- Selly Raby Kane is the self-acclaimed uncrowned queen of Petite Pierre
- Selly Raby Kane is one of Africa’s new generation of designers pioneering alternative fashion
Everyone dreams big, but there is no doubt that Selly Raby Kane would not, in her wildest dreams, have believed that Beyonce would one day wear her designs, nor would she get a nod from Jay Z.
Beyonce and Jay Z have attained ‘Power Couple’ status and can be regarded as fashion icons as much as they are entertainment icons. When it comes to fashion, Beyonce and Jay Z do not disappoint – apart from wearing only the best designers, they pay attention to every fashion piece they adorn.
So, it was surprising when Beyonce chose to wear fashion pieces from a seemingly unknown fashion designer from Senegal named Selly Raby Kane.
Who is Selly Raby Kane?
Selly Raby Kane is the self-acclaimed uncrowned queen of Petite Pierre (Small Stones). She is a fashion designer who uses fashion to showcase art and is one of the modern fashion designers coming out of Senegal’s creative scene.
She is one of the new generations of young creatives who broke into the global stage from their hub in Ouakam. “I always felt like I was different so it was interesting for me to meet these like-minded people and become a whole subculture,” she noted on her website.
Selly was born and raised in Dakar, Senegal, by her parents – a banker and a civil servant. She had her early education in Catholic schools before moving to Paris, France, to study Business, Economics, and Law – but she had a passion for drawing and fashion. So she swapped Law for fashion and focused on aesthetics, providing a visual representation of surrealism, sci-fi, and nature.
What Type of Fashion Does Selly Raby Kane Represent?
Ms. Kane focuses on what is today known by many critics as alternative fashion. She uses wax print, artificial hair, denim, leather, PVC, and bazin to create clothing items to achieve her fashion pieces. Her fashion pieces are relatively known as fantastical alternate reality and are making waves across the globe.
When explaining her fashion ideology in a recent interview, she said, “I start by writing the story of my collection and then collaborate with others to work out how people can experience it physically. We put a lot of effort into creating a universe, a golden box for each collection.”
Designing for Beyonce and Getting a Nod from Jay Z
Beyonce has great taste when it comes to dressing. To date, there is no record of the superstar having a red flag or a miss when it comes to her choice of outfit. Although she is known to experiment with fashion pieces from different parts of the world, Beyonce is known to wear only the best.
So, it was a strong statement of intent when Beyonce appeared at the New York Fashion Week in 2016 wearing a colourfully appliquéd black kimono and rainbow skirt designed by none other but Selly Raby Kane. The outfit was from the Fall/winter collection themed “Dakar City of Birds,” released by Ms. Kane the year before.
According to reports, the outfit got a nod from Beyonce’s partner Jay Z and her personal stylist Zerina Akers – who is known to be a big fashion critic. She designed the costume for the blockbuster movie “Black is King,” which earned her an Emmy Award for her designs.
Since then, she has designed more pieces for the global entertainment star and admits that the 2016 moment took her career to a new level.
