25 year old Sierra Leonian, Adami Kai founded her brand Aschobi Designs, in 2008 which is now internationally recognized. Though she has trained in Paris, her heart was always in Sierra Leone, from where she derives the inspiration for her designs. She moved back to her native country after working briefly in New York and Europe, and continues to represent Sierra Leone in international couture. "In the same way that Ralph Lauren stands for America, Chanel for France and Versace for Italy, I want Aschobi to stand for African fashion," Kai proudly gushed in an interview.
Sierra Leone is a West African country located next to Guinea. It is infamously known for its child soldiers of the 1991-2001 Civil War. The United Nations recently declared it the least developed state. In such depraved conditions, the emergence of an international fashion label is the last thing one would expect, and yet that is exactly what has happened here. Just goes to show that beauty can exist alongside suffering and Adami Kai has proved that nothing can escape the enticing clutches of 'la mode.'
The above picture is of one of Kai's designs worn by a native model in Sierra Leone. Her entire collection can be accessed at http://aschobi.com/
You mentioned a very interesting thing, Navni. The least developed state of the world has an international label coming up there! Points to the wide inequality in consumer behaviour, perhaps due to the gap in consumer income and awareness.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. Much like India. I'm glad you pointed that out :)
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