers and entrepreneursto examine how leather can be repositioned as a material of strategic, economic and environmental relevance for the continent.
This year’s edition, themed “Real Leather. From a By-Product to Timeless Style,” centres on a critical rethinking of value. Across the continent, millions of hides and skins are lost annually due to poor handling, neglect or under-utilisation, despite their potential as durable, high-performing materials. Optimising the use of this resource is therefore not only an economic imperative, but a strategic tool in countering the culture of fast fashion and disposable consumption. The RLSD Africa Showcase responds to this by presenting leather not as waste or an afterthought, but as a refined material capable of anchoring new business models, design economies and sustainable consumption patterns.
The RLSD Africa Showcase challenges how raw materials are perceived and how value is created. It highlights the transformation of what was once viewed as disposable into enduring products with longevity, responsibility and intelligent design. In doing so, it reframes leather as a material that supports both economic opportunity and environmental stewardship.
The 2025 theme captures the essence of this shift. It calls for a move away from fast, disposable consumption toward thoughtful production and long-term use. Sustainability here is not positioned as trend language, but as an informed design choice rooted in accountability and performance.
Fifteen exceptional designers from across Africa, including finalists from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, Nigeria and Egypt, will present their work in Lusaka. Selected from hundreds of applicants, these designers represent a generation committed to redefining leather through fresh perspectives, material intelligence and market relevance. Their collections demonstrate how design can serve as a vehicle for identity, enterprise and responsible innovation.
An initiative of Leather & Hide Council of America (LHCA), in partnership with the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI), the showcase will feature a curated exhibition, knowledge sessions and high-level industry dialogue on leather’s evolving role in Africa’s industrial landscape. These conversations align with the 18th Africa Leather Value Chain Forum, bringing together governments, the private sector, academia and development institutions to explore pathways for value addition, stronger markets and regional competitiveness.
Kerry Brozyna, President of the Leather & Hide Council of America (LHCA), notes the importance of shifting the global narrative around leather:
“The world is waking up to the cost of synthetic fashion, and Africa is showing that alternatives grounded in performance and responsibility are not only possible but necessary. Leather, when used thoughtfully, offers durability and relevance that fast fashion simply cannot replicate. What we see through RLSD Africa is evidence that sustainability and quality can coexist without compromise.”
Nicholas Mudungwe, Executive Director of the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI), adds:
“Africa holds one of the richest natural leather resource bases on the planet, yet the greatest value is realised only when creativity meets structure, and raw material is transformed locally. RLSD Africa demonstrates how design-led value chains can move the sector beyond commodity thinking into high-value, globally competitive production.”
Now in its third year in Africa and fifth year globally, the RLSD Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase has grown into a recognised platform for discovery, visibility and professional growth, supporting emerging designers through exposure, mentorship and access to industry networks. It offers designers not only a stage, but access to mentorship, technical support, market links and global exposure. Through coordinated journeys involving training, technical clinics and design refinement, participants are equipped to meaningfully engage both regional and international markets.
The ripple effect extends beyond the runway. The platform strengthens collaboration, nurtures enterprise and reinforces the message that Africa’s leather future lies in intentional value creation. From student studios to global showcases, the narrative is clear: sustainability is not aesthetic — it is strategic.
From 26 to 28 November 2025, Lusaka will host more than an event. It will host a statement. A statement that Africa is redefining how leather is valued, designed and understood.
Josslyn Shi from California College of Art has been crowned Overall Winner of the Real Leather. Stay Different. International Student Design Competition at a glittering final event held at the U.S. Embassy in London.
Meet Lai Tsui Yu this year's Gold Apparel Winner in the 2021 Taiwan Student Design Competition.
Until now, Berluti has been known for its ultra-lux leather shoes and menswear, but the Italian company has turned its attention to homeware and given us the pick of a whole new collection of beautiful pieces.
Leather is undoubtedly always a key feature at fashion week – it forms the basis of countless staples, after all – but in recent seasons, the impact of leather as a textile all-rounder has majorly returned to favour.
New columnist Nicola Davies talks us through her five favourite leather buys.
