Ayla Isikhwama Sokuthwala by Liam Huff is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Ibhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award in Uyilo lweZongezelo zeFashoni kunye nokuHamba Competition Category.

IntsimbiIsongezelo· 2025

Ayla Isikhwama Sokuthwala

by Liam Huff

Client: Rochester Institute of Technology

Ibhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award Winner in Isongezelo Category

27,413

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #167955

Visit Site View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Ayla Isikhwama Sokuthwala

Ayla sisikhwama sokuthwala esenziwe ngesikhumba, esakhelwe ngeendlela ezahlukeneyo ukuze sihlale ixesha elide ngokusebenzisa iindlela ezininzi zomjikelo wemveliso. Esi sikhwama sakhiwe ngamacwecwe esikhumba anokutshintshwa, abanjwe ndawonye ngeehinjisi zobhrasi ezinokususwa, ngoko akukho kuthungwa okufunekayo. Ipaneli nganye ibekwa phakathi kwehinji engaphandle nepleyiti engaphakathi, emva koko iqiniswe ngeepini nezikrufu. Ipaneli eyonakeleyo inokutshintshwa ngaphandle kokulahla isikhwama sonke. Iipatheni ezimiselweyo zivumela ipaneli esindisiweyo ukuba yenziwe ibe yiklatshi encinci. Ukuqhawulwa ngokupheleleyo kuxhasa ukulungiswa nokuphinda kusetyenziswe xa impilo yemveliso isele iphelile.

The Recognition

About the Ibhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award

Ayla Isikhwama Sokuthwala ngumphumeleli weIbhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award, ukuqatshelwa okuhlonitshwayo okunikwa imiyilo elungileyo eyanelisa iimfuno zobungcali neemveliso ezilindelekileyo kwimveliso ezicwangciswe kakuhle. Abaphumeleleyo beNtsimbi babonisa ubuchule obukhulu, ubuchule obuphezulu, ukuqonda kwengcali namandla okuyila abayili babo. Ayla Isikhwama Sokuthwala iyathenjwa ukuba ibe yimveliso exatyiswa kakhulu, edunyiswayo nethandwayo esebenzayo neyinto entsha. Lo myilo uphumeleleyo weIbhaso Lentsimbi le-A' Design Award udibanisa iindlela ezilungileyo kakhulu zemboleko kwaye unezimpawu zobuchwephesha ezifanelekileyo ezidityaniswe nolwazi netalente. Ayla Isikhwama Sokuthwala iyahlonelwa ngenxa yenkcukacha yayo kwaye yacwangciselwa ukunika uphuculo lomgangatho wobomi olunceda ukwenza ihlabathi libe yindawo engcono.

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