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Internationally, thebrandhasgone fromstrength tostrength, showing
atNewYork’sAfricaFashionWeek, Fashion4Development First Ladies
Luncheon (during theUNGeneral Assembly) andSouthAfrica’sAfrican
Fashion International.Not bad for ayoung, family-runcompany
operatingout of acountry recovering from 11 yearsof civil unrest.
Kai Kai washelpedby theUSStateDepartment’sAfrican
Women’sEntrepreneurshipProgram (AWEP), an international
grantsprogramme that encourages, supportsandempowers
Africandesigners.
With thehelpofAWEP, Kai Kai hasparticipated inevents
andconferences in theUnitedStates, andhasmetwith
ItalianVogue
editor-in-chief FrancaSozzani and former
WhiteHouseSocial Secretary (andWashington’s
Best-DressedWoman)DesiréeRogers.
ForSierraLeoneangara tie-dyeartisanPa
Musa, therearenosuch initiatives. This is
because inSierraLeone, gara tie-dye is
traditionallyconsideredawoman’s job.
“Life in thiscountry iscrazy for amanwho
wants tobea fashiondesigner– it’sa
challenge!”hesays fromhisshop inagarage in
Freetown. “When I first starteddoing this
everyonestartedwatching. Like, ‘What isheup to?’ I
would try to joinmymumafter school andworkwithher,
andshewouldsayno, youshould focusonstudies. But I
keptmeetingher theresoshe taughtmehow to tie-dye.
When I got older andshesawmyworkwasgettingbetter, that her son
wasdoingsomethingdifferent fromwhat sheused tomakeasa
housewife, sheencouragedme to learnmore.”
Twentyyearsago, SierraLeonewas famous for itscountrycloth,
raffiaandgara tie-dye. Today thequalityhasdropped,meaning it’s
not goodenough for international distribution. But forPaMusa, the
future isbright. Vibrant andeye-catching, thedistinctivepatterns
hecreatesgive life to thewearer. Andothersare takingnotice: he
recently finishedhis first job, asmall runof T-shirts for Johns
HopkinsUniversity’smaternal healthprogram, Jhpiego.
“Deluxe inLAdid the logoscreen-printingandAmerican
Apparel donated theshirts. Thatwasamazing forme
because there isnoplace in thiscountry I could findwork
of that quality” saysPaMusa. “I ammakinga few
samples forAmericanApparel and I hope thatwill
turn intoanother bigchance forme.”
For London-baseddesignerEuphemia-ann
Sydney-Davies, it’s theopportunity touse
heritagepatternsand techniques that is the
attraction. “Wherebetter togo for printsand
intricateembroidery thanAfrica?” shesays. Born
inFreetown, Sydney-Davies isnowcreativedirector
of her eponymous label. “It’sgreat toseedesigners
merging those two intomainstreamcontemporarycuts
usingbeautiful African fabrics.”
Sydney-Davies left Freetownwhenshewas 12, living in
flyto
freetown
fourtimesweekly.
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