My wife & I met at the early stage of creating my first collection, and I remember speaking so passionately about the meaning behind every piece to her. I designed the suit I’m wearing in this picture dedicating it to a city in Senegal where my father was born and raised called “Koalack”. The suit is a representation of how I perceived Koalack at the dawn of the morning. Which, in Arabic, is called “FAJR”. FAJR is also the first prayer of the day for Muslims. When I was in Senegal last year, I was influenced by this city and how spiritual the atmosphere was. Every time after we prayed the dawn prayer, I would look up at the sky and see the absolute beauty and power in GOD ‘s creation; while listening to the magical sound of people praising GOD in unison. This is for the city and the people of Kaolack. Unfortunately, this piece did not make the cut for @_alicamara ‘s first collection but I can’t wait to share with you all the people that would be wearing this piece this year. While in Paris, I’ll never forget the feeling of strangers coming up to me and asking where I purchased this outfit—Just reemphasizes to me what designing with meaning can do. 📸 @jessbaumung