What Brixton is for London and Harlem is for New York City – Château Rouge is for Paris: a neighborhood where African migrants have settled – not just residentially but also commercially. Many food and textile stores, hairdressers, tailors, a ton of mobile phone stores, restaurants – you name it.
A brand that celebrates the neighborhood and opened their trendy store right in the center of it is Maison Chateau Rouge. The label was founded by Youssouf Fofana, his brother Mamadou Fofana and Dararith Pach. It all started with a juice. Yes, you read that right. The trio’s vision is to identify start-ups in Senegal and help them to become profitable businesses and enter the European market.
One of their first clients was Bana-Bana, a traditional bissap juice from Senegal. In order to have more cash to support the product launch in France, they decided to create some African Print designs – et voilà Maison Château Rouge was born. What makes this brand stand out from all the others – it’s streetwear / sportswear made with African Print. And produced right here in the neighborhood that the clothing label celebrates. The tops are super comfy, stylish and look great on denim. It’s a simple top but beautifully executed. I can’t count how often I have already worn mine since I left Paris.
Not just the idea is unique and beautifully executed, so is the store and all the related marketing & design. The recent photo shoot was done in Senegal with local fishermen. Some of these fishermen should seriously consider modeling – just look at the stunning pictures.
Others have taken notice: the chic and luxury retail houses Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marché will start selling the designs from Maison Château Rouge. Celebrities like Ciara have been spotted wearing the cool print tops.
What’s next? Supporting start-ups on the African continent is still something the three men are passionate about. But now that the clothing brand has taken off, they are also testing and experimenting with new designs. I can’t wait to see what’s next!
How do you like the tops? Have you been to Château Rouge before? Comment below!
Find out more:
w: http://www.maison-chateaurouge.com/
i: https://www.instagram.com/maisonchateaurouge/
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRGtomz67ps&app=desktop
