By Fatou Sillah
Fatou’s Beautiful and Elegant Suits is a brand that seamlessly merges traditional elements with modern fashion, spearheaded by the visionary Fatou Binta Bojang, founder and creative director of Jannah Clothing. As a young Gambian fashion designer, she is revolutionizing traditional attire by incorporating it into sophisticated suits.
Jannah Clothing is a local brand that specializes in crafting unique and diverse apparel for both men and women, with a strong emphasis on suits. Since its inception between 2021 and 2022, the brand has grown from a small startup into a thriving medium-sized enterprise, employing over seven young Gambians and creating opportunities in the fashion industry.
Unlike many Gambian designers who focus on traditional fashion, Fatou has ventured into suit design, determined to blend traditional Gambian elements with contemporary styles. By using local fabrics, she creates suits that are not only fashionable but also a reflection of Gambian heritage.
“If you want to do something, and you want to go far, you need to be smart. Everybody is selling haftans, you need to stand out. A lot of people are in the industry for quite a long time now, but people cannot identify them because they are doing the same thing. But if you come up with the idea knowing that Gambians are ordering outside, and now I want to change that, I don’t want people to be ordering outside because it is not helping the Country’s economy,” She Said.
Fatou Binta also opened up about the challenges she faces as a young entrepreneur in a male-dominated industry.
“You being a woman is already a problem because you will realize the industry that you are in is a male-dominated one, and if you want to come and do something really great, of course you will have a lot of challenges. You go to companies, and there are men leading, so in order for them to give you a contract for you to design their uniforms or so is a lot.
“And also, we don’t have a price control in the Gambia, if you want to buy a robe for less say eight thousand for this month into month’s time, you might be buying it for twelve thousand. So If I’m buying this for that amount, you don’t expect me to sell it the same price. I also have people who reach out and say that they want to learn what I Do, but the problem is, I’m personally struggling to even have more machines. How am I going to put those young girls into the picture? So me being a youngster with the knowledge and skills, but I’m not financially strong,” she said.
Fatou Binta Bojang is a self-taught fashion designer who honed her skills through various social media platforms. In an interview with Kerr Fatou, she shared the inspiration behind Jannah Clothing, her passion for blending culture with fashion, and her hopes for the future of the Gambian fashion industry.