Fashion is an art form, a world even to itself. It combines cultures and values, and it frees our inner thoughts and child. When we look at IZUBAA, for example, we can clearly see that fashion is for the endearing and courageous.
The creative director of IZUBAA, Elodie Fromenteau moved to Rwanda after working as a sales assistant at Armani and as a fashion stylist on her own in London. Of course, she had no idea she was about to create a fusion of art and culture, as well as her own world.
The young half-French, half-Rwandan woman, unexpectedly became the creative Designer and CEO of IZUBAA, a fashion brand, while on vacation in Rwanda.
Seeing her designs on the Mercedes FashionWeek in Kigali 2021 was a breath of fresh air. On that runway, IZUBAA created a sensation.
The fusion of French style, which included suits, and African prints, which was incorporated into the designs, distinguished it from other brands.
Elodie Fromenteau stated that the fusion of cultures is what distinguishes the brand. “It’s French, but it’s also African.” “I try to incorporate who I am, half French, half Rwandan, into my design,” she said.
It was a scary step for Fromenteau to take because she had only come to Rwanda for vacation and had no intention of starting a full-fledged fashion brand.
It all started in May of 2021 with a phone call.
“I was on the phone with a friend last year, and I was telling him how much I wanted to help the designers at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Kigali, and he told me I should actually start my own collection,” she recalled.
The idea seemed crazy to her, but it also made a lot of sense given that she was already a stylist, had worked with a big fashion brand, and loved fashion.
As a result, she embarked on the entire adventure. “I’d never done it before, but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made,” she explained.
“I had one contact here in Kigali who was a tailor, and I just knew a place in town where I could get the fabric,” she explained.
That is how she got her start and made her debut as IZUBAA in the Rwandan fashion scene.
The beginning is always difficult for anyone in the fashion industry, according to her, “especially when you are a freelancer, you have to go out there and get clients and so many more sacrifices you have to make.”
Even if they are different, she sees struggles everywhere. She stated that it is different in Rwanda than it is in London.
“Back in London, despite the fact that there is a lot of competition; there are a lot of jobs out there,” she explained.
She faced numerous challenges as she entered the fashion industry; there are numerous challenges and sacrifices that must be made. She remains adamant that she would not trade her experience for anything.
“I would not change my experience in the fashion industry, even the struggles,” she said. “You can’t step into the fashion industry if you don’t love it.”
Fromenteau believes that if one tries hard enough, they can achieve their goals.
She believes that in order to break into the fashion industry, one must be “passionate, courageous, hardworking, and patient.”
That’s what she was in 2021, when she debuted IZUBAA on the Mercedes-Benz runway.
Obviously, IZUBAA has grown since then; she now has more clients and has progressed from working with one tailor to now working with seven. She is currently trying to construct a shop and a workshop in the back.
This young talented woman believes that people in this industry must persevere and not give up.
“Keep going, figure out what you’re good at, find that skill, dive into it, become better, and keep going,” she said firmly.