Behind the hushed scenes of Cotonou’s Golden Tulip hotel, tension rivaled excitement. Makeup artists, stylists, and models moved in a precisely choreographed ballet before the start of the grand finale fashion show closing the 17th edition of the Festival of African Fashion and Modeling (FESMMA). Between racks saturated with shimmering fabrics and impatient camera flashes, two figures captured the spotlight: Kady, a young Guinean model with a disarming smile, and Kav Elite, a Togolese designer whose 25-year career commands respect.
At just 23 years old, Kady already has an impressive resume: Miss Master Boro in 2018, Top Model Hope of Guinea in 2023, and nominated for Best International Female Model in 2024 at FESMMA. On the runway, she is serious. This year, her dream materialized with the FESMMA 2025 African Models Merit Award in Benin. The young Kady aims higher. Between fashion shows, she keeps another ball in her hands: a basketball, which she has played since childhood. A dual passion that forges her discipline and competitive spirit.
This trophy is for my father, because he has supported me in everything I do, internationally or in any endeavor. If I say I just walked in a show, he has always supported me. So I hope I make him proud. So this is for him. I truly hope I will go far, because I really want to be on international channels. Not just in Africa, because frankly I’ve done quite a few runways in Africa. So I hope I will go far. And it’s really true for me and I will achieve it, God willing. It’s not easy, but with patience, I will do it.
Another voice rises, more measured but just as determined. Kav Elite, a figure in Togolese fashion, has graced every possible stage with her creations. For 25 years, she has dressed stars, authorities, and prominent women from Africa and Europe. This longevity has just been crowned with an award at FESMMA 2025. Her collection presented at FESMMA, named Oracle, summarizes her journey well: a response to expectations and a confirmation of her status.
It feels good when you are invited specifically to receive an award for work you have done for many years. Truly, it feels good. And I give thanks to God. I have done a lot in fashion. I dress major stars, authorities, and all the prominent women of the world. I dress Africans, Europeans, and I travel everywhere with the fashion I offer my clients.
FESMMA 2025, more than just a fashion show, offered a rare stage for a symbolic passing of the torch between two worlds. A silent yet powerful dialogue between rising stars and established stars, under the same spotlights, serving the same purpose: making African fashion a universal and cultural language.