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African fashion will be celebrated at the V&A museum in London this Saturday, July 2. More and more, creators from the continent are making their mark on the international scene. Charlotte Cosset went to meet one of the rising figures of fashion in Senegal. She created the Sisters of Africa brand, which is recognizable for its tie-dye cotton designed and made in Senegal.
In a shop in a Parisian backyard, joyful women crowd around clothes racks. Many of them are from the diaspora who came from all over France for this private sale of Sisters of Africa. Launched in 2013 by Hélène Diouf, this brand has conquered hearts. Paoline Ekambi – former player of the French basketball team, at the head of a start-up, has been following her for several years.
« I really fell in love with it and then I followed her to her installation in Dakar and I call her “my little nugget”, who has grown up well. And who today is my little champion now because she has really evolved, practically spread even on the African continent. »
Despite her 1.83 meters, Hélène Diouf moves with ease around her clients. This young woman was not predestined to be at the head of a company. She studied geography, worked as an air hostess, did some modeling and worked as a saleswoman in a large clothing brand. ” In any case, I wanted to be my own boss, that I knew. »
Dynamic and determined, Hélène Diouf draws this energy from her education and her family. ” Why Sisters of Africa? Because I come from a family of seven girls and one boy, so for me it was a way of paying tribute to my sisters and especially to my mother who always taught us – peace to her soul, she no longer lives – to be independent, to work, to have something for oneself. Even before getting married or anything, she always told us: “the 1is husband of a woman, it’s her job”. So today, I can say that if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here. »
« Mom, she worked, she was in business, she was very independent. My dad was a sailor so he traveled a lot. It must be said that in the family we also have this taste for travel, to move in any case to discover the world. »
Sisters of Africa is Hélène, but it’s also Jeanne…
« My name is Jeanne, I’m 40 years old, I’m Hélène’s big sister. Jeanne assists Hélène with communication and accounting. She is probably the one who speaks best of her sister. ” Helen oh lalala! Worker, she does not stop. Stubborn. But we are both stubborn. Stubborn, but visionary. She can decide on a model, I’m going to say never in life… Stubborn, she does it and this model is going to be our must have or our biggest sale of the season. »
Private sales like these, she organizes in France, Canada, but also in Ivory Coast, Gabon, Mali. When she’s not traveling, you can find Hélène in Dakar in her boutique on Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop.
Dyers, seamstresses, it employs a total of twenty people
« Is it important for you to make people work here in Senegal? Oh yes, it is important! “Starting from nothing, 300,000 FCFA remembers her sister, she gradually made a name for herself in the industry until influential bloggers and even stars wore her creations.
« I’m going to show you this dress which is the Flora dress, the dress that Beyoncé wore. It’s a source of pride, it’s saying that Beyoncé is wearing a Flora dress that costs 130 euros from Sisters of Africa that she spotted and that she might like it, you say to yourself: “wow! Ok, what I’m doing is is actually good.” In any case, it encourages us to work well and to go ahead and get things done. For us it is a source of pride and for me I say that it was above all a source of pride for my team. It was not me, but for those ladies who did the dyeing and my master tailor. »
Customers keep coming to her shop. Like Naila who is convinced: “ Hélène’s story already, her background, local entrepreneurship, doing things that promote the talents of Senegal, that’s why I bought stuff ».
If she made a name for herself in fashion, Hélène Diouf also stood out for her leadership. She is part of the famous Young African Leaders program. “ In Dakar, we were received by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Macky Sall. I also had the chance to ask him a question and also the chance to sit next to him and have dinner with him. These were very strong moments. It was important for me to ask him questions. The question was to know: as a Senegalese country and president of the African Union in general, how he could help the creative industry so that it becomes a sustainable industry. And really liveable. I know there are many things, but there is this added value that we must do. We have designers, we have artisans in Senegal. We have a lot of things, but we lack this added value, this added value in the ecosystem in all areas. »
She has made “Made in Africa” one of her priorities
« I usually say that I am a 100% made in Senegal product. For me it is a pride to say it. Today I really want to allow many women who work for us and others who want to join Sisters of Africa to live decently. To be able to be 100% autonomous. That too is part of our policy, we are working on it. « I’m still on the way. I have not yet arrived where I want to arrive but I give thanks to God. Beyond making your brand prosper…».
Hélène Diouf wishes to contribute to the development of the textile sector in Senegal. She dreams of being able to use West African cotton processed in the region.