Dazzling show draws the curtain on first Katiti Fashion week |29 August 2022

Mr and Mrs Didon thanking the crowd

• Second show set for August 26, 2023

To end the first Katiti Fashion week, a spectacular show was held on Saturday at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort to a packed hall.

Held under the theme ‘Tropical Wings’, the guests saw the participation of three international designers and two local designers.

The local designers are Katiti Seychelles and OJZ Seychelles, while the international designers comprise SM Class from Cameroon, Imminent

from Zimbabwe and Joseph Ibiam, CEO of Africa Fashion TV.

The guests were able to appreciate and discover the unique, elegant and special collections of the designers showcased by 72 models. We also discovered a young designer, Jada Accouche, only 9 years old, displaying her designs which were showcased by children. She was mentored by the owner of Katiti, Johanna Didon herself.

Four international designers and three local designers could not make it to the show.

After the show of almost four hours, Johanna Didon expressed her satisfaction and utter gratitude to all her models and sponsors.

“The show was beyond my expectation and I did not expect that level of performance from my models as many of them are still students and new. They do not even have one year in training. I salute my models for making this show a hit.”

Mrs Didon acknowledged that the show was long and thanked the guests for staying till the end to support them.

“This is Katiti! Everytime we will make a show, it will be better than the previous one. Rendez-vous is set for August 26, 2023!”

The unique feature of Katiti is that the organisation features unique models – size, height and abilities. “My wish is that the models who have international requirements get a chance to move forward in life. The show was also live on YouTube and they already got an international exposure. At the same time with the memorandum of understanding we signed with Harare Fashion Week (HFW) we hope for the best for the models. On the other hand, we have some people with physical disabilities but with other beautiful features. We allow them to have a dream and live their dream,” noted Ms Didon.

As a designer, Mrs Didon is already known on the international platform and participated in the London Fashion Week. She was recently invited to participate in the show last year as a professional designer but was held up by the pandemic.

In December she has been invited to Accra and she will bring as many models as she can.

“Next year definitely I will be in London and I am also hopeful with the MoU. There are approximately 100 models at Katiti and we keep receiving demands. This is a platform where we are trying to deter the young people from adopting a bad lifestyle. We are here to groom and guide them.”

OushaJohn Zoe of OJZ collection, who will be participating in the World Fashion Show in Beverly Hills, showcased her collections of lingerie, clothes and jewellery.

It is to be noted that the latest collection presented by Mrs Didon, ‘Sequin and glitters’, was sold to a foreigner as soon as the models were showcasing them.

“She immediately came at the back of the stage and bought the whole collection.

The funds received will help the young people when they come for training to get something to eat and drink,” Mrs Didon noted.

During the night Katiti also made a generous contribution to the Seychelles National Institute of Culture, Heritage and the Arts consisting of traditional clothes.

“When we researched all traditional clothes, I could not find anything. We gifted the collection physically and in photos to the museum but we also have the intention to continue our research and write about them to be kept in our National Archives,” announced Mrs Didon.

Katiti would not be possible without the full support of Johanna’s husband and two sons. “They help me throughout and are always present.”

During the show, the guests were treated to performances from local artists and dance groups.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of the evening.

Text and photos by Vidya Gappy