Pride speaks to the Creative Director of Meme Bete Taribba do Nascimento
1) Tell me about the label Meme Bete, and how it all began…
Meme Bete started in 2009 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where I was living at the time. Ethiopia has such a vibrant creative sector it was hard not to want to be part of it. They also have a very strong leather industry and I fell in love with the possibilities of working with leather. I never knew leather had so many different qualities and finishes and I really wanted to experiment with leather and create some funky styles that reflected my personality. Its interesting because in Ethiopia I was initially working in the not for profit sector assisting local business women to become export ready. It turned out that these businesswomen ended up helping me more than I realised. They truly inspired me to become an entrepreneur. It started off very small with a few bags here and there but really took off after I had my son. I decided to quit my desk job and purse design full time. I eventually moved back to St. Lucia where I am from and took a brief hiatus from designing. I went back to deskwork but I did not realise that I had already created quite a demand for meme bete bags. People were happy to see me back home where they could finally get their hands on one of my creations. It took me a few years to truly get back into things and to get to a point where I could design full time again. I now have a fully functioning atelier and competent staff and have been gaining popularity around the region.
2) What was the inspiration behind the new collection Green Gold Collection.
The Green Gold collection was inspired by the Green Gold era of the 90’s in the Windward Islands. Bananas were called Green Gold because the sale of bananas allowed for a thriving agricultural sector. Back then agriculture was the mainstay of the economy and so the country was thriving. We have since moved away from agriculture to tourism however we are yet to enjoy the same level of prosperity. My new collection is inspired by that era. The bags boast a lovely tropical leaf print and are adorned with leather banana leaves. I used some artistic license and included coconut leaves as coconut products as there is great potential for coconut export in St. Lucia. I felt like it was important to show how fashion can be tied into the socio economic side of my country. This creates an important point of differentiation for me as a designer, and ties in my love of country with the love I have for my work.
3) How does your culture influence your designs?
My designs are influenced by my life experiences. I have lived in four different countries throughout my life and I carry a piece of each country in me. But being St. Lucian, being from the Caribbean and the lively vibrant life that we live shows on every piece. We use vibrant bright colours and unique colour pairings for our designs. We believe that everyone should live life in colour year round; our tag line is the vibrant chic life!
4) What do you have planned for the future?
I am ready for Meme Bete to go international. I am looking to give the brand a bigger push internationally by partnering with bloggers and influencers who will act as brand ambassadors. I have an online store that fares well in the Caribbean; I now need it to reach the international market. My goal is to put St. Lucia on the map for Fashion, I want when visitors come to St. Lucia they feel like they need to leave with a Meme Bete, because that is what St. Lucia is known for!
For more info visit memebete.com
