Yves Saint Laurent steals from a Senegalese designer
Since the beginning of March, YSL is in the limelight and not for a good reason. During the Paris fashion week, Saint Laurent showed as one of his new creations a bag measuring 10 centimeters on sixty. This bag is the object of controversy as a young Senegalese designer, Sarah Diouf owner of Tongoro declared that the French luxury brand had appropriated one of her designs and signature bag and declared on twitter "you know that you are an adult when your first reflex is to hire a lawyer. "
Here is what she said on the matter:
On February 28, YSL (Yves Saint Laurent, NDLR) presented its autumn-winter collection in Paris with a public in ow in front of Anthony Vaccarello's surly and extravagant aesthetics.
Two days later, I received a text message from my assistant, inviting me to look at the details of some of their looks. I could not believe my eyes: "But it's OUR bag ...". Yes, it is clear, it is "OUR bag".
A perfect replica of the MBURU bag from Tongoro: our signature accessory. And there's no chance they could have seen it anywhere else.Where else have you ever seen a 10x60cm bag in the shape of a baguette. Exactly.
I remember seeing my friends, editors and other people to convince them that it was the next accessory with a big A and they laughed at me or looked at me with big perplexed eyes. "Where else have you seen a 10x60cm bag in the shape of a baguette?"
We all know that the trends come and go but when they come from nowhere other than from you, you feel robbed. It was a feeling I had never felt before. I thought of all the times I read about how the designer Aurora James complained that Zara had stolen her designs from Brother Vellies and I said to myself, 'Oh yeah', thinking that it only happened to others, and now I am the other. "
After thinking about it, I knew I could not let it pass. Because what I do and its history go beyond a superlative aesthetic and I will not let anyone steal my creativity from me, that people only look at Tongoro to be inspired by the only weapon that allows me to move forward and to find a place. "
Tongoro is a young brand 'Made in Africa' that I launched last year to develop the textile industry at home in Dakar, Senegal and the MBURU bag is our signature product because it represents an essential part of our culture and embodies the very essence of our dignity: the ability to get up, go out and fight to survive.
MBURU means [bread] in wolof. The name of the bag is inspired by the spirit of resourcefulness of the Dakar youth who wakes up every morning to earn his bread. The MBURU bag is used to keep the most essential personal belongings; Phone, cards and maybe a little change (...) all you have to do is get out and get the things you want to see happen-with style.
It is more than necessary for me to claim and recover each piece of culture and history for which I fight.
My business is small but my vision is great and I work far too hard to let this happen.
Am I big enough to face a fashion institution like YSL? Maybe not, but my voice is, and I have to use what I have access to make a statement that will not remain ignored.
