Fashion and Fund-raising With Africa in Mind

APPAREL NEWS - August 15, 2008

Who:

    M'Backe

What:

    Third annual "Defal Sa Walle" fashion show and fund-raiser to help fight malaria in Africa

Where:

    Aqualounge, Beverly Hills

When:

    August 11

The scene: A small but enthusiastic crowd turned out for the third annual Defal Sa Walle, the fashion fund-raiser created by Los Angeles–based designer M’Backe Seye.

The show’s title, “Defal Sa Walle,” means “do your part” in Wolof, a Senegalese language, according to the Senegalese-born designer, whose fashion training and career took him to Paris and Montreal before he settled in Los Angeles.

Three years ago, the designer launched his fund-raiser, hoping to raise awareness of the threat malaria poses to Africans, particularly children and pregnant women. The disease, which is spread through the bite of infected mosquitoes, kills 1.3 million people worldwide annually, the vast majority—85 percent—in Africa. There is no vaccine for the disease, and the best defense is to sleep under an insecticide-treated mosquito net. UNICEF and other charitable organizations help raise funds to purchase mosquito nets for African families at a cost of about $9 each

Brian Thaler, president of the Scott-Thaler Associates executive-search company, served as master of ceremonies at the Aug. 11 event at Aqualounge, a subterranean nightclub in Beverly Hills.

“M’Backe is a unique individual,” he said. “His heart is always out there to help people. ‘Do your part’—that’s what this man does, and for a minimal amount of money, we could save a lot of lives.”

Seye, who worked at Paris couture houses Patou and Pisanti before moving to North America, thanked the crowd, including his wife, Eliane Pilorget.

“I’ve traveled for more than 30 years from Senegal to here,” he said. “You are here tonight to prove your love and support. Merci beaucoup from the bottom of my heart.”

On the runway, the designer showed his fanciful creations, which mixed traditional tailoring techniques with origami-like details. A few designs blended European and African silhouettes. Men’s suits featured collar-less jackets and cropped, pegged pants. A two-piece women’s design came in a batik-like print and featured a head scarf that could also be worn as a wrap skirt. Other styles drew from Asian motifs but with Seye’s own distinctive slant. A red suit with a long skirt feature a laminated newsprint fabric folded crisply at the shoulder. With a flick of the wrist, the model was able to unfold the newsprint fabric into an elaborate asymmetrical collar.

For the finale, singer Lorraine Klaasen, the daughter of South African–born singer Tandie Klaasen, performed for the crowd. The younger Klaasen was born and raised in South Africa but now lives in Montreal, where she met Seye and Pilorget many years ago. The three became good friends, and Klaasen said she was happy to help Seye raise money for such a worthy cause.

In addition to proceeds from ticket sales, Seye raised funds through the sale of Klaasen’s CDs and special “Defal Sa Walle” T-shirts. For more information about Defal Sa Walle, visit http://defalsawalle.com.  —Alison A. Nieder