Chris Seydou
Seydou Nourou Doumbia, known as Chris Seydou (May 18, 1949 - March 4, 1994), was a Malian fashion designer known for his use of traditional Malian fabrics, particularly bògòlanfini (mudcloth). Chris Seydou was born in Kati in Mali's Koulikoro Region, Seydou lived part of his childhood in Ouagadougou (now the capital of Burkina Faso) before moving back to Kati with his mother in 1963. Even in childhood, he designed and created clothing to dress dolls and, in 1965, he became an apprentice of the tailor Cheickene Camara at Kati.
Also recorded as Seydou Nourou Doumbia
Chris Seydou
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- Name
- Seydou Nourou Doumbia
- Born
- 18 May 1949
- Birthplace
- Kati, Mali
- Died
- 4 March 1994
- Place of death
- Bamako, Mali
- Occupation
- Fashion designer
- Known for
- Malian fabrics
- Nationality
- Mali
- Languages
- French
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Seydou Nourou Doumbia, known as Chris Seydou (May 18, 1949 - March 4, 1994), was a Malian fashion designer known for his use of traditional Malian fabrics, particularly bògòlanfini (mudcloth). Chris Seydou was born in Kati in Mali's Koulikoro Region, Seydou lived part of his childhood in Ouagadougou (now the capital of Burkina Faso) before moving back to Kati with his mother in 1963. Even in childhood, he designed and created clothing to dress dolls and, in 1965, he became an apprentice of the tailor Cheickene Camara at Kati.
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In this article
Biography
Biography
In 1967, he returned to Ouagadougou where he opened his first tailor shop. He soon moved to Abidjan (1969) and then to Paris (1971), where he worked first for Yves Saint-Laurent and then at Mic Mac with the stylist Tan Guidicelli. At this time he also met designer Paco Rabanne. Leaving in 1981, Seydou moved again to Abidjan, where he created his Chris Seydou line. For the new line, Seydou designed Western-style jackets and miniskirts from traditional African patterns and fabrics, marketing the clothes in the United States, Europe, and urban West Africa. The designs are particularly noted for their pioneering use of bògòlanfini, traditional mud-dyed cloth. Seydou returned to Mali in 1990, becoming good friends with soon-to-be-president Alpha Oumar Konaré. In 1993, he founded the African Foundation of Fashion Designers, but died in 1994 with 44 years in Bamako of AIDS. Atelier Chris Seydou, a group of tailors who worked with him in the past, continue to produce a bògòlanfini clothing line in Bamako.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Seydou Nourou Doumbia • Born — 18 May 1949 • Birthplace — Kati, Mali • Died — 4 March 1994 • Place of death — Bamako, Mali • Occupation — Fashion designer • Known for — Malian fabrics
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1949
Chris Seydou was born in 1949 at Kati.
1994
Chris Seydou died in 1994.
Literature
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Secondary witness
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1949: Chris Seydou born in Kati. 1994: Chris Seydou died.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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