The Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase has named Farida Eid of Egypt as the Most Commendable Designer 2025, making her the first designer outside Ethiopia to claim the award. Her winning design, the Zahw – Serpent Sandal, is hailed as “a powerful demonstration of leather’s beauty, versatility, durability, and sustainability, qualities that define our industry’s relevance for the future.”
Farida will represent Africa at the International RLSD Showcase in Taipei, Taiwan, on 27–28 October 2025, and at the Continental Showcase in Lusaka, Zambia later this year. Farida bridges Egypt’s ancient history with modern fashion. Trained in Milan and rooted in her country’s design traditions, she is meticulous in her craft, combining technical precision with cultural symbolism.
Her winning design, the Zahw – Serpent Sandal, draws inspiration from Ancient Egypt, where the serpent symbolised sovereignty, protection, and divine authority. Crafted in purple cowhide leather with copper serpent motifs and wooden heels, the sandal revives this historic icon for today’s luxury stage.
The Zahw Sandal stands as a powerful demonstration of leather’s beauty, versatility, durability, and sustainability — qualities that define our industry’s relevance for the future. It reflects authenticity through deep cultural roots, innovation through artisanal copperwork, and scalability with comfort refinements that make it commercially viable.
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Beatrice Mwasi, Team Lead of the RLSD Africa Talent Leather Design Showcase, said: “This year’s competition proves, once again, that Africa’s design talent is world-class. Farida’s Zahw Sandal is also a bold reminder that our heritage can define the future of fashion. We are proud to see her carry Africa’s story onto the global stage.”
On receiving the notification, Farida Eid, Most Commendable Designer RLSD Africa 2025, remarked: “I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition. Being named the Most Commendable Designer of RLSD Africa 2025 is a great responsibility — one that I accept with humility and determination. This title is not only a celebration of my work but also a call to champion leather’s beauty, versatility, durability, and sustainability, and to show the world the strength of African creativity.”
RLSD Africa – A Pan-African Movement
Now in its third year, RLSD Africa is part of the global Real Leather. Stay Different. (RLSD) campaign, a consumer-facing initiative of the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA). In Africa, it is implemented in partnership with the Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) and coordinated by CBiT.
The initiative promotes leather as a natural, durable, and sustainable alternative to synthetics, while empowering Africa’s designers with global visibility. The 2025 edition attracted hundreds of registrations, with 116 successful submissions meeting the competition’s strict criteria of originality, creativity, craftsmanship, sustainability, and feasibility.
From this pool, 15 finalists were selected and tasked with turning their concepts into prototypes. They then faced an international judging panel of six experts from Canada, the UK, Ethiopia, and Kenya, in interviews that combined rigorous scoring. Judges noted that standards have risen sharply, with designers across the continent demonstrating bold creativity and stronger alignment to sustainability.
The first two editions of RLSD Africa were won by Ethiopia’s Ruth Girmay, who has since become a judge and ambassador of the programme. Her legacy continues with Farida Eid’s breakthrough, which reaffirms RLSD Africa’s Pan-African scope and global relevance. In Taipei, Farida will present her work alongside international winners, affirming Africa’s vital role in shaping the future of global design and sustainable fashion.
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