Fashionistas

Chan with me wearing the dress she had made for me, at the wedding

The first day I met Ida and Chan, after the Parliamentary opening, next to my car

When I attended the opening of Parliament, two women in the audience caught my eye: they were dressed strikingly, with gorgeous hair and make-up capping their elegant ensembles. Then, as I was going back to my car after the program, I saw the two of them walking past my car. I called out to them, and we started talking. Since that day, we have become friends.

Chan and Ida are two of the most prominent fashion designers and dressmakers in the country. They are savvy businesswomen with a thriving clientele and employ scores of tailors and others to support their businesses. When I went to the Youssou N’dor concert, it was their designs in the fashion show. They also do the clothing for women in prominent positions, like first ladies and Ambassadors, throughout West Africa, with their signature Sene-Gambian style.

I’ve been most impressed by how genuine they both have been. Ida apprenticed under Chan for two years and then started her own business. (Chan is a family friend, and was the first dressmaker in the country to have her own shop separate from her home, over twenty years ago)They both loved sewing as teens, made their own clothes and would give or sell them to friends. I tried to understand how the now-competitors preserve their relationship. They both spoke with me (separately and together) as if it was totally natural. On some projects, like decorating the Parliament hall, they act as partners. They are dear friends and that is the most important thing. Ida even named her first child, a daughter, after Chan.

I’ve been wanting a local dress. Before I even mentioned this to Chan, she suggested, one day at her home (where the door is always open and friends are constantly in and out), that she wanted to make me something. She’s the one who invited us to the wedding a few weeks ago and I needed something formal to wear. She had a very special hand-died fabric from Mali that she wanted to use and we talked about the potential design for about 90 seconds. However much I insisted, she would not allow me to pay for the dress. The result far surpassed my expectations and I can’t wait to wear it to something fancy in Philly. More than that, it’s a great memento of a new, dear friend, and the qualities of elegance and generosity that she embodies in so many ways.