Ivorian brand Yhebe Design just released the lookbook for its Spring/Summer 2020 collection and it’s the definition of African themed. The collection is tagged Luo which is a Gouro word that loosely translates to “Woman”. The head designer of the brand Rebecca Zoro says that the collection is inspired by Gouro’s women’s agility and readiness to work hard and also their enterprising spirit.
Gouro women in Ivory Coast are remarkable for their hard work in physical tasks. They are not afraid to put in the extra effort which has earned them their title of major food merchants. The Lou collection from Yhebe Design is a pure tribute to the Gouro women. The pieces in this collection are the materialization of the courageous and enterprising woman. Yhebe Design has combined the comfort of the outfits worn by women to the fields with the modernity of the city girl always on the go.
For the collection, the designer experiment with three different prints of silk and satin to create tops, long skirts, and dresses.
Lensed by Nuits Balneaires, the lookbook also features the models wearing Bété, Yacouba and Senoufo masks which are indigenous to Ivory Coast to reflect the culture of the Gouro ethnic group.
It is in this perspective that Yhebe Design wanted to make a nod to the allies of the Gouro group by presenting the Bété, Yacouba and Senoufo masks in the prints used in this collection.
See the full lookbook below: