A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
Fashion designer Imane Ayissi accepts applauses after his Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
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Fashion designer Imane Ayissi accepts applauses after his Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
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A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
BC
A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
BC
A model wears a creation as part of the Imane Ayissi Haute Couture Spring Summer 2025 collection, that was presented in Paris, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly)
PARIS (AP) — Cameroon-born designer Imane Ayissi fused sumptuous satin and taffeta with ancestral African crafts in a couture collection that celebrated heritage while embracing modernity. This season, Ayissi explored the cultural and symbolic power of fabric, using draping, layering, and artisanal techniques to tell a story of African artistry on the global stage.
Standout looks included a matte black crossover belted coat exuding quiet luxury, a billowing white gown with cascading folds turned up into itself, and a top of interlocking colorful flowers crafted with intricate precision. These pieces highlighted Ayissi’s knack for balancing opulence with subtlety.
Reimagining colonial-era kaba dresses as symbols of empowerment and drawing parallels with global influences, Ayissi offered a couture collection that felt like a dialogue between cultures.