I was born in Manhattan, New York but I was raised by two immigrant parents. My mother was born in Guinea, Conakry and my father was born in Ivory Coast, Abidjan. Both countries are located in West Africa where the fashion is just as deep and colorful as the continent itself. It should be no surprise that a colorful world of fashion coincides with such a rich history. Fashion has always been a global language but the evolution of African clothing is difficult to trace because of the lack of historical evidence. Learning your roots and background from your ancestors, there’s tons of history about African fashion. Sani which means gold in my native language Mandingo; my grandmother once told me “women only get piercings done with gold because they say other materials don’t heal.” The jewelry was a must so they could be identified as wealthy, attractive or sexy. Also, the black tattoo lip was a trend that use to take place at the middle of the village. It was a sign of beauty, bravery, and obedience. You would dishonor your whole caste, and family if you ran during the painful process of getting the tattoo. Some women were even beaten by their parents to get it done! It’s seen as a sign of respect, value and beauty. Going back to the motherland open my eyes in many ways. I realized the fashion style is different from Americans and I do say this because Africans like their clothing and style to have deeper meaning to it. They like something that will be pass down to the next generation and the legacy to be kept. Unlike Americans, they want to try new things and have their own style. Being able to live both lives is a blessing for me because me wanting to become a fashion stylist will put me in a position where I will have to think outside the box and be creative sometimes. I can use my knowledge that I have from my african roots and also use knowledge that I have from my American roots to style my own particular looks on my clients and be unique from other stylists. I have the adavantage of bringing out these fly looks because I would like to say, I lived the double life and this helps me bring out a bigger vision on style for my clients.
