By Akitania Nzally
Gambian fashion is known for its use of vibrant colors and eclectic prints, and nowhere is this joyful approach to dressing more apparent than in Greatest Banjul and West Coast Region in the country. The fashion hub is bursting with local artisans and fashion designers specializing in reinventing both modern and traditional outfits.
The Voice Fashion and Beauty column is bringing the best Gambian fashion designer to the spotlight in this week’s edition introducing a young fashion designer, Oumie Batchilly, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Oumie Creation.
Dropped out of school due to financial constraints, the young ambitious designer quickly moved to Senegal to learn fashion and design for seven years under the tutelage of an industrious woman called Sira Sonko until she returned to The Gambia in 2002.
As always been her dream to become a renowned fashion designer, Mrs. Batichilly quickly established her own fashion shop immediately upon her return from Senegal.
“My passion is sewing; I have been sewing for a very long time and it is in this business that I have achieved a lot. I encourage women to believe in themselves, work hard, and know that what a man can do, a woman does as well. It was not an easy journey, but I thank Allah for bringing me this far,” she stressed.
The young fashion designer is now making high demand in the industry attracting more customers since she set up her own shop in 2008