African Talent Leather Design Showcase 2023 Winner: Eden Hailu Shibeshi

23rd November 2023

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Eden Hailu works as a researcher and footwear designer in a leather product development research centre alongside owning and managing her own small business that focuses on leather product manufacturing. This career was sparked by her education, Eden has a first degree Bachelor in Manufacturing Engineering, with a focus in Footwear and Leather goods technology. Having studied and loved this, she moved on to complete a Masters in Footwear science and Engineering.

INTERVIEW WITH EDEN

Tell us about the inspiration behind your project:

Drape your footwear is draws inspiration from fish skin patterns and draped Scarfe. The main feature of the design is focused on the front part of the footwear. I wanted to use scrap leather to create a fish skin pattern and I added a zigzag design around the edge to elevate the look to give the illusion of a fish tail.

What do you think makes leather a great material to design with?

Due to its nature, leather is more flexible and breathable. It is available in different colors and we can adjust the thickness easily to adapt for the design.  Leather is very versitile, I believe it is easy material to work with.

How do you think winning this competition will impact your career as a designer?

It would be so inspiring for me and since I have a lot of plans to do within this sector… this could be something!

Click here to learn about the Africa Design Competition.

Click here to learn more about leather and sustainability.