Empowering Women: One Print at a Time
Updated: Jul 22, 2019
This is the third in my series where I feature brands founded by women of color who empower other women through fashion.
Today I'm spotlighting Chic Afri Fashion whose founder is Priscille Amoussou.
I first saw Chic Afri Fashion on Instagram. I immediately fell in love with all her posts about positivity. She encourages others to be goal oriented and empowers other women. I clicked the link to Priscille's online boutique and was blown away. Her passion for African prints was so evident but she also brought such a unique style to her designs. It immediately had me reflecting on my travels to Kenya and Rwanda and loving the glam she incorporated in each piece.
As a fashion girl, it wrapped up so many things I love into one. African prints, style, my favorite colors...I knew right away that this was one of my favorite looks of all time and thought what better way than to share it on my birthday?! I felt so connected and drawn to the clothes that I had to know more. Here are a few questions I had for Priscille.
Me: What inspires you?
Priscille: My first and primary source of inspiration is God. Looking at the nature he created and being aware that everything He created is on purpose and for a purpose inspires me to fulfill mine. I also get inspired by women impacting their world one day at a time. They ignite in me the strong belief that I, also, can be the a source of inspiration, empowerment, and change in my community. As a result, I am inspired to take that step, say that encouraging word, show that kindness, and invest in the lives around me to make a difference by helping provide a better life for others.
Me: I love how eye catching and distinct your brand is on showcasing African cultural glamour. How did you decide to focus on that?
Priscille: I am originally from Benin, a country in west Africa and having grown up there, I have been exposed first hand to the cultural riches of my country. Having also gotten a chance to travel to a few African countries, I discovered even more wealth and developed a greater love for African prints. African prints have been popular and omnipresent all around Africa but more specifically in west Africa. As a little girl, I used to see my mom, buy the fabric and have it custom-made for her. She always radiates like the beautiful black queen 👑 that she is when wearing her designs. I think that influenced my love for the fabrics even more. When I became a teenager she made sure I took pride in wearing African prints and I can say now that she succeeded. However, I noticed that all that cultural wealth and beauty are not much known around the world. Therefore, to expose more people to the African culture while incorporating today’s amazing modern designs, I decided to build this brand that fuses both the beautiful African continent and contemporary fashion. Hence “CHIC AFRI” in our name. Moreover, with the desire to impact the lives of many African artisans whose talents are unnoticed and help in building a brighter future for the many underprivileged orphans and families in Benin, I decided to have these items handmade and invest a portion of my revenues back into their lives. I ensured from the get go that I don’t just want to make money for myself, but for the needy around the world. So, I am doing this all while building the bridge between the contemporary and African prints. At Chic Afri Fashion, we are firm believers that our actions can make a difference.
Me: What do you see for the future of Chic Afri Fashion?
Priscille: Our goal at Chic Afri Fashion is to make our clients feel amazing about themselves while taking pride in representing their roots or in gladly showcasing the African cultural glamour. We want to have something for everyone. We look forward to Chic Afri Fashion possibly expanding beyond the online boutique and having stores in different parts of the world. We hope to be one of the popular go-to brands for African prints products while positively impacting lives.
Priscille’s answers were so motivating and inspiring. It made me fall in love with the clothes even more. Be sure to check out her website
Next up in the series I will feature Kelly Made whose founder is Kelly Anderson.