Finding a path, sticking to your values
At the height of youth and his 1.90m stature, everything seems to be smiling upon Youssouf Fofana, co-founder of the brand Maison Château Rouge. It’s September, Paris Fashion Week is due to start soon and Youssouf is already overbooked. Between the showroom, the exhibition at le Bon Marché, and preparation for a new collection; he arrives straight from the Uber at his vibrant boutique, right in the heart of Paris’ 18th arrondissement.
Crédits : Adama Anotho
Crédits : Adama Anotho
Crédits : Ojoz
Maison Château Rouge, the new parisien “cool”
Since then, things begin to move quickly. The brand is recognised and everyone wants a piece. Who’s Next asks them to take part in a tradeshow (an exhibition reserved exclusively to those in the fashion industry), Le Bon Marché invites them to show their designs at the “Paris” exhibition as a representation of the new parisian aesthetic : chic and street. Then in comes the press. The brand accumulates a stock of editorials and articles in L’Officiel, Grazia, RFI and there’s more. The originality of Youssouf’s creations catch the eye of the concept store Merci, as well as the well-known leather goods brand RSVP Paris. With the help of several collaborations, Maison Château Rouge manages to successfully establish a style, a philosophy and another way of understanding fashion.
Crédits : Maison Château Rouge
Instead of opening a boutique in the Marais or the 11th arrondissement, the brand sets up shop in the 18th, in the heart of the Goutte d’Or. It’s a strong stance. A risk… certainly, but it’s what makes the adventure interesting: As Youssouf himself asks,“what’s the point of doing things like everyone else?”. Maison Château Rouge aims to establish a loyal clientele which can identify with both the neighbourhood and the minimalist-pop-afropolitan aesthetic. The brand doesn’t want to retrace the steps of others. It is like Africa, a continent which function differently, which finds other alternatives and ways to develop. With the support of their cosmopolitan clientele, Maison Château Rouge stands out as an embodiment of the new definition of parisien cool.
“We’re getting to a stage where we’re visible, our generation is taking matters into their own hands. It’s not like our working class parents: they weren’t expected to integrate, they just had to work”. Conscious, educated and active. Youssouf is part of the young generation of French afro-descendants, self-assured, catalysts of progress and always putting Africa at the centre of their entrepreneurial projects.
For the future of his brand, Youssouf has many ideas in mind. A menswear collection; the launch of “Bana-Bana”, a bissap juice (made from the hibiscus flower); as well as new collaborations, are in the works. One thing is sure, the desire hasn’t gone anywhere. The desire to work with Senegalese artisans, the desire to reinvent the relationship between France and Africa and the desire to be inspired by the world.
The life of Youssouf : a path where « there are no mistakes, only things which build you ».
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