Julie Kouassi

Julie Kouassi is an Ivorian designer, textile artist and the founder of Julie Kouassi Couture Fait-Main (JK-CFM), a fashion house based in Abidjan dedicated to handcrafted garments. A self-taught artisan, she works exclusively with needle and thread, creating each piece entirely by hand without the use of a sewing machine. Her practice draws on ancestral techniques such as embroidery and hand sewing, applied to a wide range of materials from wax and silk to leather and raffia, reflecting a deep commitment to artisanal craftsmanship.

Through her brand, she creates made-to-measure pieces that foreground individuality while engaging a broader reflection on clothing as a cultural language. Her work highlights the value of handmade practices, where each stitch carries time, memory, and meaning.

Her work was presented in a showroom organised by New Afro in Germany.