Imane Ayissi (born 1969) is a Cameroonian dancer, performer, model, and haute couture fashion designer.

Early life

Ayissi is the son of Jean-Baptiste Ayissi Ntsama, a champion boxer,[1] and Julienne Honorine Eyenga Ayissi, the first crowned Miss Cameroon after the country gained independence in 1960.[2] His brothers and sisters are dancers and singers. During his childhood, he was a member of the Ballet National du Cameroun. He toured with Patrick Dupont and other singers and choreographers.[3]

Career

He moved to France in the 1990s and worked as a model for Dior, Givenchy, and Lanvin.[4]

Ayissi founded his own label in 2004. His designs have been worn by Zendaya and Angela Bassett.[2]

He is a guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

He is the first black African designer[5] to have his designs shown on the Paris haute couture catwalk.[1] Only two other African designers have shown at the Paris show: Alphadi (Nigeria) in 2004 and Noureddine Amir (Morocco) in 2018.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Imane Ayissi becomes the first Black African to enter Paris' fashion elite club". Face2Face Africa. 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  2. ^ a b c ""It's My Mission To Show How Hugely Diverse African Cultures Are": Cameroonian Designer Imane Ayissi On His Couture Debut". British Vogue. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  3. ^ "IMANE AYISSI". www.notjustalabel.com. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  4. ^ Gaboué, Stéphane. "The pioneering Cameroonian designer taking on haute couture". CNN. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
  5. ^ Wynne, Alex (2020-01-23). "Imane Ayissi Couture Spring 2020". WWD. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
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