Loza Maleombho is a stylist and a fashion designer based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Having come from a family of multicultural background and lived between Ivory Coast, Brazil and the United States, Loza has always been exposed to a multitude of cultures. Her brand, Loza Maleombho, can be described as a fusion of traditional culture and contemporary fashion.

While it is hard for Loza to pinpoint her inspiration for work, she admits that it is usually influenced by the traditional African cultures at some point of her creative process.

When asked about the start of her endeavour with fashion, Loza replied,”I was about twelve years old. I would design my own school uniform along with my mom’s and sister’s dresses.” She said she used to cringe at the idea of giving her own ideas to someone else, therefore after several internships and years of experience in fashion industry she had set up her own brand.

Her main inspiration and purpose was as humanitarian as it was artistic; through the her designs, Loza wanted to empower the women from unfavourable backgrounds whose lives were affected by the political crisis in Ivory Coast. To make a difference and help them, she opened a workshop where those women could be hired and as a result help her work on her collection.

At the end of our interview with this incredible woman, we asked Loza what fashion meant to her, to which she simply replied, “Confidence. Style has nothing to do with clothes; it’s all about the attitude!”

Spring Summer Collection at lozamaleombho.com