MEDI1TV Afrique : L.A.S.M.E : Un tremplin pour propulser la mode africaine sur la scène mondiale - 12/01/2025
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00:00Welcome to RemedienTV, welcome if you are joining us.
00:16Today we are highlighting an initiative that actively contributes to the promotion of young African talents in the world of fashion.
00:24The African League of Emerging Modeling Stylists, or LASM, positions itself as a real springboard for writing African fashion on the world stage.
00:35To tell us about it, we are pleased to welcome the president of the Ivory Coast section.
00:41She will explain the actions taken locally to support and promote stylists and models in the Ivory Coast.
00:49She is Fatimata Soma, president of the LASM section in the Ivory Coast.
00:57Thank you for accepting our invitation.
00:59Fatimata, what is the African League of Emerging Modeling Stylists and how was this initiative born?
01:10LASM is the African League of Emerging Modeling Stylists.
01:19We are modeling stylists in different countries.
01:24LASM is distributed in all these countries.
01:28We have Ivory Coast, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, France, Nigeria.
01:35We have several countries.
01:38So it's not just an African story.
01:41You mentioned France.
01:43Yes.
01:44Very good.
01:45How was LASM born? What was it about?
01:48LASM started with us stylists.
01:52We said to ourselves, our work is a little too closed, a little too isolated.
01:59We will try to regroup, to get together to go even further.
02:06And to create activities, to take action so that we can really stand out.
02:13To be able to somehow enhance African fashion.
02:20And why not fashion elsewhere too.
02:22Yes.
02:23Very good.
02:24You are here as the president of the Ivory Coast section.
02:28Can you introduce us to this section?
02:33First, we have our international president.
02:37We have the international president of LASM, Mr. Dien Duma.
02:41He is based here in the Ivory Coast.
02:43And since he is the one who manages all the other countries,
02:48we have each president in each country.
02:52So the sections are made like that.
02:54And at the level of the Ivory Coast, we have the president that I am.
02:58And after that, we have our secretary, the treasurer.
03:02And it's reciprocal, it's everywhere in the other countries.
03:04It's the same.
03:05And you, what is your role, since the president, the big boss, let's say it like that, is on site with you?
03:13In fact, the big boss, as you said, it is true that he is based in the Ivory Coast,
03:20but already he manages all the other countries.
03:23So each time he will have to exchange with, for example, the president of Burkina Faso, Mali, Benin, as I mentioned there.
03:29So he can't, in addition to that, take care of the details of everything that will be done as an activity.
03:38Your nomination, your election.
03:40That's it.
03:41Otherwise, at the base, I was the secretary general.
03:45That's it.
03:46It was after a few years, after the work was over, that the members decided to nominate me.
03:53To take you to the head of the section.
03:55So what is the particularity of this Ivorian section?
03:59Well, already in the Ivory Coast, we have noticed so many details concerning our field, fashion.
04:09So that's just what we are working on.
04:12Already for the acts that we have composed, that we have already started to lead,
04:19it is to mobilize the students, the learners, those who really want to get into fashion, but who do not know what it is about.
04:28Very often we go to training schools.
04:31The students are in the schools, but at the base they do not know why they are there.
04:36And when they finish their training, what they will become tomorrow, how it will happen,
04:42they really need this motivation.
04:45So we would have to mobilize them, sensitize them and all that.
04:50Tell them really about the work, about our activity, how it happens, and make them understand that it is a win-win.
04:59And at the end of the tunnel, they will be able to do whatever they want with this work.
05:06Very well. So these are some actions that you are leading, that you have just listed.
05:12But other than this action, does the Ivory Coast section have programs, events that it organizes or that it has already organized?
05:22Yes, because we have already participated in parades.
05:25And we also have training within the association.
05:30Because as we say, we never stop training.
05:34So we have trainers in the association.
05:39We need a little bit of everything.
05:42Do all these training, these programs, contribute to the savings of stylists and models who are under your umbrella?
05:52Yes, exactly.
05:54Very often, even in the association, the members of the association benefit a lot.
06:00Because we can often be in our workshop and even need a machine.
06:05Because fashion is snow.
06:08So it's the same as our machines and everything.
06:13We have new releases and everything.
06:15So what do you have to do to get them?
06:17We know that stylists, seamstresses, very often get money like that.
06:22To be able to do it, it's a bit complicated.
06:24So since we are in a team, in an association, it's easy.
06:30Already, we can focus on one thing.
06:34When the person already has his machine, we work like that.
06:38And regarding the training, there are activities, there are works.
06:43Models, for example, have come out.
06:45One masters more and the other does not.
06:48So there is no shame.
06:50We train in there too.
06:52So it goes easily.
06:54In a way, a sharing of expertise, of experience.
06:59Very good.
07:01And in Côte d'Ivoire, how many members belong to this league?
07:05In Côte d'Ivoire, the members of Côte d'Ivoire,
07:09we can reach about thirty, forty people.
07:15Just in Côte d'Ivoire.
07:17In Burkina, the same.
07:20There are more.
07:22Yes, there are more.
07:24Very good.
07:26And how many stylists, in this quota you gave us,
07:31benefit from these accommodations that you make available, of course?
07:36All the members.
07:38All the members, without exception.
07:40All the members of the association.
07:42All those who have already joined, because there is the right to join.
07:45When you say you are part of the association,
07:49that you are a member, an adherent,
07:52you benefit from everything there is.
07:54So there is no selection at the base?
07:57No.
07:58Nothing?
07:59That's all. All the members are ...
08:01Earlier you talked about the fact that you attended the association,
08:06of the league of course, to shows.
08:09So I will allow you to see a show.
08:12Maybe you've already seen it.
08:14It was the 17th edition of Africa Fashion Week,
08:18of the great Isabelle Hannault.
08:21And there we will discover the collection of Don Rodrigue,
08:24an Ivorian stylist.
08:44If there is a night, there will be a beautiful morning.
08:48In you I founded my hopes,
08:51for a new generation.
08:56See your children,
08:58go to the front to defend your honor.
09:02May your prayers accompany them,
09:05for a victory planned by God.
09:09From you will come out warriors,
09:13an elite of living gods.
09:16Established by its base,
09:19for a sunny future.
09:24I believe in you,
09:27dear land to my heart.
09:30From your ashes on a stage,
09:33even more beautiful than the concert of nations.
09:38From you will come out warriors,
09:41an elite of living gods.
09:44Established by its base,
09:47for a sunny future.
09:52I believe in you,
09:55dear land to my heart.
09:58From your ashes on a stage,
10:01even more beautiful than the concert of nations.
10:05From your ashes on a stage,
10:08even more beautiful than the concert of nations.
10:20From you will come out warriors,
10:23an elite of living gods.
10:26Established by its base,
10:29for a sunny future.
10:34I believe in you,
10:37dear land to my heart.
10:40From your ashes on a stage,
10:43even more beautiful than the concert of nations.
10:47From your ashes on a stage,
10:50even more beautiful than the concert of nations.
10:55A very beautiful collection of Roderick.
10:58I continue with my guest,
11:01Fatimata Soma.
11:04You are in the African League of Emerging Modeling Stylists.
11:09Ivory Coast section.
11:12What are the major events that you organize this year?
11:18In the year, we have administrative steps
11:23at the level of our various mayors.
11:27Do you do this every year?
11:30No, not every year.
11:33When we want to put charitable acts,
11:37we have to go to our custodians,
11:41to be able to do it.
11:46Do you have collaborations with institutions
11:49or international brands?
11:52Not yet.
11:55Is it something you are considering?
11:57Yes, very soon.
12:00Because we are working on it.
12:02And what are the main challenges
12:04that the Ivory Coast section faces?
12:07I want to say, in general,
12:10and in Ivory Coast?
12:13The challenges for the Ivory Coast section,
12:17it's like I said earlier.
12:20In relation to the students,
12:22we are working on it.
12:24Because today, in Ivory Coast,
12:26we find ourselves with this difficulty.
12:28We have the problems of apprentices,
12:31children who no longer want to learn.
12:34It's not like before, easily.
12:36When we send you to a sewing school,
12:39or even to a workshop to learn,
12:41it goes easily.
12:43Because you tell yourself
12:45that you have this pressure behind you.
12:47Today, this is not the case.
12:49This makes it difficult for children to learn.
12:52When I say children,
12:54I mean young people.
12:56They refuse to learn.
12:59Very often, we have this problem
13:01where in the workshop,
13:03there is either the young girl
13:05who comes to learn,
13:07but who has not finished her training,
13:09who already thinks
13:11that she should be a teacher.
13:13So we have these difficulties
13:16on the Ivory Coast level.
13:19So today,
13:21we found that
13:23it's not necessarily their fault.
13:26They may not know what it's about.
13:29So we have to mobilize them.
13:32We have to be able to explain to them
13:35the purpose of fashion.
13:37When you go into the sewing,
13:39what is it?
13:41When you go a little ahead.
13:43And also give them opportunities.
13:45Because when the students come...
13:47They want to learn too.
13:49They want to learn,
13:51but they don't understand.
13:53We have to make them understand
13:55that yes, you follow your training.
13:57When you finish,
13:59you will have an internship
14:01at such and such a stylist.
14:03You will learn your motif.
14:05So the child who already sees
14:07the stylist in question,
14:09working,
14:11remembering his needs.
14:13So he said to himself,
14:15wow, that means that
14:17tomorrow I can be like him too.
14:19So it will encourage them.
14:21We work hard on it.
14:23I was going to ask you,
14:25how do you really work
14:27to counter all these obstacles?
14:29It's already going to the establishments.
14:31What do you tell them
14:33when you go to them?
14:35Do you also offer them
14:37continuous training?
14:39Yes.
14:41Because we are stylists,
14:43models,
14:45we work on our own.
14:47So why not give these opportunities
14:49to young people
14:51when they finish their training?
14:53At least they know that
14:55when they finish their training,
14:57for example,
14:59they will go to TeamSteel.
15:01TeamSteel is my brand.
15:03They will say to themselves,
15:05when we go to TeamSteel,
15:07because when we already see
15:09the work that TeamSteel does,
15:11we really want to go
15:13and discover another thing
15:15in their workshop.
15:17So these are the proposals
15:19for the real world of fashion.
15:21Because it's cool,
15:23what happens in the workshops
15:25or in the fashion schools,
15:27it's different.
15:29So when they leave,
15:31at least they know
15:33that they will come,
15:35discover the reality
15:37and learn at the same time.
15:39Very good.
15:41You said your brand is TeamSteel.
15:43What do you do at TeamSteel?
15:45TeamSteel, I make men's and women's
15:47I did 6 years of training,
15:493 years at Mikutu
15:51and 3 years at IFEF.
15:53At IFEF, instead of doing 3 years,
15:55I was allowed to do 2 years
15:57because the 3 years on the other side
15:59had already expired.
16:01So I was asked to do just 2 years there.
16:03So I just did the 2 years.
16:05It was a bit like an internship for me.
16:07Despite that, when I left,
16:09I went to another internship
16:11at a lady from Ovalon
16:13who really...
16:15As I train myself,
16:17I learn even more.
16:19So I don't stop.
16:21Until now, I continue to learn
16:23despite the fact that I work
16:25on my own.
16:27So for you, training is
16:29something very important
16:31in the job you do.
16:33Very important.
16:35Because we innovate.
16:37Fashion develops.
16:39There are new things.
16:41So you can't rely
16:43on what you did
16:45when you were at school.
16:47No, it's not possible.
16:49There, it's the basics.
16:51But with every evolution,
16:53you have to be able
16:55to do it.
16:57So even when we talk about internships
16:59outside the country,
17:01when you have the opportunity,
17:03go for it.
17:05Because you can't skip it.
17:07Do you offer internships
17:09outside the Ivorian borders,
17:11or even African ones?
17:13Are there opportunities
17:15like this
17:17that are often presented
17:19and that you offer to some of your members?
17:21Yes, especially
17:23the international association.
17:25So for example,
17:27we have too many opportunities
17:29because, for example,
17:31we want to work with a Burkina Faso
17:33here.
17:35And among us,
17:37there are members who are in Burkina Faso.
17:39So it's easy to get in touch
17:41with one of the members.
17:43Here's the model I want,
17:45the bread model.
17:47The bread comes,
17:49and we do our work on it.
17:51If there is such a release there
17:53that we want to create on it,
17:55it's easier for us.
17:57Because in the association,
17:59there is the Nigeia,
18:01which can bring out things
18:03that we don't have here,
18:05and we can easily get in touch.
18:07Here, as an Ivorian stylist,
18:09do you want to go
18:11to Burkina Faso?
18:13Yes, I have already done it.
18:15I take the instructions myself.
18:17It was last year.
18:19I left,
18:21but it was in Benin.
18:23We have another landlord
18:25who is in the association.
18:27So I went.
18:29When I arrived in Benin,
18:31I had two weeks.
18:33So I said to myself,
18:35since I like learning,
18:37why don't I go and train?
18:39See what they do.
18:41So I left.
18:43The landlord entrusted me
18:45to one of his colleagues there.
18:47So I went.
18:49He supervised me.
18:51It went really well.
18:53Very good.
18:55Let's talk about the Ivorian section.
18:57What are the big projects
18:59you are going to work on
19:01in the near future?
19:03What are the big projects
19:05you are going to work on
19:07in the near future?
19:09For the projects in the near future,
19:11we already have shows
19:13that we are planning.
19:15We are working on that.
19:17And also
19:19the marches
19:21that I mentioned earlier
19:23in relation to youth.
19:25And after that,
19:27we are going to put
19:29charity works
19:31I thought I saw a poster
19:33somewhere.
19:35You are currently
19:37preparing a series of trainings.
19:39Yes.
19:41The trainings
19:43that we are currently following
19:45are on the platform.
19:47But we also have trainings
19:49that are being organized
19:51in different sectors.
19:53Especially in Abidjan.
19:55For the moment,
19:57we are working more on Abidjan.
19:59Otherwise, the members
20:01of the Ivorian section
20:03are here in Bangourou.
20:05Can someone
20:07who is not part of the league
20:09benefit from all these
20:11trainings?
20:13Yes.
20:15The trainings that are being
20:17organized on the platform
20:19are being organized by
20:21the members of the ASM.
20:23But the trainings that are
20:25being organized
20:27by the members
20:29of the ASM
20:31are being organized
20:33by the members
20:35of the Ivorian section.
20:37And how can
20:39you join the ASM?
20:41We have our
20:43membership card.
20:45I don't know
20:47if I should give you
20:49the membership card.
20:51I hope it's not expensive.
20:53No, no, no.
20:55The membership card is
20:572,500.
20:59Very good.
21:01That's all you need to join.
21:03Once the member is
21:05in the ASM,
21:07there are the details
21:09like the monthly fee.
21:11And how can
21:13the institutions
21:15or the general public
21:17support
21:19your actions?
21:21First of all,
21:23I ask all the stylists,
21:25all the model stylists
21:27to join us.
21:29Because it's a real fight
21:31that we have to fight.
21:33Why do I say fight?
21:35Today we are confronted
21:37with another problem.
21:39We, the stylists,
21:41I will take
21:43another example.
21:45I have creations that I do
21:47often, but once I
21:49launch the creation,
21:51there is no internet today.
21:53Someone who is not a stylist,
21:55who is not a couturier,
21:57has to capture and reproduce
21:59to sell.
22:01It's a real fight
22:03that we have to fight.
22:05We have to stand out.
22:07So it's this support that you
22:09expect from the general public?
22:11Yes, really.
22:13For them to join the ASM
22:15so that we can fight.
22:17Even when they are not a couturier,
22:19not those who are not a couturier.
22:21Very good.
22:23In fact, you have not
22:25understood the question well.
22:27That's why I said no,
22:29even if they are not a couturier.
22:31No, it's just for the stylists.
22:33It was a pleasure to
22:35have you on our show.
22:37We are at the end
22:39of this show.
22:41Thank you for answering
22:43our different questions.
22:45Thank you too.
22:47As you have understood,
22:49this is the end of this show.
22:51I remind you that we were in the company
22:53of Fatimata Soma.
22:55She is the president of the ASM,
22:57which means the African League
22:59of Emerging Stylists and Models.
23:01This is the end of our show.
23:03Thank you all for following us.
23:05Thank you to the team in charge,
23:07Fares, Jean-Marc and Arnold.
23:09See you next week
23:11for another issue.
23:13Until then, take care!
23:17♪♪♪