The Algerian designer, considered the doyenne of stylists and fashion designers in her native country, organized a new fashion show on Sunday at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris. Portrait.
Born in the Algiers suburbs, Yasmina Chellali discovered her passion for fashion very early on. Her career began in Paris, at Jacques Esterel’s studio, which she joined as an apprentice. With him, she notably worked on the pink gingham wedding dress immortalized by Brigitte Bardot. Back in Algiers in 1963, the day after independence, she opened the first haute couture house in Algeria. She exhibits her brand “Yasmina Couture” inspired by traditional clothing.
During her career of more than 40 years, Yasmina Chellali has dressed many world celebrities such as the wives of Algerian Presidents Boumediene and Chadli, Madame Tito, Souha Arafat, Princess Farah and Queen Rania of Jordan. In France, first lady Danielle Mitterrand has worn her designs.
Among these celebrities are also the singers Warda, Miriam Makeba, the actresses Michèle Morgan and Claudia Cardinale, or the Russian Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to have flown into space.
His style breathed new life into the traditional Algerian dress with constantly reinvented and modernized lines. Its cuts, colors and embroidery borrowed from the traditional Algerian repertoire are coupled with multiple influences: Eastern, Central Asia or India. Associations that have given his costumes a global reach.
After escaping two assassination attempts in the 1990s, Yasmina Chellali moved to Paris. Its line combines the warm colors of the south with Parisian elegance.
Her last parade at the Institut du Monde Arabe was exclusively composed of long dresses with silky fabrics and often embroidered with gold threads or lace, accompanied by immense bridal veils and generous jewellery. Timeless works that reflect a joyful identity, a festive world, a promise of happiness.
Unesco paid tribute to the talent of Yasmina Chellali in 2020.