Ciss St-Moïse is a fashion designer whose talent is widely recognized.
Since his boutique opened in the warm block of Treichville in 2000, everything seems to be going his way for this former secondary school teacher, who has swapped chalk for glitter to become a fashion benchmark in Eburnia and beyond.
For his baptism of fire, SELECT Magazine wanted to draw up a portrait of this icon of African fashion, at a time when (in a happy coincidence), the man of many talents is also preparing to blow out one more candle, this Thursday, September 26, 2013.
The designer's career...
"Divine inspiration allowed me to decline my first and last names into this label of Ciss St Moïse," reveals Cissé Moussa, formerly a civil servant.
The prophecy has come true, one might be tempted to say... since, without any pretension whatsoever, the man, who has a rare way with words, dropped the ball during a conversation: "Ciss St Moïse is now a brand".
The prodigy of Treichville's Avenue 21, Rue 23 has a rather atypical background, having practiced sewing alongside many other trades such as "carpentry, drawing, music...in short, everything to do with art, beauty and perfection (...)".
In this myriad of professions requiring so many predispositions, sewing finally took precedence over the others. "Already in elementary school, to satisfy the clothing needs of my brothers and sisters, I had fun dressing everyone at home, then in the neighborhood. And this continued throughout my school and university career. In high school, at university and in my professional life, it was the student-tailor, the student-tailor, the teacher-tailor..." he recalls.
Simplicity and sobriety are the traits that set him apart in life. In the strictest sense of the word, Ciss St Moïse is a man of principles, who makes respecting the commitments he makes to his customers (who are known to be demanding and selective) a rule from which he never deviates. "I like sincerity and simplicity in people. And I detest hypocrisy in all its forms", adds the founder of Tropic 105, to define his vision of relationships with those around him.
Alpha Bondy, Magic System as role models...
Ciss St Moïse has had his share of role models for social success. Humble, the man wants to grow by imitating those who have proven themselves before or even after him. Disregarding a certain egocentricity that usually characterizes the world of stars, the fashion designer reveals: "For me, success is the journey. Because anyone who has had an exemplary career, made up of self-sacrifice, hard work, research and success, is a role model for me. For example, Magic System and Alpha Blondy are examples of success in the musical field".
For him, success lies in everyone's dream. "In the dream (i.e. the vision), whatever the pitfalls and failures, it's always important to hang on..." he advises.
A firm believer in his dreams, Ciss St Moïse recalls his first appearance at Le Zénith, where he was asked to dress the famous Afro-Cuban group Africando.
"I still remember when I was in elementary school, vaguely seeing myself on a stage, without really suspecting that it would one day come true. It could have been through music, drawing, painting, or any other art form. It was sewing that brought me to the Zenith stage, with the opportunity to dress the group Africando, who were performing at their first Zenith". Quite a memory...
His hobbies
Married and the father of several children, Ciss St Moïse, who is almost always between planes for exhibitions at the other end of the world, still finds time to enjoy himself and relax. Not least in his favorite sport, swimming (did you know?) "I was even champion of Côte d'Ivoire in swimming," he says with pride and amusement.
Our now ex-swimming champion also loves music, and not just any kind of music: "I really like live music. It's a shame we don't organize jazz concerts in Côte d'Ivoire any more," laments the former French teacher, who still has many fine pages of Ivorian fashion to write, given his encyclopedic talent and boundless creativity.