Young couturier Saiko Ba, 29, has used his imagination during the current electoral period in Guinea-Bissau to design clothes for the main parties, with which he intends to emphasize the need for Guinean unity.
Because a fashion designer lives in the moment, and the moment is the June 4 legislative election campaign, Saiko Ba conceived and created the “Todos Uma Cabaça” collection to design clothes for major parties.
Pumpkin is a dish that symbolizes the unity of the family during meals.
In his small shop on the side of the road that connects the Pefine district with the center of Bissau, young Ba displays mannequins with shirts and dresses made from fabrics reminiscent of the flags of the Workers’ Party of Guinea (PTG), Platform Inclusive Alliance (PAI) – Terra Ranka, Movement for Democratic alternation (Madem-G15), United People’s Alliance – Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau (APU-PDGB) and Party of Social Renewal (PRS).
In the middle of these shirts, Saiko Ba has a shirt in the colors of the flag of Guinea-Bissau, which he says symbolizes the unity of the Guineans.
“Democracy begins here in my atelier. All the parties are held here, because we are all Guineans, ”said the young couturier, who studied with a master from Guinea-Bissau, but decided to create his own atelier seven years ago.
Due to the tension that was marked in the last general elections in 2019, Guinean society was divided in a situation that Saiko Ba considers unacceptable.
“For this new Todos Uma Cabaça collection, I was inspired by the last elections where we saw that many people were divided because of the elections, which is not normal because it should not be so, so I thought I should be inspired by a pumpkin to say that we are all Guineans,” Ba said.
Dressed in a white suit with a bright blue chest print and dark glasses, the young designer, who plans to expand his store in Gabu, in the country’s east, is urging Guineans not to let politics and politics .
“It is not normal when two friends, a brother or a family member are separated because of politicians or politics,” said a young man who wants to take his creation abroad.
Saiko Ba took the opportunity to urge politicians to remain united in the country, no matter which party wins the June 4 elections, and to unite for the development of the country.
“We need to know that Guinea-Bissau is in a very slow process of development. Many things that are out of fashion are only now reaching our country,” said Saiko Ba.
About 900,000 voters have registered to vote in Sunday’s legislative elections, which are contested by 20 parties and two coalitions.
The election campaign ends on Friday.