Leather Apex

An Umbrella Organisation of Kenya’s Leather Associations Across the Value Chain Working to Enhance Global Competitiveness of Kenya's Leather & Leather Products.

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

AFRICA’S CREATIVES NEED MORE THAN RECOGNITION.

They need access to technical knowledge, production capabilities, business support, finance and markets.

RLSD Africa provides a platform through which designers can test their ideas, strengthen their skills and move closer to building viable enterprises.

Talent is the starting point. An enabling industrial ecosystem turns it into opportunity.

If talent is only the starting point, what must Africa build around its young creatives? Tell us what belongs in the ecosystem.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

THE EYE SEES MATERIALS. DESIGN SEES POSSIBILITIES.
Meet FLOATING LAGOS (MAKOKO) by Emeka Oguejiofor, where leather, reclaimed seashells and coastal materials come together to challenge the familiar language of luxury.
Unexpected textures. Sculptural forms. A distinctly new expression.
FLOATING LAGOS (MAKOKO). Where the unconventional becomes extraordinary. Drop a like if this is your pick for the spotlight.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

SOME STORIES ARE WRITTEN IN WORDS. OTHERS ARE ETCHED BY NATURE — WAITING TO BE REVEALED.

Meet ỌNỤ; WHERE ULI FINDS A NEW VOICE by Clara Udegbe, where the natural veins, scars and lines of cowhide become part of the design language.
Nothing hidden. Nothing wasted. Every mark becomes part of the story.
ỌNỤ. Where leather becomes a language.

Drop a like if this is your pick for the spotlight.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

YOU’VE SEEN THESE SHAPES BEFORE. JUST NEVER LIKE THIS.
Meet FROM NATURE TO FLAME by Kuol Nyagoa, transforming the familiar gourd and matchbox into striking sculptural leather accessories.

Familiar forms. Unexpected silhouettes. A completely new perspective.

Because originality isn’t always about inventing something new. Sometimes, it’s about seeing differently.

FROM NATURE TO FLAME. The familiar, reimagined.

Drop a like if this is your pick for the spotlight.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

SOME DETAILS CATCH THE EYE. OTHERS AWAKEN WITH EVERY STEP.
Meet SHOE EXPRESSING THE MEMORY OF A TRADITIONAL ETHIOPIAN OBJECT by Betelhem Kassaye Yeshitila, bringing the shell elements and rhythmic character of the Ankelba into contemporary leather footwear.
Form. Movement. Sound. A design you don’t just see, you experience.
HERITAGE IN MOTION. MEMORY IN EVERY STEP.

Drop a like if this is your pick for the spotlight.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

INNOVATION BEGINS WHERE “THAT’S HOW IT’S ALWAYS BEEN DONE” ENDS.

A great sketch starts the idea. Making proves it.
When creativity meets leather, construction, function and real-world use, convention gets challenged, and new possibilities emerge.
The industry doesn’t need more of what already exists.

It needs designs that make us ask:
“WHY HASN’T THIS BEEN DONE BEFORE?”

Ready to challenge the ordinary? If you could redesign one thing about today’s leather products, what would it be?

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

GOOD PRODUCTS ARE MADE. EXCEPTIONAL ONES ARE REFINED.

The maker’s eye catches what others overlook, the line, the edge, the stitch, the finish.

In leather product design, detail isn’t decoration. It’s the signature of mastery. Because what the eye misses, the hand will feel.
What’s the one detail that tells you a leather product is truly well made?

Tell us in the comments.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

STYLE GETS THE FIRST LOOK. COMFORT EARNS THE SECOND PAIR.

According to the PowerReviews 2023 Footwear Shopping Trends Report, 93% of shoppers consider comfort when buying footwear, while 89% prioritise fit and sizing.

The message for designers is simple: great footwear must do more than look good.

Fit. Comfort. Function. Durability. Design them in from the start.
YOUR TURN: What wins your purchase : STYLE, COMFORT, FIT or PERFORMANCE?

Drop one word below, and tag someone who always chooses differently.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

WHAT MAKES A LEATHER PRODUCT WORTH MORE?

Better design? Better materials? Better craftsmanship?
Increasingly, there’s another answer: HOW RESPONSIBLY IT IS MADE.
Research cited by McKinsey found 66% of consumers were willing to pay more for sustainable goods.

That changes the conversation.
Sustainability isn’t just a responsibility. Done well, it becomes part of the value proposition.

Would you pay more for a sustainably made leather product?
YES or NO? Tell us WHY in the comments.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

THE ROAD TO BANGKOK. RLSD 2026 INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE.

A design was submitted.
It was judged.
It stood out.

And it earned its place on an international stage.

On 27th October, Omosalewa Ogunjimi, the RLSD Africa 2026 Most Commendable Designer, will represent Africa at the international culmination of the Real Leather. Stay Different. competition in Bangkok, Thailand.

What began as a competition submission has evolved into an opportunity to take Africa's design perspective onto an international stage alongside design leaders from across continents shaping the future of design.

Leave Omosalewa a message for the journey ahead.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

SOMETIMES THE IDEA IS ALREADY THERE. WHAT’S MISSING IS A BIGGER STAGE.

Talent can exist anywhere. But access determines who gets to see it, engage with it and take it further.

The right international platform can put designers in front of new markets, new perspectives, new networks and new possibilities; conversations that may never happen within familiar circles.
Africa's designers should not only be represented in the global design audience.

They should have a seat in the conversations shaping what comes next.
This October, Omosalewa Ogunjimi takes her journey from Africa to Bangkok, carrying an African design perspective into an international room.

Tag an African designer whose work deserves a bigger room.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

AFRICA’S FLAGSHIP LEATHER DESIGN SHOWCASE IS COMING TO ADDIS ABABA!

From 12–15 November 2026, the Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase comes to Addis Ababa, bringing together designers, policymakers, industry leaders, fashion stakeholders, sustainability advocates and creative voices from across Africa to celebrate the beauty, versatility, strength and durability of leather.

15 finalists. 15 realized designs. One continental stage.

Alongside ASFW at the Addis International Convention Center, 15 designers will show what happens when Africa’s creativity meets real leather.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
12–15 NOVEMBER 2026
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

Real Leather. Enduring Value. Reimagined by Africa.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

THE WAIT IS OVER. THE MOMENT IS HERE.

Hundreds answered the call.
15 exceptional designers made it to the defining stage.

And now, ONE stands above the rest.

One designer is taking the title.
One designer is carrying Africa’s creative voice to the world.

One designer is heading to Bangkok, Thailand, to represent Africa on the global stage.

WHO IS IT?

The judges have made their decision.

The Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa 2026 Most Commendable Designer is….

PRESS PLAY. MEET THE DESIGNER TAKING AFRICA TO THE WORLD.

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Kenya Investment Authority (InvestKenya) @InvestKenya_]

As part of our ongoing aftercare and deal room facilitation efforts, the InvestKenya team visited Alpharama Ltd, one of Africa's leading leather manufacturers operating in Kenya.

Alpharama currently employs over 600 Kenyans and is pursuing an additional USD 8.5 million investment to scale its operations. The company supplies leading local brands including Bata, Umoja, Equator and Sandstorm, while exporting premium leather products to global luxury brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
@Batakenya @UmojaShoes @SandstormKenya @LeatherApex @Kldc_official @gucci @LouisVuitton

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

Leather speaks before the blade does.

Every piece tells you where to cut...
And where not to.

The difference between a good product and an exceptional one often begins with a designer who knows how to listen.
Because great craftsmanship isn't just about cutting leather.

It's about understanding it.

What's the first thing you assess before making the first cut?

@shallyblaq

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

"I didn't start with sustainability in mind. I started by seeing value where others saw waste." — George Otieno

Some of the most powerful products begin with a simple observation. For George, it was seeing potential where others saw waste. Today, that vision is being transformed into premium leather products that not only create value but also help reduce what ends up in our landfills.

Because sustainability becomes meaningful when it is built into products people choose every day.

@Akala21_

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Export Processing Zones Authority - Kenya @epzakenya]

Are you in the leather industry and interested in manufacturing and value addition for export?

The EPZ program offers immense investment opportunities for export - oriented leather processors @LeatherApex @koontaf @Ranksleather @Ranksleather @comesallpi @Kldc_official

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

RLSD Africa provides a platform for designers to transform a sustainable material like leather into globally celebrated, innovative, and impactful product designs.
@nikmudungwe

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

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

@kjbrozyna

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion

[Real_Leather @RLSD_Africa]

Africa! We’re back and bigger than ever!
The Real Leather. Stay Different. Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase 2026 has officially kicked off!
This is the moment where Africa’s creativity takes the spotlight, where bold ideas meet innovation, and where emerging and visionary designers redefine what’s possible.
No more limits. The challenge begins NOW, step up and claim your place!

@_Real_leather_
@comesallpi

#rlsdafrica2026 #slowfashion