4/54: Reimagining Tunisian Fashion
From Parsons to Tunis, designer Anissa Aida unveils how she's putting Tunisian fashion on the international stage
Welcome back to Africa Reimagined! It’s another 54/54 special, and we are travelling to Tunisia in North Africa. This week, we’re delving into the local fashion scene with designer Anissa Meddeb, founder of the ready-to-wear brand Anissa Aida. Since the brand’s inception in 2016, Anissa has worked fearlessly to put Tunisian fashion on the international stage. She has showcased her collections worldwide, from Barbados to Portugal to Japan, and has amassed fans in cities across the US and Europe.
Tunisia is home to many incredible designers, including Azzedine Alaïa, founder of Alaïa, couturier Ali Karoui, Project Runway’s Malek Gheni, and many others. Meddeb, raised between Tunisia and Paris, studied at Parsons School of Design in New York. Her career in fashion includes stints at Outdoor Voices, APC, and Marc Jacobs, where she worked in the accessories department. It was during her time at the US handbag brand that she learnt the importance of small leather goods and how crucial they are for a brand’s portfolio.
Her collections are distinctive, modernising traditional Tunisian garments and merging them with a Japanese aesthetic. The same year she launched Anissa Aida, Meddeb was chosen by Fashion Scout, an international consultancy and platform, to present her collection at London Fashion Week. Nearly a decade later, Meddeb continues to spotlight Tunisian fashion on the global stage.
“For now, it's not the job that I would make the most money out of, but it's my dream, and I know that I have a growing audience,” she said. “I know [the brand has] been recognised in different cities [and] different countries… This means the world to me. This is more than making a million-dollar revenue.”
What’s inside:
• How Anissa is modernising traditional Tunisian garments and winning over consumers in countries like Tanzania and Austria
• Designing for the worldwide fashion calendar vs the local calendar
• Unpacking the ‘Made in Tunisia’ movement
Let’s dive in!
