In today’s day and age, the idea of African luxury is not well known across the world and in Africa. Often, the single-minded narrative that Africa is a hotspot for humanitarian crises, African luxury, or just luxury in general looks or feels impossible or unattainable, even for the people on the continent. It cannot be denied that luxury has been modernized by European imperialism and has become the lens through which we view luxury today. During pre-colonial times, Africans experienced and enjoyed several forms of luxury, such as hand-woven fabric, gold mines and crafts from South Africa, and various types of jewellery and decorative elements. ‘Luxury’ items during that time signified royalty, status, and heritage. Africa was also a source of luxury for many people around the world.
To get a better perspective on African luxury and its significance, I interviewed Christel Yapobi-Tano, the brand ambassador of the boutique ABY concept located in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, in Western Africa, who tries to showcase African luxury items and designers in order to introduce African luxury to the world.
1. What does your day-to-day as an ambassador for the ABY concept look like?
“As a brand ambassador, my job is to wear the clothing from the boutique, attend events, educate people, and bring awareness to the fact that Africans can make beautiful clothes that can be worn every day. I also create partnerships & connections and represent designers from all over Africa.”
2. What inspired the creation of this platform/boutique ?
“The boutique was inspired by the rich culture that surrounded founder Cecile Fakhoury, who noticed the handmade clothing and the art and thought that by creating the ABY concept, it would bring this culture to light for people from other backgrounds or within the same culture to appreciate. The goal was to make people travel all over Africa in one place. They believe that African luxury items are those that are hand-made by skilled people who learned from tradition that lasted over centuries how to treat the textiles or the raw materials used. It is cultural and priceless.”
3. What do you feel are the differences between African luxury and Western luxury?
“It is now when we as Africans are realising that our culture is worth it. We have something really precious. We are creative, we have our own culture, we are worthy, and we can work for our clothes. We own and embrace our heritage.”
4. Do you think African luxury is rising in popularity, and how do you feel about it?
“In the media, there is a rise in the popularity of recognition of Africa and what we have to offer the world. Through music, art, and fashion, celebrities have been spotted wearing African designers, such as “Beyonce, Kelly Rowland...”. It is also a way in which a lot of these black celebrities are connecting back to their African roots.”
5. How do you feel about African identity and heritage and its influence on the fashion industry?
“As an ambassador, I am seeing a change in the way the western fashion world is receiving us. I am happy because we are not just recognized as footballers or fast runners, but that African people can make something beautiful and precious by hand. It is luxurious. I am looking forward to the future. Hopefully, the initiative of introducing African luxury to the world will lead to Africa having a fashion week. What lets us down, however, is that we forget our own heritage. We are mainly focused on politics and money. Right now, if there are a lot more designers and non-profit organisations that are trying to make African luxury known all around the world, we can make a change. The government does not consider fashion that big of a deal. We have other problems to focus on. They need to understand that the African fashion industry is growing, and they need to help us get international recognition.”
6. What advice/message can you give to younger Africans who are exploring their African identity through the fashion industry, specifically through African luxury?
“A lot of people, myself included, were educated in a way to wear western clothes; it was only later in life that we grew into wearing African clothing. For me to wear a kaftan, from a western perspective, it is big and colourful. It is only ‘allowed’ when going to an African party or international day, but not in a professional setting, like school or work. I wore it for the first time to work, felt great, and people asked where I got it from. I was so proud to tell people that it was from Africa. I think young people are going to be influenced by African pop stars and celebrities dressed in African clothing. The young people are going to be inspired and feel comfortable with where they are from. They don’t have to wear brands like Chanel, Dior, or Gucci. Instead, I can wear this Nigerian designer and still look nice. It is a work in progress. We should talk about it so that people can understand how important our culture and heritage are.”
Africa is a continent full of rich, vibrant culture that is yet to get the full recognition that it deserves!
If you ever find yourself in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, I highly recommend a visit to the boutique.
Check out Christel on Instagram:
@upclosechris
The boutique:
@ABYConcept
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