Ayla Chikwama Chonyamula by Liam Huff is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Zowonjezera za Fashoni ndi Zaulendo Competition Category.

ChitsuloChowonjezera· 2025

Ayla Chikwama Chonyamula

by Liam Huff

Client: Rochester Institute of Technology

Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award Winner in Chowonjezera Category

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Colors

The Design

About Ayla Chikwama Chonyamula

Ayla ndi chikwama cha zikopa chopangidwa mothandiza ndi njira zosinthasintha, chokonzedwa kuti chikhalitse pa nthawi zambiri za moyo wa chinthucho. Chikwamachi chapangidwa kuchokera ku zigawo za zikopa zomwe zingasinthidwe, zogwirizanitsidwa ndi zolumikizira za mkuwa zomwe zingachotsedwe, motero palibe kusoka kofunikira. Chigawo chilichonse chimayikidwa pakati pa cholumikizira chakunja ndi mbale yamkati, kenako nkukhomeredwa ndi zomatira ndi masikurubu. Chigawo chowonongeka chingasinthidwe popanda kutaya chikwama chonse. Zithunzi zokonzedweratu zimalola kuti chigawo chosungidwa chipangidwenso kukhala chikwama chaching'ono. Kuthekera kothyola chikwama chonse kumathandizira kukonza ndi kugwiritsanso ntchito pamapeto pa moyo wake.

The Recognition

About the Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award

Ayla Chikwama Chonyamula ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino omwe amakwaniritsa zofunika za akatswiri ndi za makampani zomwe zimayembekezeka kuchokera ku zolengedwa zopangidwa bwino. Opambana a Chitsulo amaonetsa luso lalikulu, ukatswiri wapamwamba, kumvetsetsa kwa akatswiri ndi mphamvu yolenga ya opanga awo. Ayla Chikwama Chonyamula akuyembekezeka kukhala cholengedwa choyamikiridwa kwambiri, chosirira ndi chokondedwa chomwe ndi chothandiza ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Chitsulo ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a makampani ndipo ali ndi makhalidwe a ukadaulo oyenerera olumikizidwa ndi chidziwitso ndi luso. Ayla Chikwama Chonyamula amalemekezedwa chifukwa cha kusamala kwake ndipo anapangidwa kuti apereke kukonza kwa moyo kumene kumathandiza kusandutsa dziko kukhala malo abwino.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Modular and transformable leather panels along with detachable hinges allow Ayla to last multiple product life cycles. The detachable hinge facilitates ease of repair when the product gets damaged. Simply undo the hinge and replace the damaged leather panel, eliminating the need to throw away the entire product. The ability to fully disassemble the product allows for an environmentally friendly end-of-life with the ability to either repair or transform old leather panels into new products.
Dimensions & Packaging: 460 mm x 100 mm x 330 mm
Tags: Bag, Leather, Sustainable, Hardware, Interchangeable, Replaceable, Tote, Modular Panels, Transformable
Production Technology: Experimenting with multiple 3D printed components, I focused on exploring ways to attach leather panels without the use of stitching. I landed on a pin system. Leather panels are sandwiched between an outer hinge and an inner plate. The panels are secured atop the pins and then anchored with a series of screws. With these hinges, everything from the handle, to the main body, to the interior can be replaced. Final hinges were made of polished brass to ensure longevity with extended ware.
Design Challenge: The hardest part of this project was finding the perfect intersection of functionality/sustainability and desired look. I determined through my research that my target audience wanted a product that had sustainable attributes but looked no different from a traditional bag. I could achieve the desired function but not in an aesthetic that was appealing to my audience. Through many rounds of prototypes and interviews, I came to a final mechanism that satisfied both ends.
Research: I started with database research to determine opportunities to reduce waste. I interviewed 4 professionals in the fashion accessories industry. I used these two methods to inform my hinge mechanism. For product look and feel, I used a survey to determine bag silhouette, mood boards to determine detail and target audience, triading to determine desired look, narrative scenarios to determine how the bag would be used, and user interviews to ultimately hone in on a final design direction.
Inspiration: Leather is one of the most polluting sectors within fashion. Most leather products contribute to the idea of take-make-waste. Reducing environmental impact is not as simple as switching to a leather alternative. Almost all alternatives are polymer based and cannot match traditional leather's longevity. If farmed regeneratively, used as meat industry byproduct, and, if able to be used multiple times, leather can be sustainable. Ayla explores how we can use leather to its maximum potential.
Project Duration: Started in August of 2023 at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, USA. and finished in May of 2024 in Rochester, New York, USA.
Operation Flow: The detachable nature of the metal hinge allows for components within the product to be interchanged when damage occurs. If one side of the product gets damaged, simply replace that panel, not the entire item; this reduces wastage. Additionally, the main leather panels were designed to be turned into a different, smaller product if only one panel can be salvaged. Predetermined patterns ensure that one panel can be turned into a smaller clutch, further reducing the waste of the item.
Image Credits: Image #1 : Photographer Elizabeth Lemark, AYLA_1_3600.jpg, 2024.
Image #2 : Photographer Chelsea Cohen, AYLA_MAIN_1800.jpg, 2024.
Image #3 : Photographer Chelsea Cohen, AYLA_2.jpg, 2024.
Image #4 : Photographer Elizabeth Lemark, AYLA_3.jpg, 2024.
Image #5 : Photographer, Sneha Yalgi, AYLA_5.jpg, 2024