Profile: Shanet Naeku – Real Leather Design Competitions

Shanet Naeku

Working at Other company

Ewaso Ngiro Tannery and Leather factory

I am a professional leather scientist and designer from the Maasai pastoralist community in Kenya. For me, leather is not just a material, it is a way of life, deeply woven into my culture, heritage, and identity. Long before I studied leather in a formal setting, I lived it. My journey with leather began when I was just six years old. I would sit beside my grandmother as she patiently taught me how to craft traditional jewelry and cultural ornaments using cowhide and beads. These early moments planted the seeds of a lifelong passion for leather and cultural artistry. As I grew older, I realized the untapped potential in the Kenya leather industry. This inspired me to pursue Leather Science at the university of Nairobi to gain the technical expertise needed to add value to our livestock raw materials, create economic opportunities, and preserve our cultural knowledge. Today, I don’t just design with leather, I process it, preserve it, and reimagine it. My work is rooted in the principles of zero waste, where every part of the hide is used meaningfully. In Maasai land, no leather goes to waste. We have always practiced a circular approach turning byproducts into beauty, necessity into art. I have simply fused this indigenous knowledge with modern science and sustainable fashion. As a leather scientist, I advocate for sustainable leather production using eco-friendly tanning methods, optimizing resources such as energy and water, reducing chemical waste and solid waste in production therefor ensuring that leather processing respects both people and planet. As a designer, I translate these values into sustainable fashion that tells stories, creates jobs, and empowers women in my community.

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sustainable fashion for sustainable livelihoods

Category: Apparel

Competitions: Africa

This cowhide leather wedding gown is a living canvas of sustainability, culture, and empowerment. Designed under the theme “Sustainable Fashion for Sustainable Livelihoods,” it embodies the principles of zero waste and circular economy, values long practiced in Maasai land, where no leather goes to waste. Every hide, every bead, and every stitch tells a story of transformation: of tradition meeting innovation, of Maasai women turning ancestral skills into sustainable jobs, and of fashion that uplifts both people and planet. This wedding gown is advocating for economic empowerment of teen mothers and maasai women who remain unemployed despite their invaluable skills in beardwork and leather craft. It leaves them vulnerable to poverty , limited access to education and Healthcare for them and their children, increased Dependancy and cultural marginalization. My mission is blending traditional artistry with contemporary leather design to create employment to maasai women to improve their living standard and gender equity. this gown tells the world that fashion can be sacred, empowering and sustainable. Target customers:- traditional brides of any ethnicity or race Income:- middle to upper income bracket Comfort:- the gown is designed strategically to allow the bride to sit, walk and dance comfortably, it is lined with breathable natural fabric to ensure comfort and temperature Regulation. The weight is evenly distributed and finally to ensure ventilation, sheer fabric is incorporated to allow airflow.