São Paulo – Some magazine articles claims she is French, others hold that she is South African. But designer Sakina M’sa is actually Comorian. Renowned for her creations in the tight-knit French fashion circle, Sakina is one of a few people born in the Comoro Islands, an Arab country in Africa, who have become famous worldwide. From France, where she has lived since her adolescence and currently designs her brand’s clothing, she exports to countries such as Russia, Japan, South Korea and Kuwait. She was in Brazil last year during the São Paulo Fashion Week, as the originator of an exhibition that combined fashion and social work.
Born in a Comorian city named Nioumadzaha Bambao and the daughter of a housewife and a butcher, she moved with her family to Marseille, France, in the 1970s. In the European country, the little Comorian soon learned to speak French, became familiar with literature and art, and began entering the professional art world. In 1992, the African moved to Paris and started designing women’s fashion items, as well as developing social work in the field by teaching design to impoverished people.
"Her clothing is sincere, it is an intimate reflection of the symbol-rich story of a young Comorian who transcended her social origins and affirmed her hybrid identity with talent and determination," claims the designer’s website. Some critics describe her creations as marked by the "right to difference." Others state that her items are influenced by philosophy, literature and art. And Sakina’s collections are truly a smorgasbord of creativity. "For women aged 25 to 50 who are active, dynamic, elegant, feminine, free and fun." Thus the Comorian defines her clients.
Sakina M’sa travelled to São Paulo halfway through last year. She headed the "Brasilópolis Jardim Paris" exhibition. It featured dresses that were produced partly in Paris and partly in São Paulo. The plissé and piping work were done by French women and details such as patchwork, embroidery and crochet cargo, by seamstresses in São Paulo. The work was done in partnership with non-government organization Movimento Comunitário Estrela Nova (New Star Community Movement), which trains women to work in high couture.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
