Magic (The Black Kind)

Huguette Tchiapi revives campfire stories through her latest collection ‘Magie Noire’.

Weaving subtle magic into our every day, Huguette Tchiapi uses wearable clothing as a canvas to paint the stories of her home. Introducing the fluidity and performance of attire in Cameroon, the designer takes a thoughtful approach, tailoring sustainable and highly detailed minimalist garments – with jazzy, experimental undertones. This collection, ‘Magie Noire’, or ‘Black Magic’, is Tchiapi’s retelling of the stories she was told growing up, which she explores through a series of her own poems. From her first breath in Cameroon, Tchiapi’s loved ones would relay strange goings-on, which they’d personally experienced and heard. In her poem ‘Spirit Visit’, the multifaceted creator recalls a hazy memory from her childhood involving mysterious red powder from a marabout’s hut and a razor blade. This intricate ritual, with the precise placement of the cuts and fusion of the scarlet powder, aims to ensure a full protection of body and soul from any incantations of ill-intentioned black sorcery. Stating, “I believe these are quite beautiful,” Tchiapi’s cuts remain clearly visible on her hands, and other parts of her body, to this day, due to the process of scarification.

The designer’s fascination lies in the performative aspect of black magic rituals, drawing parallels to the stage presence of influential jazz musicians like Sun Ra. Tchiapi conjures this experience, noting, “With this collection, I’m trying to create a sense of something more poetic and metaphorical.” She builds a relationship between her story ‘Inferno’, where a shaman dances in fire, and her design. Rather than taking a literal approach with immense shapes and vivid colors, she prefers to embody this story through the light and reflection of jewels and crystals. Equally, this delicate display of magic speaks through Tchiapi’s use of natural and donated fabrics, like Merino wool – mixed with sheer glitters and midnight-black materials to create slight shimmers on silks that sparkle with movement. Detail is crucial in Tchiapi’s process, with tests playing a vital role. Beginning with styling and draping, she progresses to drawing and creating toiles, constantly refining her vision. Tchiapi says, “Throughout the process, it changes. At first, I thought that this was going to have a huge sash [pointing at her toile] but then I changed my mind because I believe that one of the biggest parts of sustainability is ensuring that the clothes are wearable.” She sees to it that her garments are “well-constructed, and well-made so that they can actually stand the test of time.”

“It’s kind of like magic in a way.”

The mysticism of music not only plays a role in her design but also in her process. Beginning this project, Tchiapi found company in Ethiopian Jazz on her long road trips across Cameroon. As the designer falls deeper into a completely concentrative state, she neglects the need for distraction, adding “I’ll start off the project listening to music and then I’ll get to a point when I’m literally just in silence.” This locked-in state is reminiscent of her poem, ‘Inferno’, when the shaman starts to slowly walk upon the flames, even as the flickers get higher as if they will catch his dress alight. Tchiapi’s mother said, “It was like he was possessed,” feasibly comparable to the creative state of the designer once she’s completely locked in and obsessed with every fine detail. Perhaps this eye for detail began in the days of MySpace and Tumblr, when she immersed herself in emo and punk subcultures, taking on the spirit of D.I.Y. From sewing on patches to constructing her own jackets and coats, this was the start of the design journey. Uninterested in heels and glamour, Tchiapi stumbled upon the 90s Anti-Fashion movement through the works of Yohji Yamamoto, Comme Des Garcons, and Maison Margiela. She embraced the distinctive fusion of experimental and wearable design – representative of the clothes that she wanted to wear and make herself.

The designer adores this feeling of fabricating a vision, of breathing life into wearable pieces, she admits, “It’s kind of like magic in a way.” Heaped in influence from West African attire, Tchiapi meshes what both genders wear, and brings this into a new space. Taking more of a minimalist approach she comments, “It’s not really something that shouts.” With this collection, all the materials, are either reused, recycled, or natural - rooting itself in the ethos of her birthplace. Tchiapi explains the embodiment of this within her work, “In Cameroon, it’s just the way of life. It’s normal to be sustainable without even thinking about it... everything is reused again and again. We don’t really throw things away.” As sequins are one of the top polluters, she homed in on biodegradable alternatives from CQ Studio, whilst the viscose that she used was on its way to the skip. Tchiapi describes her research process as 'fluid', with no strict method, but rather an immersion into multiple practices, including photography. During her gap year, the designer embarked on a trip back to Cameroon and captured an abundance of authentic, beautiful scenes of people and places - producing a photography book. It’s these photographs that have informed her styling experiments, manifesting into designs. Combined with a magnetic attraction towards writing, Tchiapi has concluded that she adores creating stories, narratives, and characters behind the clothes.

“I’m trying to create a sense of something more poetic and metaphorical.”

During a visit to the Blackitude Museum in Cameroon, the designer conversed with the curator, Nana. When she inquired about a cloak and mask, Nana spoke of black magic, or the ‘Secret Society,’ cautioning her against delving too deeply into its mysteries out of fear of madness. The warnings of madness are reminiscent of Tchiapi’s story, ‘The Roaring Sea’, about a boat navigator’s journey from France to Cameroon, where his harrowing nightmares became inescapable as they seeped into his waking life. Tchiapi will continue to intricately weave these stories into wearable clothing under her name, ‘Huguette’, with emphasis on French pronunciation.

Huguette Tchiapi's graduate collection at the Central Saint Martins BA Fashion Show 2024

Photographs by Karma Casto