My Story

Hi, I’m Anita, the founder of La Fille Noire

I was born in Burkina Faso to a Burkinabé dad and a Togolese mum, raised in Togo until I was 12, and then shaped by the bold, gritty and beautiful energy of Birmingham in the UK. So yes, I’m basically a cultural remix with good seasoning.

I’m the eldest of two to my mum and the fourth of five to my dad, which means leadership was never a choice, it was a survival skill. I lost my mum at 9 and was raised by my maternal family before entering foster care at 13. By 16, independence and I were in a very serious relationship. No breaks. No soft launch. Just straight into figure it out mode.


Growing up, I was one of the darkest in my family at the time and trust me, that didn’t go unnoticed. Some comments came as jokes, others not so funny. But instead of shrinking, I flipped the script. When I saw my cousin call himself l’enfant noir, meaning the black child, something clicked. I claimed my own version, La fille noire, the black girl. Not as a label. Not as an apology. But as ownership.

What started as photography celebrating darker skinned women became a fashion brand. Plot twist, I never actually planned to be a fashion designer.

I was supposed to be a dancer. That was the dream. I performed on countless stages and fully believed I’d be dancing for life. At 16, while living in a hostel, social services called to tell me I’d been selected to receive an award in Westminster on behalf of Birmingham City Council after a dance performance I’d done at 15 through a workshop that ended up on stage at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

They gave me £100 for an outfit.

Now listen, £100 at 16, living in a hostel, that’s billionaire behaviour.

Instead of buying a dress, I bought a sewing machine for £50, a mannequin for £30, some bargain fabric, and enrolled myself into YouTube University. I didn’t even end up wearing the dress. But that moment was the accidental birth of a designer. Sewing wasn’t planned, it was planted.

After college, I spent 3 to 4 years studying photography and hairdressing before finally applying to Birmingham City Council to study dance. When I arrived at the university, I discovered a course called Applied Performance Community and Education, which is about using creative arts as a tool to build communities. That is when everything aligned. It was not just about performing anymore. It was about purpose.



I had always carried a deep desire to return to Togo. When I first arrived in the UK with my uncle and his family, I would cry myself to sleep. That course helped me understand how I could use my creativity and artistry to build others, especially within communities that needed it most.

The rest is history. In 2022 La Fille Noire was officially born as a custom made brand.

(The launch of La Fille Noire)

(Wedding dress designed by me)

Through years of consistently sewing for clients and continuously volunteering with youth organisations, the dream did not die. It only grew stronger.

(volunteer form HIANA (Hope In A New Age) charity.

 

Now that you know about me a little, let me share the vision and purpose behind this brand today.
As you can see La Fille Noire is more than fashion, it’s a purpose-driven movement rooted in community, empowerment, and opportunity. I believed that investing in people goes far beyond meeting material needs. It’s about creating access, opening doors, and building spaces where individuals can rise.
Becoming independent at 16 shaped my resilience and strengthened my commitment to uplifting others, especially in Togo, where guidance, resources, and opportunity are limited.

Although the brand began in Birmingham, UK, I always dreamed of relocating production to Lomé, Togo. Combining my skills in sewing and community building, I wanted to create employment, develop practical expertise, and establish a reinvestment model that uplifts local communities.

2025 Achievements

  • Step 1: The vision became reality. I relocated and established production in Lomé.
  • Step 2: I began building a team. Today, I proudly employ two staff members and one trainee.


2026 Vision

The goal for this year is to build a creative and community hub in Lomé where professionals and aspiring creatives can connect through workshops, collaboration, and shared learning. This hub will also support educational initiatives for children, offering practical skills like financial literacy and language learning.

I also aim to assist families facing financial hardship by funding access to schooling and creating pathways that nurture confidence, culture, and self-expression.

——

La Fille Noire is not just a fashion brand. It is a vehicle for opportunity, a platform for growth, and a commitment to community transformation.