Sustainable womenswear brand, founded by Cameroon Designer Sarah Divine-Garba Maison d’ Afie debuts its new collection Ngondo which means festivity in her dialect. The collection is inspired by Kaba, a traditional Cameroonian attire inspired by Victorian style.
In the brands own words:
For the Ngondo collection, Sarah Divine-Garba the creative head of women’s wear brand, Maison d’Afie, repurposes a Cameroonian Colonial classic maxi gown known as the Kaba which was paradoxically born by white missionary wives in the 19th century, as a cover for half naked Douala women who’s irresistibility supposedly distracted their husbands.
Sarah draws from her Sawa (the name given to the coastal tribes of Cameroon) culture and rich childhood memories to create this impassioned modern interpretation of what was once a plain dress with a sack like silhouette born by colonial masters, but has now become an integral part of her heritage.
