Ivorian Designer Turns Marine Waste into Haute Couture

Ivorian designer Lyanel Babli, winner of the first Ivorian-Belgian artistic friendship competition, presented a sustainable fashion collection on September 30 at the Belgian Residence in Cocody-Ambassades, transforming marine waste into high-end garments. The collection featured plastic bags and bottles collected from beaches, which were crushed and integrated into precise designs alongside cowrie shells. The event was attended by Culture Minister Françoise Remarck and Belgian Ambassador Carole Van Eyll, who praised fashion as a vector for sustainable transformation. Stylist Élie Kuame will mentor Babli, highlighting the importance of creative collaboration. The show aimed to raise environmental awareness among Ivorian youth without moralizing, instead demonstrating that waste can achieve haute couture status through artistic genius.