“The pride of being different should not prevent the happiness of being together” Léopold Sédar Senghor
The inspiration for this collection stemmed from IMANE AYISSI’S desire to revisit two essential wardrobe items prevalent on the African continent: the boubou, worn by both men and women in most West and Central African countries, and the Kaba, a loose dress originally imposed on African women by European colonizers in the 19th century to cover their bodies and shapes, which has since evolved into a national garment in Cameroon.
As IMANE AYISSI delved deeper into these garments, he was struck by their connections to other iconic clothing from different parts of the world. The boubou, for instance, shares construction similarities with kimono-type garments from Asia, the Korean Hanbok, and dresses worn by women in China during the Tang dynasty. Similarly, the Kaba echoes elements of European dresses from the late 18th to early 20th centuries.
These intriguing links between seemingly disparate cultures captivated him. Thus, IMANE AYISSI envisioned this collection as a journey through time and space, traversing Asia, Africa, and Paris. This voyage is further enriched by his collaboration with painter and diplomat Wang Ying. Wang Ying’s work blends traditional Chinese painting techniques with impressionism, capturing Parisian landscapes. She has created prints on silk and innovative ecological fabrics derived from bamboo, as well as paintings on fabric.
Through this collection, IMANE AYISSI’S aim was to highlight the shared threads that weave together diverse cultural elements, celebrating the beauty and interconnectedness of their/our global sartorial heritage.
Later,
Diane
phots by Gorunway
