My incredibly stylish friend, Dorit Sade, started designing and making a line of handbags called Yoóbu (which means "To carry") during a several-months long stint in Senegal, West Africa with her twin sons. Here is an introduction to her work, which incorporates both traditional wax print textiles and artisan-crafted leathergoods.
When I arrived in Senegal I was blown away by the gorgeous outfits the women wore, made out of vibrant wax print fabrics. The patterns each tell some kind of story - proverbs, poems and traditional African fables. The colors also hold significance as they can represent social standing, age, tribal orientation and marital status.
My big AHA! moment came while reading a fashion magazine with a "Beach Style Must Haves" pictorial that featured a really pretty tote bag. I immediately thought, Hey! I can do something even nicer than that with all the amazing fabrics here! I also wanted to share the Africa that I was experiencing firsthand, a place filled with color and vibrance, music and extremely talented artists.
I immediately started working on some designs and set out to find materials. My fantastic Senegalese nanny, Mary, very quickly became my right hand woman in sourcing and negotiating in the local markets.
I met the talented Mr. Fallou Seye quite by accident one day when I stumbled upon his little leather shop on the side of the road. He agreed to make me the leather straps I need for my fabric bags.
One day I set out for his store only to find it missing. The Senegalese Government had come late one night and bulldozed all the shops in order to facilitate the widening of the road. I finally found him in a little shack way way back in the middle of nowhere, setting up his studio again. It broke my heart to see how someone's dreams and livelihood could be taken away in an instant and I felt this intense desire to help him find a way to rebuild his shop elsewhere. Fallou and I started brainstorming and came up with a line of leather bags to be lined in the vibrant African wax print fabrics.
One of the days that I will never forget is the day that I returned from a Valentine's Market at the Embassy, where I had sold a couple of leather bags. I went out to his studio and put a few hundred dollars in his hand. His face lit up and he had the biggest smile and all he said in his broken English was: Today is a good day.
Now back in the States, Dorit continues to create and sell bags in her shop. (I am partial to the clutch pictured at the top of the post!) As for future plans, Dorit hopes to eventually expand the line, and even open a little factory in Dakar to include a line of clothing and woman's sandals. After seeing what she's passionately put together in such a short period of time, I have no doubt she will realize her visions for Yoóbu.
Images from Yoóbu.
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