In January 2020 at the start of fashion week season and exactly a week before the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Imane Ayissi, the Cameroon-born, Paris-based womenswear designer, became the third African designer in history to showcase at Paris Haute Couture Week at the Invitation of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion’s governing organization. The show, held at Hôtel Le Marois, left both the designer and his audience in tears. Until that moment, Ayissi had presented his collections off schedule. 

A native of Yaoundé, Cameroon, Ayissi was introduced to the fashion world from a young age. His mother, whom he discovered fashion from, is a former Miss Cameroon. Ayissi himself was a dancer for the Cameroon National Ballet, a stylist who worked for the renowned Cameroonian designer JE Essomba, and a model who walked for labels such as Dior, Lanvin and Saint Laurent in the early 90s. Known for combining traditional African craftsmanship with modern couture designs, Ayissi’s clothes marry “Parisian allure,” as the designer’s head of studio Jean-Marc Chauve puts it, with what Ayissi describes as African elegance. Always looking to indigenous African textiles for inspiration, his collections are characterized by minimalist constructions crafted from unique fabrics sourced from Africa. Consider a cocktail dress in wild raffia or evening dresses with obom embellishments, a fabric made from tree bark, both textiles sourced from his homeland; or a variation of patchwork coats made from Ghana’s royal Kente cloth.

With stereotypes on African fashion and the continent in general still largely portrayed in the media, selling the idea of African luxury in Paris can be a tricky reality, but Ayissi is indeed part of a generation of designers shifting conversations around the duality and quality of African textiles. “I want to show that African craftsmanship is the future [of] the western industrial system in terms of sustainability and social issues,” he states. In the past, he has openly spoken about his dislike for the colonial Dutch wax fabric that populates West Africa and has over the decades become deeply embedded into African culture. It's with the same candor and defiance that he approaches his design process often emphasizing materials rarely seen in the couture world. 

Ayissi doesn’t recall a specific date of when he established his label. Though he incorporated his brand in 2004, he had spent years prior producing made-to-order clothes for his peers. “I started to create garments for my friends and clients while working as a dancer and model,” he reveals. Since then, he’s gained a wealth of hands-on experience and impressive knowledge of textiles. And after two decades, he cites his undeniable passion for fashion as one that exceeds making beautiful clothes. It’s a sort of activism to foster new perspectives and narratives to the conservative standards of the industry. “[I’ve learned] that the fashion industry is a powerful system with its own rules, and if you want to challenge it or introduce new voices, you must first enter the system, understand its rules, and make [changes] from the inside. If you want to create your little system, you just stay invisible,” he explains. 

Jean-Marc Chauve describes Ayissi’s work as a “refreshing” blend of African heritage and classic elegance. According to him, “Ayissi doesn’t see garments as abstract objects or a matter of volume and lines, for him it has to be related to a body, and the way the fabric will move when walking. What the clothes show or hide of the body is central in his work.”

Ayissi’s long-term goal is to continue promoting African textiles in a contemporary light. When asked what he hopes people could learn from his work he responds: “I would like people to see that African craftsmanship is as sophisticated and beautiful and luxurious as European or Asian craftsmanship. African aesthetics are becoming more popular, but I see that for people in Europe, USA and China, it’s still difficult to link what comes from Africa with the idea of luxury.” 

Now that he’s an FHCM-approved couturier, and with three seasons to show for it, Ayissi is setting his eyes on a new agenda. “Right now I want to develop my ready-to-wear line,” he concludes.