Born in Conakry, Mamadou Bah has today become one of the key figures in fashion and the world of basketball in the United States. With his brand called C’est Bon, this young Guinean who convinced NBA stars to wear his creations is experiencing real success story on the other side of the Atlantic.
From our correspondent in New York,
Mamadou Bah may be young, but he is a man in a hurry and always ready to joke about his destiny. Lovers of basketball The native of Conakry has always dreamed of the NBA, but saw his goal “broken”. “ Well, like many people who use this “excuse”, I really injured my knee seriously, with a rupture of the cruciate ligaments. But above all I think… I wasn’t good enough to become an NBA player [Rires] ! », he smiles about this. But the one who is now close to the big stars of the best league in the world has still managed to find his way to the orange ball through his other passion: fashion.
Born in Conakry in 1995, young Mamadou lives with his family in the capital, but wants to leave the country for a better future. In 2002, the Bah clan crossed the Atlantic to settle in… Detroit, Michigan, while generally the vast majority of Guinean migrants settle on the east coast of the country. “ The transition was easy for mehe emphasizes, my mother worked two jobs to make ends meet, she always sacrificed everything for us. It motivated me and without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today. »
Mamadou is crazy about orange balls, watches LeBron James and Dwyane Wade matches on television with stars in his eyes, and becomes curious about fashion in college. “ I loved sneakers, and a little before high school, I started analyzing clothing styles and learning about manufacturing and creating pieceshe emphasizes. As I reached adulthood, I wanted to try something: before creating the C’est Bon brand, I created a sweatshirt with a group of friends, which was more of a test than anything else. »
Mamadou arrives at college, with a spot on the Northern Michigan basketball team, but gets injured and puts classes aside. He thinks about his future, and decides to definitely launch into fashion, despite the reluctance of several people around him. “ I gave fashion advice to friends, I designed them some clothes, but they made fun of me a little [rires]so I took the bull by the horns and told myself that I was going to create my own brand “, he remembers. In 2016, he decided to go to Los Angeles, take on odd jobs in fashion, and spend long nights working on his project.
In 2018, he launched C’est Bon. “ To find the name, I had put down around fifty suggestions on paper and quickly, I wanted something that sounded different from the American brands. So I chose C’est Bon, translation of “It’s all good”to create my own vision, my own identity for my clothing creations “, he specifies. Bah’s adventure in fashion truly begins.
Jordan, Paris Fashion Week and Guinea at heart
In the City of Angels, he created t-shirts, built a network and learned the tricks of the trade. He began by exhibiting his creations in pop-up shops, and his products sold like hotcakes. In 2019, he decided to go to Paris for Fashion Week by opening a pop-up store in the capital. The experience is mixed, but Bah realizes that he wants to move up a gear. “ I made t-shirts, but that wasn’t enough for me. So I started sewing jackets, pants, and with the launch of our pants “cargo” Everything happened really fast “, he remembers.
His reputation is skyrocketing, but the Guinean sees things calmly, without pressure. He works hard, spending many months sewing, retouching, recutting his collections, without worrying about following the trends. “ I never tell myself “They do it like that, so I’m going to do it like everyone else,” he explains, because I think that fashion is the world of all possibilities, and I hate doing like the others. I want MY personal touch to be MY trademark of my clothes. This is the essence of the brand “, he maintains.
NBA stars are starting to wear his clothes, like Dwyane Wade, the legend of the Miami Heat and Anthony Davis, LeBron James’ lieutenant at the Los Angeles Lakers, and at the beginning of 2021, a collaboration opened a new door for him. He was contacted by the Jordan brand to add his touch to a pair of sneakers that was a hit among sneaker fans. “ It was a childhood dream come true! I was able to bring my touch and my origins to the design of the shoe, I was like a kid when it came out », he smiles. His origins, which follow him everywhere, and which inspire him, all the time.
Despite rare trips to Guinea since his arrival in the United States, Bah still keeps the country in his heart, in his daily life. “ I speak Fulani very often with my mother, my favorite dishes are mafé and attiéké, and I draw inspiration from Africa in my creations. I am Guinean, African, and I would like to develop projects on the continent to help in the field of fashion, and inspire young people by showing them that Africa has talent “, he says. And to add: “ I’m happy to see that guys like Youssouf Fofana, from Maison Château Rouge, but also Hussein Suleiman, from Daily Paper for example, are a hit and show that African-influenced fashions are more exposed than ever. »
Invited to show his collection at Paris Fashion Week a few months ago, where he brought several NBA stars including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mamadou Bah does not give up, and always wants more. “ I’m working on a new collaboration with the Jordan brand, and constantly on my collections. I want to last, and have an impact beyond this industry “, he assures. ” VSThis is still only the beginning of this superb adventure. »