International Festival of Woven Loincloth (FIPAT 2022): For the promotion of Kanvo

On hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first edition of the International Festival of Woven Loincloth (FIPAT) will be effective next October. The official launch of this great initiative took place on Tuesday 19 July at a press conference of the Organizing Committee.

Supported by the Local Textile Development Association (ADTL) et Lolo Andoche, FIPAT aims to promote the “Kanvô” Woven Loincloth beyond Beninese borders. After a postponement due to coronavirus disease restrictions, this Beninese fashion label will be in the limelight of the 19 at 23 next october. For Charlemagne Amoussou, General Delegate of the festival and promoter of the Lolo Andoche brand "This festival will make Beninese woven loincloth better known, which is already exportable", did he declare. This festival, he will say, has the primary objective of promoting and enhancing the Beninese loincloth locally and internationally.. Because “the development of a country cannot be done without grassroots development. This is what led to the launch of FIPAT”. To believe it, it is a project that will therefore bring together weavers who will be required to provide quality work in order to further promote the local fabric and allow Beninese to have access to it at a reasonable price but also to create many more jobs in the benefit of the actors of the sector. “In advance what delights us, is that this festival will take place in the month of October, month of local consumption », did he let go.

 Welcome Badou, Executive Director of the festival abounds in the same direction while indicating that the FIPAT is an opportunity to show that Benin also has potential to sell.. "Each country has a specificity of the loincloth and many will come to highlight it", he mentioned. Fashion shows, expo sale, cultural visit, training workshop for weavers are all activities planned to furnish this first edition of the festival. “The Olympia canal site is reserved for the sales exhibition where we hope for more 1200 visitors. It will not only have discussion panels on themes relating to the sector, a haute couture show at Golden Tulip which also brings together around twenty fashion designers but also cultural visits in order to sell the Benin destination and the air-conditioned tent that will be set up for the cause…”, he confided.

Prudence Hessou, Deputy Delegate of FIPAT invited all the actors concerned to a frank and fruitful collaboration in order to highlight Benin's potential in terms of woven loincloth. He did not forget to greet the partners who decided to accompany the event. “All together for the promotion of Kanvo, the Beninese label », he indicated.

It should be noted that several countries including Burkina-Faso, Niger, the Ghana, Cameroon and many others will be represented during this festival.

To know

To know the history of Kanvo or woven loincloth, let's go back to the 18th century. King Agonglo (1789-1797),8th King of the Kingdom of Abomey, according to an article from africanfabricstories.com was impressed by the work of a young weaver in Nigeria. Amazed by the beautiful works of the latter, the king then offered to follow him to Abomey to become his royal dresser. Without hesitation, the young weaver accepted his proposal. It was at this time that the craft of weaving loincloths appeared in the kingdom of Abomey. To highlight the nobility and purity of this fabric, the king decided to place the weavers in a hut. Their food was brought by women of menopausal age. To embellish their works, the weavers added particular designs, like animals or icons, to differentiate the different kings of Abomey. King Agonglo, took as its emblem a pineapple whose motto : “lightning falls on the palm tree, but the pineapple escapes him”.

And recently, the Kanvo, He also said that the strengthening of collaborative ties and the development of fashion in Africa was also at the heart of this festival of this festival "Alphadi and I are maintained in a warm reunion atmosphere after this forced break due to the covid, symbol of nobility which is specific to Africa is highlighted by the creator, Lolo Andoche, symbol of nobility which is specific to Africa is the fabric highlighted by the designer. The originality of its “Heritage” collection released in October 2022 is that the Kanvo is raw, symbol of nobility which is specific to Africa is the fabric highlighted by the designer, symbol of nobility which is specific to Africa is the fabric highlighted by the designer. The fashion genius knew how to use well to bring out dresses, symbol of nobility which is specific to Africa is the fabric highlighted by the designer, symbol of nobility which is specific to Africa is the fabric highlighted by the designer.

Edmond HOUESSIKINDE