Benin
Every year, the Benin International Arts Festival brings together eight artistic disciplines on the same stage including music, theatre, dance, and literature.
But the focus at this year’s fourth edition is fashion, and alongside established designers it opened the stage to 12 young talents.
They took part in a competition designed to reveal the stylistic voices of tomorrow. Third prize was awarded to 20-year-old student, Rolande Houvo, for her collection “Blossoming”.
“I was inspired by the straw hats that people often wear in Ganvié. After use, these hats lose their straw strands over time and have to be thrown away,” she said.
“I collected these discarded straws and reworked them to give them new life. This work gave birth to something new, a rebirth from what we thought was lost.”
Local fabrics and Beninese craftsmanship were at the heart of these young designers’ proposals, a bold way of asserting authentic African fashion deeply rooted in the region.
Isabelle Egin was awarded the jury prize for her collection” “Ecological Splendour” made entirely from local woven fabric.
“Woven fabric is of great beauty and above all showcases local craftsmanship and labour. I’m also a political science student, and I wanted to combine these two worlds, a collision between art, fashion, and politics.
Ecological commitment was a common thread in their collections.
Seventeen-year-old grand prize winner, Rebecca Houénou, presented “Todagbé”, a word that means “mother” in the Fon language.
To create her pieces, she used plastic bags that had washed up on beaches and seashells, turning her clothes into a manifesto for ocean conservation.
“I was inspired by the sea, more specifically, by the environmental pollution that masks its true nature and beauty. I wanted to show what we hide, what we damage,” she said.
The jury was chaired by legendary Nigerien designer Alphadi who said he had a very difficult time choosing between these young talents, whose creativity and maturity commanded admiration.
“The young designers’ competition was something magical. They used art, they used waste. They used African textiles, raffia. I was amazed,” he said.
The various events will continue until Sunday 1 March in four cities across Benin, much to the delight of festivalgoers.
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