Designer Spotlight: Where Is Togolese Designer Grace Wallace?

Grace Wallace is a Togolese fashion designer (Photo credit: gracewallaceofficiel.com) — *Grace Wallace is a Togolese fashion designer and the founder of Kilimanjaro Fashion (Photo credit: gracewallaceofficiel.com)*

Grace Wallace is one of the most creative designers to have made it to the limelight in Africa. The sensational designer and stylist has won many awards including the Ideal Woman in Equatorial Guinea, LIFA Magazine’s Oscars de la Mode in Togo. She is also a nominee for the Tropics Change-Maker’s Award in South Africa.

More so, the exquisite stylist and designer got international recognition because of her exotic and native-land-oriented works. So, whenever you talk about native innovations in the African fashion world, the name Grace Wallace will always come to mind. However, who is this exquisite designer? Where is she from? How did she become so renowned for her works? Read on to find out.

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Who is Grace Wallace

Grace Wallace is a Togolese designer of Nigerian parenthood who has traveled the world. Her vast exploration of the world has helped her to grow into one of the most sensational designers in Africa. Between 1967-1970, Nigeria was in a state of turmoil because of the Biafra Civil war.

This led Grace’s parents to move from Nigeria to Togo, where she was born. Grace spent some years of her childhood in the United States before she went on a study in Ghana. In Ghana, she had a lot of experiences that shaped what became her fashion brand today.

The Career Life of Grace Wallace

Ever since Grace was a little child, she had a flair for design. She made sketches that she sewed for herself as a little child. Consequently, she made fabulous designs as a child and caught the attention of family, friends, and acquaintances. This led to them setting contracts with her to make the same designs for them. Her early gigs as a designer encouraged Grace and brought about the dream of becoming a professional designer.

The dream became a reality in 2005 when Grace Wallace created her fashion brand, Kilimanjaro Fashion. This brand is more popularly known as Kil Fashion By Grace Wallace. This brand creates artistic fashion pieces for women, men, and children.

Through this brand, Grace has brought to the fore beautiful designs that gained international recognition. Interestingly, the brand’s popularity is due to the uniqueness of her works. Grace created an identity for herself in the fashion industry by adding African style to modern outfits.

Also, her hard work, professionalism, and creativity added to the boom. These have earned her many awards and recognition, both at the national and international levels. In unveiling her collection, Diaspora, the Togo Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited her to participate in a ceremony that honored the Togolese in Diaspora. The selected few that saw her creative ideas accepted it.

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Symbolic collection Inspired by Togolese Culture

The collection gives credence to the Togolese dress tradition and culture. Grace designed the eight-piece collection using Ankara to celebrate the unique struggle of the cosmopolitan Togolese woman. Her bright works have also earned her a series of awards and nominations because of their peculiar features.

Grace has also released a lot of collections for both males and females, with excellent reviews. She has released the Le Sahara which many people have given excellent reviews. The inspiration for Le Sahara came from the beauty of the Sahara desert which is in the northern part of Togo. The flattery of the African body also contributes to the inspiration, through the use of Silhouette and wax. Furthermore, the Togolese designer has another collection known as Flames.

She launched this amazing collection at the popular Hotel of Lomé. Grace Wallace is one of the top-tier designers in Togo and Africa for her deep meaning unique pieces

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Grace Wallace’s Most Ingenious Work

When it comes to creativity and ingenuity, Grace Wallace can never be caught lacking. From her Roots collection to Flames, to Sahara, to Diaspora, people have commended Grace for her ingenuity. This is why Grace is at the echelon of the Togolese fashion industry.

A lot of celebrities have sported her designs and found them amazing. However, among all exceptional works, the one that stood out the most for its ingenuity is her Diaspora Collection. Grace featured Diaspora collection at Fashion Ghana. The creativity of the collection wowed many people.

The ingenuity of Grace Wallace comes to play through her works like Kpongbaze, C’est La Vie, and Tresor d’Afrique. These designs were crafted using vintage fabrics with a combination of finesse, originality, and ingenuity. Grace Wallace’s Diaspora Collection features unique designs such as off-shoulder dresses, play-on motifs, peg-leg pants, body-fitting dresses, and many more. People are also celebrating the collection because of the meaning ascribed to it.

The Kil Fashion brand explained that Grace made the collection for Togolese in diaspora just like the name implies. It is an idea that depicts a woman who embraces and grasps her African heritage, especially the Togolese culture and tradition. The sophistication and exotic nature of the pieces portray this Togolese woman.

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Designs By Grace Wallace

Grace Wallace Diaspora collection. — A beautifully patterned gown. *(Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*.

This intricately woven gown accentuates the wearer’s blackness and her slim waist. It’s a perfect fit for balls. This gown comes from Grace’s Diaspora Collection.

Grace Wallace design collection — *A dress from the Diaspora Collection. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*

The brown and golden colors of this gown show the richness of the African continent. The designer sprinkled the golden patterns just as mineral resources are all over Africa. Coupled with the nature-themed background, this dress brings to the fore the Africanness of the wearer.

*Classy top and trousers by Grace Wallace. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page).*

This classy top with its matching pair of trousers fits the African career woman. The heeled shoes perfectly compliment the dress.

*Off-shoulders design. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*

This off-shoulder gown complements the skin color of the model. More so, there is a cape-like design that proves the royalty of the African woman.

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*Fitted, armless gown. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*

This long free-flowing gown accentuates the delicate beauty of the wearer. The gown is fitted to the model’s shape, and free-flowing towards the hem, to allow for comfort.

Silhouette designs

*Nicely designed gown. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*

This is a well-designed gown that projects the curves of the model. African women take pride in their body shape and curves. This is yet another dress that proves the beauty of African women.

Dinner gown by Grace Wallace — *Backless dinner gown. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*

This armless and backless free-flowing gown is all shades of royalty. Tailored to fit slim women, this gown accentuates the right curves and adds to the wearer’s beauty. It is perfect for evening dates or formal dinners.

Gown for casual dates — *A gown from the Diaspora Collection. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*

This long and free-flowing gown has a simple yet beautiful design. It is cool for casual dates and evening outings. It is one of the gowns from the Diaspora Collection.

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Grace Wallace — *African top and skirt. (Image Credit: Vlisco’s Facebook page)*

This is a popular African style that Grace modernized to fit the contemporary African woman. There is the English wear as a top and an African print skirt. In addition, the colorful skirt blends with the plainness of the top.

This simple-design gown has a color that reinforces the Amazon personality of the African woman. Also, the design projects the wearer as strong, fierce, and beautiful. It is fit for all occasions.

Conclusion

Grace Wallace will always be popular for her creative ideas and her travels all over the world. It is safe to say that Grace is one of the best in the African fashion world. While it seems as if Grace has gone under the radar, we expect more mouth-watering creative ideas from her. Which of her collections stands out for you? Let us know in the comment box below.