Oumou Sy
Encyclopedia
Oumou Sy is a Senegalese fashion designer frequently referred to as "Senegal's Queen of Couture".
She is Senegal's most internationally known haute couture
designer. Her collections have been shown in fashion shows in Europe
, Asia
, Africa
, and the U.S.
She owns her own stores in Geneva
and Paris
. She designed the wardrobe for the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal
and Youssou N'Dour
, and has won various awards at international film festivals for her costume designs. She is a 1998 laureate of the international Prince Claus Awards
.
, Senegal
.
She founded the association Metissacana, that supports the cultural and economic exchange between the continents. She lives and works in Dakar
.CulturCooperation, "Portrait", op. cit.
She is Senegal's most internationally known haute couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
designer. Her collections have been shown in fashion shows in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, and the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
She owns her own stores in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. She designed the wardrobe for the Senegalese singers Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal
Baaba Maal is a Senegalese singer and guitarist born in Podor, on the Senegal River. In addition to acoustic guitar, he also plays percussion. He has released several albums, both for independent and major labels. In July 2003, he was made a UNDP Youth Emissary.-Biography:Born 12 November 1953...
and Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
, and has won various awards at international film festivals for her costume designs. She is a 1998 laureate of the international Prince Claus Awards
Prince Claus Awards
The Prince Claus Fund was inaugurated in 1996, named in honor of Prince Claus of The Netherlands. It receives an annual subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs....
.
Overview
Oumou Sy was born in 1952 in PodorPodor
Podor is the northernmost town in Senegal, Africa, lying on Morfil Island between the Sénégal River and Doué River. It is home to a ruined French fort, built in 1854 as a centre for gold trading, and is the birthplace of fashion designer Oumou Sy, and musicians Baaba Maal and Mansour Seck....
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
.
She founded the association Metissacana, that supports the cultural and economic exchange between the continents. She lives and works in Dakar
Dakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
.CulturCooperation, "Portrait", op. cit.