Interview

What are your main sources of inspiration ?
l am inspired by women, especially by their attitudes; through them, l see something else, like a painter who has his own interpretation of scenery. l like to beautify in my own way, to drastically change the look. Every attitude is like scenery which l interpret with my colours and my materials.

Do you need to transfiger a woman ?
A little, l see the woman in transparency, l imagine her with dress and jewels. l love Africa, l find my inspiration there. Lastly, l designed a collection based on the Massaï jewels "revisited " by me. l do not believe in spontaneous creativity, imagination finds its inspiration in what exists already to transform it into something else.

What are your preferred materials ?
I like to use raw materials and natural fibres. In the same way, I am surprised by natural women, those who do not hide themselves. l can transform them as l wish. Women with too much make-up or too sophisticated, give me the impression that l have nothing to add. That is why I ask models not to appear during castings, too much like dolls. When a model has real charm, she can put any collection in value.

How do you become an international designer with a collection which could be called "ethnic" ?
In Africa, we know nothing about fashion ; elsewhere, there are trends which follow the seasons, shops are redecorated for winter,half-season... In Africa, we work differently. If a designer wants to "explode", he must go abroad because there is no market for the designer label, nor a stepping stone for creators. The Camerooni investors do not bank on fashion, yet it represents an important source of foreign currencies. To internationalise collections whilst remaining African, one must temporise his creations so as to allow the "international" woman to wear them without being disguised. She must, apart from the appreciation of African design, like to wear the cloths themselves. That is why, while expressing my origins, my collections use materials more sober, more fluid, less colorful, it is accessories that should express a very strong symbolic language. Finally, l think that l could never have achieved my dream to become a designer without Paris, where, despite years of gallivanting, l always believed in my success.

Your mother was the first Miss Cameroon in 1960. Did she inspire your love for beautifying and transforming all women into beautyqueens ?
My mother was an extremely elegant woman who often wore superb jewels in wood which clanked and perfectly coiled back chignons. Of course, she never wore diamonds as she never needed them... she herself sparkled. l remember when she worked at the Yaoundé Airport, every Saturday and Sunday, people gathered andwaited for her to walk along, and see how she was dressed. She had and still has such classy looks and l remember her calling me often to zip up her dress and l used to admire her perfect back feeling l was really privileged. When l started to sketch, all my designs were dedicated to her. l cut myfirst dresses in the materials l stole from hers. At the beginning, l was punished, then, my mother found that the result, though astonishing, was not bad and she started to supply me with materials. lnfact, her role was more important than simply inspiring me, my mother trusted me in accepting my difference and so helped me achieve success.

lnterview by Patricia Champion


Imane Ayissi, a legacy of elegance

With Miss Cameroon as a mother and a famous boxer as father, it goes without saying that physically speaking, the heritage of lmane Ayissi was substantial. He knew how to make a go of it. A student dancer since the age of 11, he joined, like his elder brothers, the artistic circles. As a professional dancer, he was able to approach the African artists of the 80's and 90's like Anne-Marie Ndzié, André-Marie Tala, Marthe Zambo, Betti Betti...

Dancer with the National Ballet of the Cameroon, he teaches African dance in the Dance Academy of the Pleyel Hall and the Academy of Choregraphic Arts at the cité Véron in Paris. African dancer in the show directed by Patrick Dupont "He dances the world", lmane also featured in the last clip of Sting. We find him
as an actor in the role of Hyppolite in the Nancy Opéra and in the adaptation of Phèdre at the Gordes Festival with Fanny Ardant.

This is to say that the man's body as well as his head has become much in demand. The magazine Femme was not mistaken when it decided to use his strong points for a series of photos set against the diamonds of the most famous designers of Place Vendôme. lmane made Cartier, Chanel, Boucheron, Bulgari, Van Cleef and Arpel, Christian Dior, Fred, Harry Winston, shine on his glistening bluish skin. An unrivalled jewel case made sublime by the photographer Elias.

P.C.