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Fashion Special Africa’s Top 10 Male Fashion designers
Seidnaly Sidhamed Alphadi
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and diversity. His creative universe is the totality of his life, his multiculturalism and his human encounters. His couture designs are a faithful ambassador to African roots, but they also depict the best of pan-African design. Alphadi was born on 1 June 1957 in Timbuktu, Mali, of a Touareg father from Niger and a Moroccan mother,
both traders. Growing up in Niger with his eight brothers and sisters, Alphadi discovered at a very early stage the fun of putting make-up on his sisters and mother. He would also spend hours watching Bollywood films admiring the work of make-up artists and how they would enhance women’s beauty. But growing up in a Muslim country meant that fashion was an area forbidden to boys. His father wanted him to become a doctor or to take over the family business. After completing his baccalaureate, Alphadi chose to study tourism in Paris. Coming to Paris enabled him to get closer to the world of fashion. He started attending shows and taking evening classes at the Chardon Savard Workshop. At the end of his studies, he returned to Niger to work as director of the Tourism Ministry. Nevertheless, his passion for fashion did not diminish and he continued to hone his training in fashion design. In 1983, he decided to devote himself entirely to fashion.
Two years later, he created his first Haute Couture range, which he introduced to the world during his first fashion show at the Paris International Tourism Exhibition. It was a runaway success Alphadi has gone from strength to strength ever since. He now organises fashion shows in many parts of the world including Niamey, Abidjan, Paris, Brussels, New York, Washington, Quebec and Tokyo. He is also the proud owner of a number of boutiques in Africa, the United States and Europe which bear the internationally acclaimed label: ALPHADI. In 1987, the French Federation of Couture and Ready to Wear
M
eet Alphadi – real name Seidnaly Sidhamed Alphadi – a pillar of the creative world of African fashion. As one of Africa’s best known male designers, he has made Africa proud in Europe, America and, of course, Africa itself, scaling many hurdles on his
way up. His creations, as seen opposite, are breathtaking. Fériel Berraies Guigny profiles the icon. Alphadi is the founder of the International Festival of African fashion (FIMA), and is also chairman the Federation of African fashion designers (FAC). Through his African fashion events and the biannual FIMA, he has always strived for just recognition of African culture and fashion. His career, which spans 20 years, has been a constant struggle as he has fought to put African fashion in its rightful place – among the industry’s best. An unrelenting fashion activist and a visionary, he has managed to introduce his fashion house into the inner circle of luxury. For Alphadi, Africa’s creations are synonymous with richness
awarded him the accolade of “Best African designer”, just one of the many international awards he has been bestowed. He also holds breathtaking fashion shows around the world, which set a benchmark for the African continent. In 1999, Alphadi created a new line called Alphadi Bis, which
was more of a sportswear range. And in 2000 he launched l’Air d’Alphadi, the first perfume by an African couturier. Despite all his success, Alphadi has never betrayed his roots or the richness of his traditions. His designs tell the story of a people – the ancient reference points of Songhai, Zarma, Bororo, Hausa and Touareg.
Feriel Berraies Guigny
“Alphadi’s couture designs are a faithful ambassador to African roots, but they also depict the best of pan-African design.”
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