ABOUT OTINGUEMA
OTINGUEMA, meaning “Star of Nguema” in the Fang dialect (Gabon - Equatorial Africa), is a modern brand that boldly promotes the fusion of different cultures into its designs.
Jessica Nguema-Metoule, Founder and Designer of Otinguema, is a proud mix. Born in Bordeaux, from a Cubano French mother and a Gabonese father, raised in Gabon and spending summers in South of France, she embraces the meaning of having a double culture. Back to France for post-secondary education, she studied fashion design, cuttings and patterns at the renowned Parisian fashion school, Atelier Chardon Savard.
Her first professional experiences see her working for luxury brands in Paris as :
- Assistant Studio at Maison Martin Margiela (2001),
- Assistant Studio at Chloe (2002-2004) ,
- Licences Assistant at Lagerfeld Gallery (menswear, accessories and Lagerfeld Japan in 2005)
- 2005/6, she travels to Kolkata (India) to work for a local beading and embroidering company, Pinx Int., as a textile designer.
Back in France, in 2006, she multiplies experiences as fashion designer freelancer.
Spurred on by a desire to express her own identity, she creates her first winter 2014/15 collection #Moika, revealing her know-how in Couture, her passion for the cut, the embroideries and a genuine mix of fabric (leather, silk and wool), revealing the identities melting pot.
International Style with a African Touch.
Mosa dress from SS15 Terranga collection, shot by Per-Anders Petterson and worn by Haby Taylor Sall. Dakar 2014
Upon her return to Africa, she releases her summer 2015/16 collection #Terranga. This collection is the signature of her return to Africa after more than 8 years.
Her creations incorporate materials from different parts of the world, resulting in a unique aesthetic that comes to symbolize the universal mingling of identities, styles, and experiences.
Her creations are shared through her participation in a number of African Fashion Weeks, and she appears on various international publications and media : BBC Africa, Canal+ Afrique, Amina, Miss Ebene among many others.
In late 2016, OTINGUEMA presents its new collection for Summer 2017/18 , VANC90, as part of the “Couture d’Afrique x PUMA Select” show, during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her collection is displayed on severals medias as VOGUE ITALIA, Lifestyle magazine, Fashion Ghana...
2016 is also a new beginning, as the designer moves from Gabon, this time, to Morocco. Know as the land of leather, she creates a new leathergoods collection, inspired by the 70's and her family roots, matching the vibrant colours from Morocco. This is #Walidin, Spring-Summer 2018 Collection.
Loulou minaudiere from AW18 Woura collection, shot by Youssef the Photographer, hold by Emrara. Casablanca 2017
Still motivated by her passion of leather and embroideries, she imagines a mini limited bags collection #Woura for next winter 2018/19, entirely made in Morocco, and dedicated to the muses Bianca Jagger and Loulou de la Falaise.