Pathé’O

Pathé’O – The extraordinary career of Ivorian-Burkinabé couturier Pathé’O, an international icon of African fashion.

Pathé’O, a native of Burkina Faso, is an icon of African fashion in every sense of the word. Known for his collections far beyond his native Côte d’Ivoire, the designer’s visionary legacy has influenced the aesthetic canons and experience of fashion on the African continent for over 30 years, and also led to a recent collaboration with the Dior fashion house. His singular style and avant-garde approach to sustainability, as well as his gift for combining cultural engagement with entrepreneurial creativity, have inspired designers of all ages. For a long time, it was common for politicians and showbiz celebrities in the former French colonies of West Africa to dress in Western style. In this context, Pathé’O approached its work with the clear intention of making Africans appreciate a local style and fashion industry.

For the first time, this book retraces the extraordinary journey of Pathé’O and its brand. His story provides a better understanding of the spectrum of fashion in West Africa, the fusion of a global present and a rich cultural heritage. The book explores topics ranging from the fashion and textile industry to labor migration, cultural heritage, politics and showbiz, in history and the present.

Ainé Pathé Ouédraogo (b. 1950, Guibaré, Burkina Faso), also known as Pathé’O, is a Burkinabe fashion designer who has been based in Côte d’Ivoire since the 1970s, and is internationally renowned for having dressed Nelson Mandela and numerous African heads of state.