It began with two shirts. When Aristide Loua, a math graduate living in South Carolina, received two wax-print shirts from his mother in Côte d’Ivoire, something stirred in him. The shirts were not just garments. They were memories, fragments of home — the colors, the patterns, the stories. Aristide could almost hear the laughter of market women, see the streets of Abidjan, and feel the warm Ivorian sun on his skin.
For over ten years, Aristide had been away from home. His life had become a sequence of logical equations and neatly folded suits, far from the vibrant chaos of Côte d’Ivoire. And yet, in those shirts, he found himself back in a world that felt alive with meaning.
“I wanted more of those shirts,” he says, with a quiet smile, “but I couldn’t find a brand that spoke to me.” There were no menswear brands that captured the essence of those memories, no designs that bridged his past with the present. So, he began to dream. A vision board emerged. A brand took shape.
By 2015, Aristide was back in Côte d’Ivoire, not by choice but by circumstance. His work visa had expired, leaving him no option but to return. It was a bittersweet homecoming. He had left behind a life in the U.S. — a condo, a car, even love. In Abidjan, he found himself grappling with a sense of displacement. He was no longer the boy who had left all those years ago, yet Côte d’Ivoire had changed too. It was as if both he and the land he once called home had grown into new versions of themselves, unfamiliar and yet intertwined.
But Aristide had a vision. That spark from those two shirts refused to die. He immersed himself in the local textile industry, learning about the craftsmanship of artisans, discovering the rich traditions of handmade fabrics like Kente — a woven art form that told stories with every thread.
“It’s personal,” he says, his eyes soft with memory. “I love suits. Growing up, I would watch my father dress in these perfectly tailored suits for work, for special occasions. He was always so elegant, so put together. I wanted to bring that elegance, that sense of pride, into my designs.”
Kente Gentlemen was born, with Aristide at the helm, designing not just clothing but experiences. The name itself — Kente — is a nod to the Ashanti Kingdom’s woven cloth, a fabric so steeped in tradition that each thread holds centuries of history. But Aristide wasn’t content with tradition alone. He wanted to infuse it with his own story, his own vision. “Color. Poetry. Culture. These are the elements that shape everything I do,” he says. “Color is the emotion. Poetry is the messenger. Culture is my voice.”
And so, Kente Gentlemen became a bridge between the old and the new, tradition and modernity. Aristide designed fabrics that were unique to his brand, weaving in his love for geometry, his understanding of symmetry from his math background, and his appreciation for bold but harmonious color palettes. The result? Pieces that tell stories, fabrics that speak of both Côte d’Ivoire and the world beyond.
Take, for example, his collection “A Woman Wearing a Suit,” inspired by Jacqueline, a character from the film Boomerang. “There’s nothing bolder, nothing sexier than a woman in a well-tailored suit,” Aristide says, his voice full of admiration. Jacqueline embodied confidence, ambition, and unapologetic boldness — traits that Aristide wanted to celebrate. In the collection, each piece was designed to reflect that power, that unshakable sense of self.
Yet, it wasn’t just about the suit. Aristide’s inspiration often comes from unexpected places — a poem, a person, even a moment. His upcoming collection, “Rêves d’été,” was inspired by trips to the beaches of Bassam and Assinie. It’s a collection that feels like sunshine, laughter, and the gentle caress of sea waves, with seashells as buttons and fabrics that echo the joy of those carefree summer days.
But behind the beauty of Kente Gentlemen lies the challenge of sustainability. The brand operates in a fast-fashion world but remains rooted in slow, intentional production. Each piece is handmade, from the woven Kente fabrics to the final tailored suits. “We don’t follow trends or fashion calendars,” Aristide explains. “I create when I’m inspired. That’s the only way I know how.”
In a continent brimming with potential, where fashion is as diverse as the cultures that shape it, Kente Gentlemen stands out not just for its designs but for its values. Aristide pays his artisans three times the standard rate because he believes in giving back, in nurturing the craft that is slowly fading as younger generations turn away from traditional skills.
“We create on demand,” Aristide says, his voice firm. “We don’t want to overproduce. We don’t want to waste.” It’s a model that many African designers are embracing — producing only what is needed, ensuring that each piece has a place, a purpose.
As Aristide looks to the future, he dreams of expanding Kente Gentlemen beyond its current borders. Invitations to fashion weeks in Lagos, Paris, London, and beyond are piling up, and with each show, the brand’s visibility grows. But for Aristide, it’s not just about fame. It’s about telling a story, one thread at a time.
“In the end,” he says, “it’s about creating something that matters. Something that lasts.”
And in the colorful threads of Kente, the poetry of his designs, and the rich culture that he so deeply cherishes, Aristide Loua is doing just that — crafting not just clothing, but a legacy.
For more information on Kente Gentlemen, visit www.kentegentlemen.com
Credits
Reves d’Ete SS25
