THE BACKGROUND

Mindset - The vision

We are living in a fascinating moment in the global history of fashion. The industry has for the last twenty years tirelessly exploited its human and material resources. Nothing is more scandalous in 2014 than the existence of these enormous wastelands, regions of the world where history, materials, urban legends and the images produced are as yet undiscovered.

Two expressions encapsulate this moment : “ new wind ” and “ fresh blood ”. The world is on the lookout for new stories, new aesthetics, new rhythms, and it has never been more urgent than it is today to follow through on our creative impulses, to regenerate models and to shed light on the diversity of knowledge. The world is waiting for us, we’re at it’s front door…

Each of the factors that can contribute to the construction of viable fashion projects is controllable and in our hands. The passion of certain people, the talent of others, the digitalisation of interactions and consummation, this is how the future of Senegal’s young creators is evolving. SRK subscribes to this perspective, at a key moment for the brand, one of big changes and new orientations. The label has been able to create a refined offering, relevant on both a local and international level.

SRK has understood its market and possesses a knowledge of the necessary tools for its development and fulfilment, which are expected to be major in 2014 and 2015. This is based upon the construction of an enterprise project that would be the leader in terms of textile confection and style in Senegal. The element which will complete the mould relies upon your participation in the development of the project, here and now.

The creative director - Selly Raby Kane

Credit photo & copyright : Omar Viktor Diop

In a land of conformity, she wears fluoro hair extensions as necklaces and mixes pagne with denim, jersey or plastic. Always chic, always glam, always cool, but never taking herself too seriously, only she knows how to flirt with the “ bizarre ” with so much class. Icon of the Dakar underground and Senegalese fashion, an emblematic figure of the new artistic scene with an unrestrained creativity and a style that is effervescent and offbeat, the stylist Selly Raby Kane invites you to into the universe of her new collection, in the theme of Alien Cartoon. Prepare for lift-off, direction Dakar’s train station, mid-May 2014…

A graduate in business administration in France with a masters in product management in textile industries and styling (MOD’SPE Paris), Selly Raby Kane created the label SRK in 2008. Since then this young creative entrepreneur has enjoyed significant success for her unconventional universe which disrupts trends and habits; for example her most recent fashion show “ Be Street ” where with her collective Les Petites Pierres she created an enormous living urban décor, “ The Street is in Style ”, the first street fashion show in Senegal (Gueule Tapée Canal, Médina) or the production of “ Inner Cruise ”, a dreamlike voyage into her interior universe…

Even at the time of its first appearance on the Senegalese artistic scene, the name SRK was rapidly recognised within the fashion industry as one to watch, from Paris to Algiers, from New York to Cape Town, and Selly Raby Kane is often invited beyond Senegal, where the label has kept its base. Following on from the first phase of development centred on an events and image strategy, the SRK project is entering into its second phase, the focus being an enterprise project which plans in 2014 and 2015 to mount an industrial production line, and aims for a commercialisation and diffusion of the brand’s projects on a large scale.

THE PROJECT

An african invaded city - Alien Cartoon

Credit photo & copyright : Guillaume Bassinet

Dakar train station as never seen before, transformed into an Alien space base. This is the designer's outlandish project for her annual fashion show. The entirety of the installation will stay in place for two weeks, giving the public the opportunity to throw themselves into the fantastical universe of Alien Cartoon.

An interactive fashion show and art performance concept that will turn the station’s main building into an Alien village, offering a sensory, visual and auditive experience to the public. Artists from the Les Petites Pierres collective will take part in this project, as well as international artists on creative residencies.

The use of digital and innovative technologies will be prioritised, particularly during the first part of the opening event, where a large-scale labyrinth installation will hold the public in the forecourt of the station before the doors open.

" If I had to define Alien Cartoon it would be a reflexion on a futuristic invaded African city, where naive and fantastic creatures evolve among human beings.
What would that city look like ? What would its inhabitants wear ? What would gravity become ? How would we go from one place to another ? Air ? Seas ? Under-Underground ? Teleportation ? "

Selly Raby Kane speaking about Alien Cartoon

THE ALIEN CARTOON LABYRINTH / EXPERIMENTAL ZONE

The labyrinth is an incredible experience and installation on the Dakar train station's including forecourt with creative screenings & projections, a digital technology installation, living creatures…

Including:

The House of the Holy Alien

Enter into the Alien Cartoon universe : creatures in movement, naïve, fantastical and futurist, costumes integrating touch-screen tablets, interactive video content, LED lights, electricity, water, take a look at the installation concept below…

The Brain

Cerebral alien activity in the form of draws featuring contents which bring thoughts and urges to life: an interactive experience based on the discovery of different objects and textures…

OCTOPUS INSTALLATION

Creation of a giant octopus (half-octopus/half-tree) whose tentacles and roots unwind throughout the space, accompanied by a specific sonar universe. An artistic collaboration between Doulcy (senegalese fashion designer) and Doctor L (french video and sound composer).

THE INNER CRUISE INSTALLATION

A reconstruction and reinterpretation of the theme developed in the film produced by Tom Escarmelle on the universe of Selly Raby Kane. Projections of content from the film, an oneiric bathtub décor, branches and foliage, baobabs and vegetation...

THE ALIEN PHOTOBOOTH

Visitors candidly captured by a flash in an obscure corner, but with no visible photographer…

THE ALIEN BARS

Monochrome drinks, weird cocktails, a “ what would these aliens drink ? ” beverage…

THE RUNWAY - ALIEN CARTOON FASION SHOW

The Alien cartoon Collection will show the influence that fantastic and futuristic creatures has had on the human clothing aesthetic. To put the highlight on the garments, a minimal runway will be set up with an animated and organic background.

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It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar, and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.
Alan Cohen

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A collective art performance

In the spirit of exchange and travel that is at the heart of Alien Cartoon, multi-disciplinary artists from both Senegal and abroad will be invited to create site-specific installations in response to the theme.

Music and video makers

Ibaaku Staz (I-Science band) : Fashion show soundtrack - Senegal

Doctor L (Black Cow-Boys band / music / Video maker) : creation of sound decor (Octopus installation), small-format videos and sound (tablets, screens...) - France

Fashion designers

Doulcy (Jah Gal founder) : Alien maker &  “ Octopus ” installation (main hall)

Baay Sooley & Laure Tarot (Bull Doff co-founders) : Alien makers - Senegal, France

With the participation of

Alien Zik (Hip-Hop Music), DJ Prez (Mix at after party), Look (Visual art), Cheikh Talibouya Dabo (Fashion design), Les Petites Pierres artist collective…

International guests

Paul Sika, one of the most talented west African contemporary photographers will be a  part of the Alien Cartoon performance. A collaboration between Selly and Paul is scheduled during his stay.  

YOUR SUPPORT

Save the old lady ! - Dakar's old train station

The decision to host the show at the Dakar train station is most certainly not a random one. The Old Lady (Dakar train station) will be celebrating her 100^th birthday this year, and there’s no way Selly could let such an important date go by without throwing a great big shindig. A general wane in rail travel cross the African continent, combined with events in Mali that have put the legendary Dakar-Bamako line on hold have left the station vulnerable to neglect and disuse. What was once a bustling centre for commerce and travel is now falling into ruin, twice a day welcoming Dakar’s suburban commuter train, a tiny example of what the station could become if rehabilitated.

This building is unique within the architectural landscape of the city, in terms of size and style, and provides the perfect opportunity to create a space that will serve both its original function of train station, and interact with the passage and movement of people through its halls through a dynamic of exhibitions and cultural events. Selly Raby Kane and Les Petites Pierres have initiated a campaign to ensure that the “ Old Lady ” will be brought back to life and re-instated as an essential part of Dakar’s heritage ; past, present and future. “Alien Cartoon” is one of several events planned for the station in 2014, as a way of demonstrating the incredible prospects that it offers to Dakar’s population.

Your support will contribute to giving this campaign more visibility !

Have a look on the campaign on http://chn.ge/1hgamH6

How can you help ?

In order to put together the Alien Cartoon show-performance, Selly needs your help ! This is an opportunity to contribute to both an incredible one-off cultural event and an entire artistic movement that is transforming Dakar, and the creative horizon across West Africa. The difference that donations will make to the quality of the show-performance and the viability of the Save the Old Lady campaign is immeasurable, and any contribution will be very gratefully received ! So gratefully in fact that we are offering a selection of exclusive SRK goodies for your kindness, and so that you too can be part of the SRK and Save the Old Lady movement.

So strap on your moon-boots, tighten your limited edition SRK space helmet, and prepare for lift off !

Your financial participation

Your financial participation will provide 30% of the project overall costs, including :

- Fees for artists involved in the production of Alien Cartoon installations

- Production of the Alien Cartoon collection

- Production of the Interactive installations : House of the Holy Alien, the labyrinth, Inner Cruise, runway background.

- Advertising and communication of the fashion performance

- Digital and technical requirements (screen, light, leds…)

- Manufacturing team salaries

- Beyond 20 000 Usd collected, participations will support production of the collection and the project of SRK New-York concept-store, which will be launched in 2015.

Gifts and goodies

The crazy gifts and goodies you will receive for your participation are all made in Senegal : a good way to contribute to the development of the country's creative industry and to increase the economical impact of Alien Cartoon on the local market.

SRK Cardigan sample - Photo credit : Jean-Baptiste Joire

Samples of different patterns of Cardigan - Photo credit : Look

Zine Collection No 12 (Bessard editions) -  SOLD OUT                                          Afronauts by Cristina De Middel & Selly Raby Kane.                                                      Each of wich comes with a signed print. Cristina De Middel 

Water Birds by SRK - Fall-Winter 2014 collection

Alien Cartoon in figures

- More than 4 000 guests (2 000 VIPs with runway access, 2 000 people at a free and public giant screening outside the train station). 

- More than 2 000 m2 of decoration and installations, including forecourt labyrinth, main hall, left and right sides inside building and platform where train used to come and go as the runway. 

- More than 200 people working on the event : models, hairdressers, make-up men and women, technicians, extras, hosts and hostesses, artists, organizing staff of 30 people…

 - A 100 000 USD estimated overall cost budget

Impact

- Increase visibility for the African creative scene worldwide

- A large contribution for the local creative economy

- An incredible participation in strengthening Selly Raby Kane's brand development  

Some of our ambassadors

- Jenke Ahmed Tailly (Paris, New-York)