How Paris pipo taste okrika style from Africa
Charity shops for Europe dey send cloth wey pipo no want again go Togo but one vintage trader for Paris dey give am life.
"Dem dey carry dem go Africa and most of dem we no need - like coats and furs. I dey select am with my guys, and dey send am back to Europe and we dey sell am," Amah Ayivi tok. Many of dem na charity shop donations wey dem never sell, and e dey cost less than $1 (£0.81) each. "People no dey buy most of di things wey I want," Mr Ayivi tok. Yet some pieces go sell for as much as 200 euros ($220; £178) for di Marché Noir concept store wey dey di French capital. Most of di items na from Grand Marché de Hedzranawoe, a major hub for the trade in used clothing in Togo's capital, Lomé. Mr Ayivi, wey don live for France since im be 12 years, spend im early years for Togo, where im dey return several times for di year to buy stock. He tok say im dey ship around 4000kg of cloth back to Europe each time. "On di floor you fit find treasures," says Mr Ayivi. "The cloth wey I dey always buy na di blue worker jacket because na something you fit wear all di time." Dem dey clean, restore and even customise di cloth before dey sell am for Paris. Customers tok say dem like di "unique" clothes and "global outlook", Mr Ayivi tok. "We no dey try educate with style, but to show people wetin you fit do with wetin you get. "Give me and I go show you how to wear am and you no go buy another one." Images from Alexandre Bancharel, Amah Ayivi, Andrew Esiebo and Ijeoma Ndukwe.