By Kamila Yusuf.
Pink flower petals gingerly line the catwalk. A wall of green grass with accents of yellow, pink, white and orange flowers serve as a backdrop. Champagne, bissap, and bite-sized aperatifs circulate. Sathia and her mother, her inspiration, smile for a photo.
Catchy afro-beats softly enter the delicately decorated space, creating an ambiance of excitement and anticipation as the white curtain is pushed aside to reveal… A stunning model dressed head to toe in Imaravi fashion. The brownish-red dress captures the room’s attention immediately—cameras are out, gasps and awes travel throughout the room.
As spring flowers blossom and the sun begins to appear in Paris, what better way to kick off this season than with spring African Wax fashion shows?
Twenty-nine year old Sathia Chodaton showcased her new Spring 2018 fashion collection, Imaravi, at B-Unik’s first-ever Fashion Show on February 16th. Celebrating the warm weather and budding flowers, Sathia’s modern designs integrate a cultural mixture of African wax patterns to create the ultimate spring wardrobe.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src= »https://lagrandeafrique.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Image-2.png » align= »center » _builder_version= »3.0.106″]
Pictured: Sathia Chodaton
With Cape Verdean and Beninese roots, the French national uses wax print to create ready-to-wear modern clothing and jewelry for glamorous nights out, day-to-day wear and everything occasion in between.
Although this is her first fashion show under B-Unik, Sathia has been designing and creating beautiful wax print dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and jewelry for a little over two years under her brand Wax’Kiss. But with the oncoming of spring and change in the air, Sathia launched a new era, Imaravi.
The name, and subsequently the fashion line, was inspired by Sathia’s mother. The strength, elegance and power she sees in her mother, she sees in all women. It is “la femme que en peut tout faire” (the woman that can do it all) that inspires the name-change.
[/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version= »3.0.106″]
Pictured: Sathia Chodaton
With Cape Verdean and Beninese roots, the French national uses wax print to create ready-to-wear modern clothing and jewelry for glamorous nights out, day-to-day wear and every occasion in between.
Although this is her first fashion show under B-Unik, Sathia has been designing and creating wax print dresses, skirts, tops, jackets and jewelry for a little over two years under her brand Wax’Kiss. But with the oncoming of spring and change in the air, Sathia launched a new era, Imaravi.
The name, and subsequently the fashion line, was inspired by Sathia’s mother. The strength, elegance and power she sees in her mother, she sees in all women. It is “la femme capable de tout faire” (the woman that can do it all) that inspires the name-change.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src= »https://lagrandeafrique.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Image-3.png » align= »center » _builder_version= »3.0.106″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version= »3.0.106″]
Pictured: Three models and Sathia (right) explaining her inspirations and designs.
“I want to be able to show people the power of African talent, African creativity, and African artisans,” Sathia explains.
She sees fashion as a way of shining a positive light on the ingenuity and beauty of wax fabric and the evolution of culture in fashion. There is something about traditional wear and African wax patterns that calls for solidarity and support of African-owned fashion lines and businesses. Sathia expresses that she’s “interested in working with people who also believe in pan Africanism and solidarity.”
“Promoting and creating fashion participates in the development of my country and my culture.”
In recent years, African wax patterns (also known as Ankara in parts of West Africa) have gained significant popularity within the Diaspora. More and more Afro-markets pop up all over the world, selling the intricate wax fabrics in different shapes, sizes and colours.
In the future, Sathia hopes to host more fashion shows for Imaravi and to expose more people to the art of wax print fashion.
[/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src= »https://lagrandeafrique.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Image-4.png » align= »center » _builder_version= »3.0.106″][/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version= »3.0.106″]
You can follow Imaravi on Instagram or browse the collection at:
https://imaravi.afrikrea.com/en
Instagram: @imaravi_officiel
Youtube: B Unik by IMARAVI
You can follow B-Unik at:
Instagram: @bunikfashionshow
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]
