France, June 29 -- When Valerie Ka started modelling at 14 in Cote d'Ivoire, she thought she was on top of the world. But she wanted to go further, so she created Africa Fashion Up - a way to help African designers reach the global stage.
As a child, Ka dreamed of being an interior designer, an architect or a flight attendant. But the world of fashion stole her heart.
She took her first steps on the catwalk at the age of 14, modelling designs by the likes of Niger's Alphadi - nicknamed the "magician of the desert" and founder of FIMA, the International Festival of African Fashion.
"He was a family friend and treated me like a daughter," she tells RFI's Maria Afonso. She became his brand's muse and travelled Africa and the world; an exper...