Taibo Bacar

Founded by Taibo Bacar and Tatiana Ismael in 2008, Taibo Bacar is a fashion brand based in Maputo, Mozambique that offers a range of contemporary ready-to-wear styles and accessories. Known for its vibrant designs and lively prints, the brand’s luxurious collections tell stories of African nobility and royalty, alluding to the beauty of women across the African continent and their individual cultures.

As the son of a seamstress, Bacar grew up around the sounds of sewing machines, and though he began his career in IT, he soon abandoned it to enter the world of fashion. The label gained acclaim quickly, becoming the first African designer to show at Milan Fashion Week in 2010, and was named Emerging Designer of the Year at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa in 2012. Speaking to Design Indaba about the evolution of his brand and how Mozambique's political struggles have influenced his work, Bacar shared: "Both tell the same story; dress the same woman,” Bacar continued, “It is about merging the two worlds that together reflect the growth of the brand. It symbolises the new era of the country, a new future with lots of challenges and opportunities where we also have a role to play and a responsibility to help build and develop our own country and culture.” The brand continues to be defined by structured silhouettes that place emphasis on the femininity of the waist. "I talk to my fabrics, I ask them what they want and I give them life," Bacar says.

Taibo Bacar’s striking, luxe garments have also been spotted on a handful of South African celebrities and influencers, including Sarah Langa and Shashi Naidoo, both of whom have been seen donning the brand’s popular red Mandevo style from SS’21.