The incredible story of how one woman from Cameroon founded her very own African fashion brand in Washington State, USA.
African women are great mothers. They are magnificent cooks and very devoted lovers. But, let’s face it. They aren’t among the world’s best-travelled women. Most women born in Africa stay and only travel within Africa. When they do leave, however, African femmes do great things proving that indeed they can do anything!
If you don’t believe me just ask Christelle of Luchrist Modern African fashion. She should know– she started the first African clothing store in Washington state and has continued to smash one glass ceiling after another.
Let’s Shine a Light on Christelle Patricia Tsakou
Christelle’s achievements are by no means small. She was born and raised in Cameroon in West Africa and has battled many odds to make real a fantasy that most people only dream of. She has her very own fashion house in America, thousands of miles away from where she was born!
Imagine that— She’s grown from a simple girl in Cameroon to a magnificent woman who’s pushing boundaries and influencing how other people dress and live.
Francis of Afrikagora caught up Christelle and she told him of her incredible journey to building a successful African fashion business right here in the US.
It All Begins with A Dream
The world we see today was once just a dream in the hearts of the incredible individuals who dared to change their world. Indeed, Christelle’s story demonstrates clearly that dreams do come true—but through hard work, dedication and sacrifice.
“I always dreamt of opening a fashion store in a shopping mall. So, I saved and saved and saved until I had enough to start my own boutique.” – Christelle
Today, she owns Luchrist Modern African Fashion Shop on 1 Bellis Fair Pkwy, Bellingham, WA, USA which was launched in 2017. This fashion shop provides current, fashionable, and stylish African wear and accessories for all genders and has a goal of making African print accessible to international Audiences.
Christelle’s shop offers hand-crafted pieces that are sourced from different partners in Africa. Each piece in that shop is beautiful—and I say that because I have been there. Luchrist offers outfits that are bold, exceptional and timeless.
Take their matching set of sandals, bangles, pursues, necklaces and earrings, for example. They will match perfectly with most outfits in your closet and they will look absolutely great.
Luchrist’s outfits are one-of-a-kind treasures and Christelle says that she’d love to, one day, dress queen Beyoncé herself!!
Research, Work Hard and Commit
Almost everyone knows that the distance between a dream and turning it into a great business can be quite large. The fact is many people have great dreams and business ideas but most of them don’t actually have a clue on how they can turn those dreams and ideas into reality.
So, how exactly did Christelle do it? How did she turn her passion for fashion into a lucrative business?
Interestingly, Christelle’s love for African fashion didn’t start until she was out of Africa!
But once she realized how important it is to highlight the beauty of African culture, she was determined to become an active ambassador for African culture and diversity. So, she started by doing tons of research to learn everything she could about African fashion, culture and heritage. She then worked hard to bring Africa to light– a rich and beautiful continent that has long been painted as a dark and dejected place.
Until the story is told by the lion, the hunter will forever be the hero of the story. So, Christelle decided to tell our story- the beautiful and glorious story of our African culture and heritage. And there’s no better way of telling it than through fashion.
“Every print in my store tells a story. I want everyone who wears a piece from my store to feel a sense of pride in their African heritage when they wear my outfits.” – Christelle
