Couleurs d'Afrique 974 News
It’s hot!! Over here jerseys ♥
| 10/16/2019
Our first swimsuit collection is ready !! Let me tell you how a simple idea has become material …
At the beginning of this year, I mentioned for the first time on Instagram the idea of making swimsuits. The responses of subscribers were super positive so … we started!
I started sketching jerseys and submitting them to our Kenyan sewing team. The first samples arrived a month later, there were 2 cups of jerseys that we tested mom and me going to the beach, alternating water and sun to see how they behaved and what improvements to make.
We did not have the budget to produce the 2 jersey cups, so I asked our subscribers which one they preferred.
The final choice ended on the bikini cut that you can now see on our website and our networks ♥
Another month later, we received the sample with all the small improvements we had thought of. We tested it again, just to be sure it was comfortable to wear and that it was good.
Once the cut seemed perfect, I chose 3 patterns of wax (it takes me about 2 weeks) and we started the production of 150 bikinis for sizes 34 to 42 (we did not size bigger because in my opinion it’s not the perfect cut for curvy … but when we can afford it, we’ll make jerseys for our beloved curvy sirens!)
At the end of June, the jersey collection arrived at the store. No way, we were leaving mom and me on vacation for 3 weeks. No time to organize shooting to make beautiful photos, it was necessary to leave.
Our holidays were great! So great that I had completely cut off the networks. Back in Reunion, I was more in a super active working girl mood and I dragged my feet to work … I call it the post-holiday shock lol, the body is there but the spirit is elsewhere.
And then the next Monday night, my friend Alex (@jeune_alexx on insta!) Offers me a restaurant. We ended up in Roche Noire and after the cocktail I started to tell him about my lack of motivation. And there, magic! In a few minutes he put me back in the bath! I wish everyone to have friends like him, who really boosts and pulls up! Alex, thanks, you’re a brother !! We set ourselves the challenge to plan the photo / video shoot of 3 women in a beautiful spot in just 5 days and to do everything on the Sunday that came (normally for a shoot it must be done well 3/4 weeks to ‘advance to correlate all the schedules, as you say that it was tense!) We unsheathed our phones in full meal to start looking for ideal girls on insta. Seen from the outside it should not be terrible, a girl and a guy who dined alone but each on his own lol when in fact we were thoroughly in a common project.
We found in 2 or 3 days the 3 women for our shooting, all 3 more beautiful than the others ♥
From left to right in the photo of this article, Rouchouda (insta @iamrcda), Lucie (insta @luciedelouise) and Alexia (insta @ _alexia_00). Girls, thank you, thank you, thank you! For your confidence, your good humor, your humility and your availability you have been perfect.
Ok we had found the girls, but Thursday arrived and we still had no spot. I really wanted to do it in a posh hotel with pool, especially for the video, I thought it would make it really good. 2 or 3 hotels refused to welcome us because it was too fair level organization (which was completely true lol)
That night, like 90% of the nights, I made a video call with my best friend Elsa (insta @elsabqr the funniest, the most beautiful, the most awesome in fact take a look, it’s a nugget! ) who lives in Paris, and I told him my worries of spot. Her big sister Laura was ready for her at that moment and put me in a split second in relation with her friend Béné who is none other than the manager of the Tropic Appart Hotel in St Gilles! After exchanging some text with the latter, she agrees to receive me on Sunday for my shoot. Happinesssssssss !!
Elsa, thank you very much, Laura, thank you very much, Bene, thank you very much and thank you to the team of the Tropic Appart Hotel who was very kind to us. A big thank you to our subscribers insta who participated in making me make decisions, who support us every day and who are just aaadorables, thank you ♥
So I did the photos and videos of the shooting, helped by Alex who found me the most beautiful spot of the hotel and made me some videos very nice videos. Then I sorted and processed the photos, I edited the video, I put the ups and downs of bikinis on sale on this site, I made a new slider for the jerseys (you know the pictures that scroll through the home page of this site! haha), I wrote this article, and I posted the photos and video on our networks. It took me 2 weeks for everything (yes because I have a job in the store too! Between sales and management, I did not have time to work this project every day) and now the goal is reached and I am very happy !!
I believe that when we are in the right direction, everything coincides to make it work.
Take part in our adventure by joining us on the insta @ colorsafrica974 or fb couleursdafrique974!
Kisses, of Love, Aline.