This year marked two decades since Adama Paris, a Senegalese designer with a global presence, launched Dakar Fashion Week.
Entrepreneurs like her, she said, often don’t have the luxury of time to reflect or enjoy their accomplishments. But the veteran producer made an exception this year.
“It’s a blessing, I’m very proud of myself,” she said in an interview with OkayAfrica. “I don’t congratulate myself. (But) today I want to take advantage of the day to show off myself.”
She remembers the first fashion week as “the most beautiful”, although she cried a lot. But the inaugural event also marked when she knew for sure that she could do this and that she was made for this job. It took courage to step up and do this for your country – it’s hard to start anything.
“That’s why in this world you have few leaders and many followers because it’s easy to follow,” Paris said. “When you start something, the risk is on you. You have to do everything on your own and you also have to be brave enough to fail, and many people are afraid of failing. I can proudly say that I am proud of us, of what we achieved because it was not easy. We’re not looking for ease, but it’s refreshing to look young 20 years later.”
When she started, Paris said no one understood why she left her job as a banker to become a designer. Her stubbornness and self-confidence drove her forward, but she also “fear of standing still.” In two decades, she has also witnessed a change in Dakar, which has catapulted onto the world art scene in recent years.
The assessment of the time and place of Paris featured in this year’s series: the main fashion show took place on the island of Gorée, once the largest outpost on the African coast for the slave trade. “Everything was 10 times more difficult because it’s an island,” she said.
Guests boarded a ferry to the island and then crossed the coast at sunset for a presentation by 20 designers. Paris knew that the importance of the show would be worth all the extra work.
“It’s the symbol of slavery and also the symbol of freedom in a way,” Paris said. “Now… it’s a beautiful and happy island, despite the heavy history.”
Paris also made history of its own this year, producing the first Chanel show anywhere on the continent.
In a conversation with OkayAfrica, she talked about why she loves emerging West African fashion, the connection between sexiness and comfort, and the items that were essential to a successful Fashion Week and Chanel show.
1.Her “Renaissance” earrings
Photo credit: Adedamola Odetara
Adama was delighted with her pair of gold earrings with a replica of the African Renaissance Monument, the tallest statue in Africa.
He puts them on when he needs a push. “A little more is never too much,” she added. Paris wore the earrings to the white party that closed the Dakar Fashion Week on December 4.
two.Her purple dress Adama Paris
Photo credit: Adedamola Odetara
This dress, one of his bestsellers, arrives with Adama Paris everywhere. It’s loose, yet sexy, in the way it was popularized here in Senegal, taking inspiration from the traditional boubou.
When she’s not producing a show, Paris likes to surf. Still, she believes in showing her body only when she wants to, and that everyone should be able to make that decision, regardless of her body type.
“The new sexy is being comfortable,” Paris said. “Sexy like tight, short, that’s overrated.”
3.Her Boyette bag
This leather and wood structured purse pays homage to the ancestors of Paris. Boyette means box in Wolof, and the bag is inspired by the jewelry boxes used by his mother and his grandmother. It is an example of his signature aesthetic, fusing the past with fresh designs.
4.Your Adama Paris bomber jacket
Photo credit: Adedamola Odetara
The Paris bomber jacket, another bestseller in his collection, appeals to consumers of all genders, he said. It was a must-have during fashion week for its versatility.
“Essential pieces should be pieces you can wear with everything, wherever you are,” she said.
5.His Kufi hat with tassels
Photo credit: Adedamola Odetara
Paris loves hats so much that she has a wall of them in her house, some of which travel with her. This tasseled cap is in the style of the traditional cap worn by men in mosques on Friday for Jum’ah. Paris wore this to the opening night of the 20th Dakar Fashion Week, which took place on a Friday.
She told Okay Africa that she loves fashion coming out of West Africa because of pieces, like this cap, that pay homage to integral parts of culture, like faith.
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