Introducing: Super Yaya Whose Designs Are A Love Letter To West African Culture
Rym Beydoun’s brand Super Yaya is a love letter to West African culture. As a fourth-generation child of a Lebanese immigrant family, she spent her childhood painting by the sea in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, and rummaging through her parents’ clothes to help them put outfits together.
Even after a stint studying in London and a decade living in Beirut, her passion for the city where she was raised shines through in her vivid garments. Beydoun launched her label in 2015 after graduating from Central Saint Martins, where she studied womenswear. Initially, she was a team of one, working tirelessly to grow her boot-strapped brand and even modelling the collections herself, taking selfies in the clothes she created. This approach only strengthened the fun, playful spirit of the brand she was building. And now cool girls such as Solange Knowles, Paloma Elsesser and Alexa Chung are wearing her creations.
FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE
Today the brand is embarking on its next chapter. After an injury in 2020 forced Beydoun to press pause on her business and take some time out, she’s now relaunched the label with more structure in place, hiring a team of 20 to support her. But the essence of the work remains: an exploration of texture and a celebration of artistry.
Her clothes are as intricate as they are loud – think woven leather microskirts, T-shirt dresses with hand-shirred detailing and colourful, chequerboard-style ruched tops paired with tactile, poofy microskirts. Most of the work is done by hand, at the brand’s atelier in Beirut, using fabrics dyed in Côte d’Ivoire. Even the name Super Yaya pays homage to her upbringing: ‘Yaya’ is a common unisex name in the region, while ‘Super’ is a nod to slogans used in African commerce and advertising.
‘Fashion is a part of the lifestyle,’ says Beydoun. ‘People still buy fabrics and have them measured to their bodies. There’s a couture sensibility.’ This vision clearly plays out in the brand’s new autumn/winter collection, titled ‘Soyons Heureux’ – or ‘Let’s be happy’. Inspired by her wedding, she wanted to design pieces that evoked joy amid such a troubling political climate. ‘Despite everything, we can have reasons to be happy,’ she says.
The clothes themselves are quintessential Super Yaya. Her signature ‘Weave’ mini has been reimagined in peach and white; halter-neck dresses and culottes are affixed with bows, while a ruched chartreuse top-and-skirt set embodies the lively spirit of the label. ‘I wanted to keep working with wax prints and locally produced materials that are birthed from West African culture, such as bazin,’ she notes. ‘There’s a freedom in not being dependent on a factory or an atelier.’
The designer plans to build up Super Yaya’s made-to-order service, so her customers can commission bespoke creations. But fashion is only the beginning; Beydoun has ambitions to expand beyond ready-to-wear into new categories such as homeware and interiors. ‘I don’t want to stick to just making clothes,’ she says. ‘I see Super Yaya as a project – and the aim is to broaden everything.’
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
You Might Also Like
