France, Nov. 23 -- Tieku credits his grandmother as one of his main sources of inspiration when it comes to his interest in textiles and their role in society as markers of cultural identity.
"She was a queen mother, and she loved textiles. She was an avid collector. We're talking about collections from the '50s, limited editions, particularly African fabric," Tieku tells RFI.
"She would talk to me about the essence of textiles and what it means for someone to have pride in what they wear."
While Tieku was exposed to his grandmother's love of fashion from his childhood, it wasn't until engineering school that he reconnected with fabrics and their hidden potential.
Working on a project investigating how textile waste could be transformed...