Ebrima Badjie, who in recent times has able to establish a name for himself, is on the path to wider recognition.
In a combo of Adire (traditionally dyed clothing) locally known as ‘Tube’ and the incredibly hand-woven Senegambian fabric locally referred to as ‘Serr Rabal’ during the Eid (Koriteh), the fashion maven attracted widespread appraisals and applauses from fans and the wider Gambian public.
With the Adire in navy blue and the ‘Serr Rabal’ in multiple colours (navy blue, black and white), Gambian Eboulie as he is widely known, matched the elegant attire with a stunning black shoe – celebrating culture with elegance.
In an exclusive interview with The Point, the fashion ace relayed the inspiration or drive behind this widely hailed attire.
“I observe a lot, so I realised that when feasts usually occur like Tobaski or Koriteh, all would be busy buying these very expensive clothes. So that is why I said I am going for ‘Serr Rabal’ because many have forgotten that it is a powerful part of our culture. It is utilised by all ethnic groups, whether it is the Jola, Mandinka or Fula. They all use it in one way or the other in their cultural ceremonies.”
This, he added, has inspired him to take the two different fabrics, merge them and “create something beautiful and a nice”.
“That was how the inspiration came. Now, sometimes you see people in the market, even trample on it and won’t even look at it. But the moment I did this and shared it, and the love I got was too much. A lot of people said they would also style their Tobaski outfit the same.”
Ebrima marched into the nation’s professional fashion space in 2017, subsequently emerging to dominate the limelight in no time due to his unique styles and innovative approaches to fashion, which he said he has always been passionate about since childhood.
