ETHIOPIAN DIARIES – A VISIT TO GENET KEBEDE’S STORE IN ADDIS – TEXT BY PHILIPPE POURHASHEMI PHOTOS BY VINCENT DECHAMPS

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Genet showing me one of her beautiful shawls

Dear Shaded Viewers,

One of my best mornings in Addis Ababa was spent at Genet Kedebe's store and atelier. Genet is a pioneer in Ethiopian fashion. She created her own label -Paradise Fashion- in 1993 and has built up a successful business, using traditional weaving techniques and making them modern. She's a truly inspirational designer and I loved her energy and strong personality. She wanted to show me her work and I got hooked when I saw a beautiful, Grecian-inspired, white cotton dress. It was so delicate and lightweight that the fabric looked like silk chiffon.

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She told me how the fabric pleats naturally and that everything was handwoven. I could have listened to her for hours, it was just fascinating. Looking at her scarves cabinet made me feel like a 5-year-old in a candy store.

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Her shawls were sophisticated and huge. I loved the way she added lurex threads to make them chicer.

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I am missing Ethiopia and hope I'll get to go back very soon. You really need a week to readapt to life in Europe after spending time there. Everything feels strangely sanitized and soulless. I guess Addis is a sprawling metropolis and the ongoing chaos is part of its charm.

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Best,
Philippe

http://www.paradisefashion.net/

Philippe Pourhashemi

A freelance fashion writer, consultant and stylist, Philippe Pourhashemi was born in Tehran in 1976. He grew up in Paris, before moving to Scotland to study Foreign Languages. His passions are fashion and culture, as well as music and film. He writes and styles features for Metal in Barcelona, Behind the Blinds in Brussels, Contributor in Stockholm, Veoir in New York and SKP in Beijing. He was named Fucking Young's Editor-at-Large in 2016 and has contributed to ASVOF since 2008, acting as Correspondent-at-Large since 2012. An avid traveler, he likes to explore exotic fashion weeks and unexpected destinations whenever he can.

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