Humble Vanity

This article was written by loudpen

Fashion line, Leonche (pronounced lay-on-shay) is produced by Sierra Leonean designer Almira Wilson. Almira showed her exuberant designs at Africa Fashion Week New York on July 15th. The Leonche collection consisted of everything from white satin dresses, to lovely print dresses that mixed colors such as yellow and brown, purple and gold. The collection also included menswear and from this emerged brown suits, a camel colored jacket with chocolate pants, and even a blue long sleeved button down with Obama’s picture on the back.

Urbane Perspective Media + Lifestyle had a chance to interview Almira Wilson the designer and president of Leonche LLC. In the interview, Almira highlights the trends in her collection, what inspires her, and how her African heritage influences her work.

UPML: Where are you from?

AW: Sierra Leone,West Africa

UPML: What is your inspiration?

AW: My mother and God

UPML: What made you decide to become a fashion designer?

AW: Since I was raised in America and grew up with a Sierra Leonean culture, I wanted to intertwine both styles into a new fashion experience.

UPML: What was your best experience so far on your journey to becoming a designer?

AW: I love seeing great talent from designers that are not in the lime light come out to the main stream…showing a new sense of style that has never seen before.

UPML: How does where you are from inspire your collection?

AW: I love the warm and bright royal colors that Africa instills in their fashion. It makes me appreciate how a culture driven by the nature and rural environment that surrounds the people on the outskrts of the inner city can be brought intotheir garments.

UPML: What are the trends for your collection?

AW: The Leonche trend is fun and tasteful yet shows a couture twists of african fabrics, and european materials mixed with western style.

UPML: What is the current “must have” item for everyone?

AW: The cocktail cotton wax bubble dress.

UPML: Out of all the pieces in your collection, which one is your personal favorite and why?

AW: My favorite is the wedding halter dress.

UPML: Tell us something we don’t know about you.

AW: I am coming out with an African wedding dress line before next year.

For more information on Leonche please check out the website at www.leonche.com

Interview by Loud Pen