Q&A with Taibo Bacar

If you follow African fashion as we do, the name Taibo Bacar will be a familiar one. ChicAfrican speaks to this young Mozambican designer about his hopes, inspiration and what it’s like having Valentino as a fan.

How much of a role does Mozambique play in your creative design process?
A huge one. I take most of my inspiration from what surrounds me. The culture, the people, the history of Mozambique. These things are always very present in my creations.

Describe the woman you design for.
She has a strong character. She knows who she is and where she is going. She carries a powerful sense of femininity and she is determined. She doesn’t fear life.

Is Africa’s influence on international fashion growing?
Africa is the latest international trend. The continent’s richness and diversity has been growing in influence and as a result, we’ve started seeing African culture popping up everywhere, not only in fashion, but cinema, music and other industries.

What inspires each collection?
Many aspects of my life and the things that surround me. Movies, books, ideas, travelling. The normal parts of everyday life that are bursting with opportunity.

So Valentino is a fan…
It’s amazing. When you see a fashion label from far away it has a special allure and it seems so far from reach. Meeting a designer like Valentino and visiting his studios made me realise that, with work and dedication, we could also achieve such a high standard.

What legacy will Taibo Bacar one day leave for the African fashion industry?
I want people to see my brand, and African fashion, as something that doesn’t need to be categorised as folklore, but rather as something that can have the same standards, quality, modernity and class as any other international fashion industry. As I say, “from Africa to the world”.

Words: Emily Pettit-Coetzee / Taibo Bacar
Images: Taibo Bacar & SDR Photography