Meet Nicholle Kobi, the Congolese-French fashion illustrator based in Paris. She has loved art her whole life but only started pursuing it professionally a few years ago.

I find her work very refreshing, fun and modern. Her art emphasizes the female body, the luscious thick curls of black hair, and the glitz and glamour of modern successful black women.

What are some of the challenges that she’s faced as an illustrator? Well for one, she’s in France. As glamorous and romantic as France may be, it is still conservative in many ways. For this reason, Nicholle has faced some resistance in her rise to the top because her art was described as “too ethnic”.

I am here just to try to give [the black woman] back her rightful place in the world of beauty, art, and more… We can be whatever we want!


 

Nicholle’s hard work and talent have led to her being described as one of the top 14 French illustrators by Buzzfeed. This amazing fashion artist is determined to climb to the top and inspire other women to unapologetically celebrate who they are. Her work can now be found on T-shirts, Iphone cases, bags, purses and more, all at her online store.

 

26 replies on “Fashion, art and a whole lot of empowerment”

  5. This is a very interesting profile and beautiful pieces of art. Especially when the field of art been dominated by males in past, making it challenging for females to gain their confidence and to compete. Keep digging for untapped talents. @stylesummitafrica

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  6. Oh My GoDddD! Thank you for introducing us to this fab artist, I love her postive and diverse portrayal of us, its hard to pick my favourite. The last one is pretty Boss though, I’d love to turn up to a meeting like this with my tiger as an accessory. Have a great wkend! ( :

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      1. You are expanding my fashion and art world each time I check out your posts. In fact, the September issue of “House Beautiful” showcased a designer who used a client’s collection of South African textiles to cover her dining room chairs – I found that my eye was drawn right away to the incredible colours and beautiful patterns!

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