I.Coast fashion designers storm the international stage

Fashion designers from Ivory Coast are captivating the global stage, with their creations gaining favor among international celebrities like Beyonce and Aya Nakamura. This surge in recognition is partly fueled by strong showcasing on social media platforms.

Loza Maleombho, an Abidjan-based designer, experienced a significant breakthrough when Beyonce's stylist discovered her handmade creations on Instagram. This led to Beyonce wearing Maleombho's distinctive black and white print jacket, adorned with gold Baoule mask clasps, in her 2020 music video "Already." The video, viewed by 70 million on YouTube, brought her work to a massive audience. "It was truly indescribable," the 40-year-old designer shared.

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It was truly indescribable.

Maleombho and other Ivorian designers are achieving international acclaim with luxury garments inspired by African aesthetics. Abidjan has emerged as a major fashion hub in Africa, benefiting from the continent's growing middle class and expanding e-commerce. Unesco projects a 42 percent rise in demand for African fashion items over the next decade.

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We have no desire to be certified by a French trade association.

Maleombho, who has also dressed Beyonce's sister Solange and Kelly Rowland, intentionally uses local materials to represent African cultural codes, textiles, and aesthetics on the world stage. She favors textiles like jute and traditional woven fabrics such as cotton Baoule pagne and cotton-silk Kita pagne, which have roots in the Ashanti Kingdom spanning Ivory Coast and Ghana. Her designs are modern and elegant, avoiding ethnic clichés.

Elie Kuame, another prominent designer whose fashion house in Abidjan is nearing its 20th anniversary, also champions African creativity. He incorporates pagnes, traditional woven loincloths recognized by Unesco as intangible cultural heritage, into 50 percent of his work. Kuame's meticulously crafted dresses are not "haute couture," a term he avoids due to the restrictive French certification. Instead, he launched his "Born in Africa" label. Kuame also founded Abidjan Fashion Week, a platform for African designers, and participates in Paris and New York fashion weeks, but remains dedicated to developing the industry in Ivory Coast. "My aim is to contribute to developing the industry here," he stated.

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My aim is to contribute to developing the industry here.