Season: S1/2019
Designers: Pelebe and Ibrahim Fernandez
The world of wax is a bottomless well that dives deep down into the history of time, and is entangled with tradition, heritage, culture and identity. It is a pool of skill and knowledge, ever so gloriously beautiful and rich.
This season Vlisco takes you on a journey through the fantastic world of wax, featuring highly intricate designs that were conceived while looking at the expert craft of batik, as well as our own Vlisco archive. This collection features ornate florals, traditional motifs, jewels, shells, money, complex geometries, moirés and undulating patterns. Highly intricate with vivid origins and multiple layers of enigmatic details to keep on discovering.
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Wax Hollandais
Vlisco designs have long been worn by women, it is both a time-honoured tradition as well as a fashion statement. A woman transforms the designs with how she wears it, her choice of style or silhouette. Women broadcast a message with what they wear and use it as a medium for the expression of their identity and beauty.
Vlisco interviews Fantastyck
How did you begin your journey as a influencer?
I launched my fashion-dedicated blog “fantastyck” in 2012, which happened naturally and spontaneously. The community around this blog has grown from year to year and this has given me the motivation to become a strong fashion personality and an ambassador for African fashion. I am especially pleased to be able to help women feel more beautiful and to dress better.
How do you know Vlisco ?
My story with Vlisco starts from a very young age. I come from a family from the north of the Ivory Coast and it was very common to see the women of my family, including my mother, dressed in Vlisco for special occasions like weddings. Over the years by becoming a model then a blogger, I developed a kind of admiration for the campaigns of the brand, the artistic direction, collaborations with stylists, and beautiful models.
What were your thoughts when you knew Vlisco and yourself were going to work together on a photoshoot / campaign?
I was more stressed than happy at first because I had in my head this image of me as a young person admiring the Vlisco campaigns on the posters. And I could not believe that I would be in the place of the models that made me dream at the time. It’s a dream come true.
Please tell us about your emotions during and in this (campaign/ photo shoot)
I felt immediately at home with all these creative minds. I felt beautiful, confident and powerful. My outfits made by Pelebe were beautiful, the artistic direction suited me perfectly. Everything was done to make me feel at ease. In addition, I enjoyed chatting with each member of the team and getting to know each other. It was a very rewarding moment.
Please how would you introduce this campaign to our followers in your own words?
It is a campaign that represents the modern woman tied to her culture and principles. You will easily recognize an oriental touch paired with very trendy cuts.
Wax is defined by the woman who shapes and wears it, and moves about boldly through the city, bringing Vlisco designs around with her. Wax is taken to new reaches and wide spread territories. Wax permeates the landscape, pollinated by women in Vlisco. Voluminous garments, made from generous yards of fabric blanket the body as well as the landscape.
The looks in this shoot are created by Pelebe from Ivory Coast, modelled by reknown influencer Fantastyck and shot at Commune du Plateau and on the streets of Abidjan.
Credits:
Designer: Pelebe, from Ivory Coast
Model: Fantastyck
Photographer: Matthew Miziolek
Stylist jewelry: Chyba jewelry
Make-up: Renee Balou
Hair: Dieudonne Senato
Videographer including edit: Daniel Attoh by Accra Studio’s
Retouche images: Deeptone
Locations: streets of Abidjan, Commune du Plateau
Wax is deeply seeded within the heritage of many women, entangled with their lives and embraced by them as they use the fabrics to weave their own stories. These stories are beautiful and evocative, like complex tapestries. Wax is all over, as it peppers the lives of women. It flows outside of their bodies, covering surroundings.
The looks in this shoot are created by the Ivorian Ibrahim Fernandez and shot
on the streets and at Hotel Etoile du Sud Bassam in Ivory Coast.
“This collection was inspired by the strong women in life and the ones I got the chance and opportunity to work with over the years. These designs can adapt to their ambitious, powerful, and confident lifestyle. With this collection I wanted to show that a successful and empowered woman can also keep her femininity.”
-Ibrahim Fernandez, about the collection
Black Sepic
This season, we will launch selected designs in Black Sepic. Inspired by old batiks, the Black Sepic transforms our monumental indigo into a deep and ultra rich black. For the first time, pastel colours are used together with the Black Sepic, a contrast that complements the deep blacks to create softer multi-coloured looks.
Credits:
Designer: Ibrahim Fernandez
Model: Awa Sanoko
Photographer: Matthew Miziolek
Stylist jewelry: Chyba jewelry
Make-up: Renee Balou
Hair: Dieudonne Senato
Videographer including edit: Daniel Attoh by Accra Studio’s
Retouche images: Deeptone
Locations: streets and Hotel Etoile du Sud Bassam