Designer Sophie Zinga Sy On Finding Her Voice Through Her New Brand BAAX

Three weeks ago, when we spoke, Sophie Zinga Sy had just opened her brand new flagship store in Dakar. The 33 years old designer was still enjoying the excitement of the official launch of her “baby” Baax after two years of meticulous work refining the vision for her new venture. As she puts it, she likes to take her time to get things right. It’s her perfectionist side!
Before creating Baax, Sophie had been running her first fashion brand Sophie Zinga for almost 10 years. The label had taken the world by storm in a time when there were not a lot of high-end African brands competing on the global market. She showed everywhere between 2012 and 2018: New-York, Paris, Milan, Lagos, Johannnesburg, Dubai. Then the brand became less active in the media while the proud Senegalese designer was preparing for what was to come.
During our discussion, Sophie Zinga Sy spoke about her evolution as a designer, Sophie Zinga the brand and the creation of Baax.

Sophie Zinga Sy in her Dakar flagship store

We haven't heard a lot about the Sophie Zinga brand since 2018. Where does it stand today?

A lot of people think that Sophie Zinga is dead but it’s not. I have two brands now. The Sophie Zinga brand wasn't active online, because we were pivoting and working towards a new strategy. But we were still selling in Almadies until 2019. We had seasonal collections, every six eight weeks. Now, the brand will be pivoting online exclusively into high-end luxury, probably by the end of 2021. All the exclusive collections will be online and we will also have the bridal line I've been working on for a long time now.

I also have the Baax brand, which is my baby that I've been working on since late 2018. I did a soft launch in New York in 2019 during the fashion week. It was a pop up with T-shirts and sweaters at Dreams On Air store in Soho, New York. That was the first production of Baax and we’ve just opened our first flagship store here in Dakar. For me, being able to work in a sustainable way has been a coming of age, really. I've always wanted to work with local fabrics. I didn't want to just go and source them directly to the weavers and artisans. I wanted to manufacture my own fabric. It took a long time to do that.

What makes Baax different to Sophie Zinga?

When I first started the Sophie Zinga brand, it was an exploration of what I wanted to do within the fashion industry. I was always interested in luxury ready to wear. I started Sophie Zinga as a kind of research, trying to understand consumer behavior and whether there was a space for luxury in Senegal and Africa. I felt that it was still premature for its time because when we launched back in 2012, there weren't a lot of luxury brands in Africa. But it was a great adventure. I discovered there was a community of women who wanted to buy luxury items. It was an exploration of my creativity. I was 22 or 23 when I launched the Sophie Zinga brand. I wanted to understand what I stood for as a designer. That’s what led to Baax, which is a kind of a coming of age for me in terms of everything that I really wanted to do. It just makes sense for me now.

What are the inspirations behind Baax?

I'm super inspired by Senegalese cinema. I grew up watching Ousmane Sembène's films. When I was designing the Baax collection, I really wanted to dig back into vintage Senegalese style and look at what the women were wearing in the 70s and the 80s. All those silhouettes are coming back, and they're reinvented. I just show people how to wear them in a contemporary way.

What about the Baax woman?

The Baax woman is definitely an African woman. She unapologetically celebrates who she is, she loves her shapes, loves her culture, she wants to show more of what she represents in the world. She’s also very well travelled. She’s very sensitive to anything sustainable and wants to wear something that's made on the continent. She obviously loves fashion but she's also a classic woman who likes to have investment pieces she will keep for a long time in her closet.

What would Baax’s success look like for you?

Being a household name on the African continent, having different stores in different cities in Africa, and being that Pan-African brand that people look up to.

As you mentioned earlier, there were not that many contemporary luxury brands on the continent when you started the Sophie Zinga brand. Now, new brands are popping up almost everyday. How do you see this evolution in Senegal, especially in Dakar?

It's really great! I find it exciting because when I was coming in, there were just a few young brands out there. There was Adama Paris, Selly Raby Kane, and me. People didn't really take design seriously. But now there is a big change with the introduction of so many different brands. And that's really important because it drives positive competition. People try to do better, and live up to these standards. There's just much more creativity, that is being honed. It will drive the industry and make it into something even bigger. I'm loving it, it's dope!

From a personal perspective, what have been the most challenging times so far?

Finding the right team has been the most challenging. There's little to no infrastructure to support designers. We're still lacking in quality education in schools and that's a really big issue. Another challenge is the access to funding. When I first started out, it's not that I was really digging for funding but there was no real funding like in the US where the CFDA can help you. I think that could have been helpful for younger Sophie...some guidance and mentorship.

Talking about education and production, you were saying in an interview for Nataal that you were working on an incubator. Is it still on the agenda?

It’s still in the works! We're hoping for a 2021 opening. I've been working on this for such a long time.It’s my style though *laugh*. I work on projects for a long time before they come to light. I can't wait!

On the other side of the spectrum what have been the most rewarding times so far during this journey?

Nothing is never enough for me honestly. *laugh* I have a long term vision. I always say that it's important to work towards excellence. I was proud of dressing Lupita for sure. That was something I had always wanted to do. And I was really excited when I developed the first set of fabrics for Baax.

Would you say that you’ve found your calling today?

Definitely! I really love what I do. I'm so passionate about it that I don't count the hours. I feel like it was meant to be.

And how do you take care of yourself ? What do you do to recharge?

Oh my kids! They're my rechargeable batteries.

What do you do to stay inspired? How do you nurture your creativity?

My office is located on one of the main roads in Dakar. I'm always at the window looking at what people are wearing. I like to stay close to the people to see how they're vibing. When I go to traditional ceremonies, I want to see everything because to me Senegalese women are just so beautiful and so in fashion! It's a way of life really. I need to celebrate that.

What words of wisdom keep you motivated in your work?

I have this quote from Maya Angelou: “Pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.” That's a quote I live by.

Then if I had to say one thing to any entrepreneur, it would be: don't stop! Keep going! It sounds cliché, but really, once you understand that, it changes a lot. I would also add: stay in your lane and keep pushing towards that direction.That’s essential.

Finally, where can we purchase Baax pieces if  we’re not in Dakar? Is e-commerce coming soon?

My Instagram is blowing up on my dms! We're going to be launching e-commerce very soon. Probably in the second quarter of 2021, so that's exciting. I really wanted to test all the sizing, the fit and see how things go before launching it.