Omosalewa Ogunjimi has emerged as the most commendable designer at RLSD Africa 2026 with EXUVIA, a striking exploration of leather and structure.
Inspired by the human spine, ribcage, and the natural process of moulting, EXUVIA explores ideas of resilience, protection, and renewal through a bold, sculptural design language.
Rather than treating leather simply as a surface or decorative material, Omosalewa Ogunjimi makes it part of the garment’s architecture, using modular construction to create a design capable of transformation and multiple expressions.
The result is a proposition that brings together storytelling, functionality, and material experimentation, qualities that distinguished EXUVIA through the final stages of the competition and earned Ogunjimi the honor of representing Africa at the international RLSD competition in Bangkok, Thailand, from 27 to 29 October 2026.
For Omosalewa Ogunjimi, EXUVIA is also an expression of an increasingly distinctive personal design language.
According to Omosalewa Ogunjimi:
“EXUVIA is a reflection of my design language, where structure, functionality, and storytelling come together to create something distinct. I’m honored to carry this work forward and represent Africa on the global stage.”
From Concept to CreationNow in its fourth year in Africa and sixth globally, Real Leather. Stay Different. challenges emerging designers, creatives, and design students to rethink what leather can become and explore its creative, sustainable, and commercial possibilities.
The 2026 Africa edition attracted hundreds of designers from more than 12 African countries. Following successive stages of evaluation, just 15 designers advanced to the final stage, representing Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Uganda across apparel, accessories, and footwear.
For the finalists, reaching the final stage was only the beginning. Their challenge was to take an idea beyond the page and prove it in the physical world, turning research into sketches, sketches into concepts, concepts into prototypes, and prototypes into real, functional products. Each completed design was presented before an international panel of six industry judges and assessed against five defining criteria: individuality, conceptualization, relevance, sustainability, and commerciality.
It was here that EXUVIA made its mark. Lead Judge Preston Viswamo described the concept as “spectacular” and Ogunjimi’s work as “really outstanding,” commending her creativity, modular design development, and prototyping. He also highlighted the strength of its sustainability proposition and its potential for commercialization.
The assessment captured the central challenge of RLSD Africa: to create work that goes beyond visual impact and connects originality, craftsmanship, responsible material thinking, functionality, and commercial possibility.
Following the final presentations and judging, Omosalewa Ogunjimi emerged as the RLSD Africa 2026 Most Commendable Designer.Africa’s Design Talent Steps Forward.
Ogunjimi’s achievement came from an especially competitive apparel field, where three of the five finalists, Omosalewa Ogunjimi, Clara Udegbe, and Emeka Oguejiofor, were from Nigeria, reflecting the depth of emerging design talent coming through the continent.
But the story extends beyond one country or one winner. Over four years, RLSD Africa has evolved beyond a competition into a continental platform connecting creativity, craftsmanship, sustainability, and commercial opportunity. It is discovering and nurturing a new generation of African designers while creating pathways for their ideas to move from concept and workshop to continental and international audiences.
The program forms part of the global Real Leather. Stay Different. movement, which champions leather and other natural materials, promotes the responsible use of hides arising as by-products of the meat and dairy industries, and challenges the culture of disposable fast fashion.
Positioning leather as a material of choice for a more sustainable future, real leather. Stay Different has grown into a global movement with significant reach and influence. In 2025 alone, the campaign reached an extraordinary 750 million people worldwide, amplifying the conversation around responsible material choices, slow fashion, and products designed to last.
The ambition goes beyond producing competition winners. It is to cultivate a growing network of African design ambassadors capable of advancing responsible design, building sustainable businesses, and strengthening Africa’s place in the global design conversation.
As the RLSD Africa 2026 Most Commendable Designer, Ogunjimi will carry EXUVIA and the continental title to Bangkok, Thailand, from 27 to 29 October 2026, where her work will join designs emerging from other regions of the world on the international RLSD stage.
The RLSD Africa journey will return to the continent in November, when all 15 finalists reunite in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the RLSD Africa 2026 Continental Showcase, where the remaining category winners will be officially unveiled.
