Imane Ayissi celebrates African craftsmanship with modern elegance at Paris Couture Week
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/01/2025 (605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
PARIS (AP) — Cameroon-born designer Imane Ayissi fused sumptuous satin and taffeta with ancestral African crafts in a couture collection that celebrated heritage while embracing modernity. This season, Ayissi explored the cultural and symbolic power of fabric, using draping, layering, and artisanal techniques to tell a story of African artistry on the global stage.
Standout looks included a matte black crossover belted coat exuding quiet luxury, a billowing white gown with cascading folds turned up into itself, and a top of interlocking colorful flowers crafted with intricate precision. These pieces highlighted Ayissi’s knack for balancing opulence with subtlety.
Ayissi honored African craftsmanship through Kente fabric transformed into striking halter dresses and kimono-inspired jackets, while raffia — his signature — made vivid appearances in fuchsia and scarlet fringes, capes, and bow details. Circle motifs and bark appliqué flowers lent a modern edge to these traditional materials.
Reimagining colonial-era kaba dresses as symbols of empowerment and drawing parallels with global influences, Ayissi offered a couture collection that felt like a dialogue between cultures.
