Imane Ayissi’s first runway was in Paris in 1992. His collection, largely composed of polka dot dresses, made him say that there was “polka dots for the starter, main dish, and dessert, all in all more than 100 dresses!” His forebearers, Alaïa, Lanvin, and Saint Laurent, passed down a love of fluidity, a taste for architectural lines, and the use of color. Imane Ayissi is convinced of this: “Fluidity is liberty of movement. True luxury is modesty. Sensuality is a way to please others.”
And so his Spring/Summer 2016 collection is java-scripting with African fabrics and shapes, primarily with tie-dye motifs, in which he slips a series of androgynous models. “Beussanda” in his native Cameroonian language roughly translates to “tied cloth draped on a body”. This way of dressing oneself, by draping, tying, or tightening a piece of fabric in various ways, goes back to the dawning of time and is still prevalent in a number of societies…
The colors and shapes also come together in what he calls the big open-air theatre. In the streets, generosity and natural elegance abound in an unexpected way as if in a fashion fairytale where the body is expressed through draped fabrics. It is this very emotion that Imane Ayissi is able to capture. On the Paris runway, a collection where the sophistication of Western cuts joins forces with the nonchalance and mischievousness of African fabrics made its debut, giving life to a silhouette with airy refinement.
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