Imane Ayissi was born in Cameroon into a family of artists and sportsmen.
At the same time as he began a career as a dancer, within the National Ballet of Cameroon, he invested in fashion – a passion born in the wake of a Miss Cameroon mother – and became a stylist for the largest workshop in Ready-to-wear manufacturing of the country.
For several years, he collaborated with great choreographers and international artists, such as Patrick Dupont, whose tours and shows took him to the four corners of the world. At the same time, he continues to create dresses in his country.
Paris
He moved to Paris in the early 90s. He began a modeling career and parade for the biggest luxury brands (Dior, Lanvin, YSL, Valentino, Givenchy, Cardin, Montana …) as well as participating in advertising campaigns and numerous fashion editorials.
It was at this time that he decided to devote himself fully to his work as a designer.
Imane Ayissi creates high-fashion pieces, sold to order and luxury ready-to-wear – distributed in South Africa, Cameroon or Japan.
Imane Ayissi presented her collections in Rome as part of AltaRoma. He is also a regular at African Fashion Weeks (Fima, Arise in Lagos in Nigeria…). But it was in Paris, during Paris Haute Couture week, that he presented his new collections.
crossbreeding
The different cultures of his native continent are a frequent source of inspiration for his collections. Far from the simplistic representations of a black continent of which only wax would be the ornament, Imane Ayissi undertakes each season to highlight the textile treasures from a neglected or ignored heritage. His creations combine artisanal know-how, materials and traditional cuts as well as the fundamentals of African wardrobe which he infuses a couture dimension.
Influences
It is the dance – his dance career – that has most influenced the figure Imane Ayissi. Dance and body. The way the tissues move and accompany the movement. How volumes move in space. This is how pleats, drapes, “fallen” are the cardinal points of a “living” and moving silhouette, also influenced by the work of Madeleine Vionnet, Cristobal Balenciaga or Yves Saint-Laurent, his references.
The tradition of French haute couture, his taste for contemporary art, as well as his dual culture, French and African, bring to the creations of Imane Ayissi a mixed and singular breath.
avant-garde
Very sensitive to environmental issues, Imane Ayissi uses natural and often organic materials as a priority, with the lowest possible impact. Thus, he favors products such as organic cotton, vegetable tanned leathers or textiles dyed with natural ingredients, or printed by hand.
His creations are also often a mixture of “academic” know-how and more current “ways”, such as recovery or diversion, anti-waste postures as much as the art of constantly re-interpreting uses.
