{"id":13684,"date":"2026-07-15T17:33:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T15:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/linda-alves-nunes-founder-of-the-isse-by-lita-workshop\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T17:44:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T15:44:04","slug":"linda-alves-nunes-founder-of-the-isse-by-lita-workshop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/linda-alves-nunes-founder-of-the-isse-by-lita-workshop\/","title":{"rendered":"Linda Alves Nunes, founder of the Iss\u00e9 by Lita workshop"},"content":{"rendered":"<hr>\n<p><iframe id=\"ausha-z5jQ\" style=\"border: none; width: 100%; height: 220px;\" src=\"https:\/\/player.ausha.co\/?color=%23000000&#038;dark=false&#038;multishow=false&#038;playerId=ausha-z5jQ&#038;playlist=false&#038;podcastId=JZGq4uYEdgjN&#038;showId=qxYJmIJ4O3gr&#038;t=0&#038;v=3\" name=\"Ausha Podcast Player\" height=\"220\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><script src=\"https:\/\/player.ausha.co\/ausha-player.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2>A legacy woven from childhood onward<\/h2>\n<p>For Linda Alves Nunes, sewing isn\u2019t a late-in-life career change, but a return to her roots\u2014a family legacy that was evident from the very beginning. Born in Libreville, in the iconic Carrefour L\u00e9omba neighborhood, Linda grew up in a world filled with fabrics, patterns, and sewing machines. Her mother, \u00c1ngela\u2014an elegant woman with deep Spanish roots\u2014made local history by opening Libreville\u2019s very first haberdashery in 1965.  <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cEver since I was born, I\u2019ve been surrounded by everything related to fabric and sewing. When I was 5, my mom gave me a little sewing machine for kids. Since I didn\u2019t have any fabric scraps, I cut up the living room curtains to make a dress for my Barbie doll. That earned me a good scolding, but I was hooked. \u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Before devoting herself fully to the creative industry in 2021, Linda lived several lives in one. She worked successively in the airline industry, insurance, the commercial sector, and then in interior design. A person of mixed heritage with diverse roots, she defines herself as an \u201coctavone,\u201d possessing 1\/8 Gabonese ancestry mixed with a strong Andalusian heritage on her mother\u2019s side and Portuguese heritage on her father\u2019s side; she spent several years in M\u00e1laga, Spain. It is this cultural blend\u2014spanning the West, the Mediterranean, and Central Africa\u2014that today shapes the artistic direction of <strong>Atelier Iss\u00e9 by Lita<\/strong>.   <\/p>\n<h2>The Philosophy of Atelier Iss\u00e9 by Lita<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13673\" src=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-5.jpg\" alt=\"Linda Alves Nunes, Atelier Iss\u00e9 by Lita: Custom Tailoring  \" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-5.jpg 819w, https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2-5-480x600.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 819px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The brand name is a heartfelt tribute to its origins and to a certain vision of femininity:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>\u201cIss\u00e9\u201d<\/strong> is a word from the Gabonese <em>Nzebi<\/em> dialect that means elegance, beauty, and harmony. It\u2019s also a subtle nod to the Japanese master of draping, Issey Miyake. <\/li>\n<li><strong>&#8220;Lita&#8221;<\/strong> is a reference to \u00c1ngelita, the affectionate Hispanic nickname for her mother, \u00c1ngela.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Through her collections, Linda Alves Nunes aims to redefine women\u2019s presence and visual impact in public spaces. In a market saturated with demands where the body is often overexposed and bared, the designer advocates for an elegant, sensual, and modest alternative, bordering on <em>\u201cmodest fashion<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cOur body is a temple, something sacred. Exposing it without any filter makes no sense. You can be deeply sensual and sexy while wearing more modest clothing, enhanced by precise cuts, subtle slits, or well-thought-out draping that adds a sense of poise.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2>Eco-friendly fashion focused on fibers from Central Africa<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-13677\" src=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-4.jpg\" alt=\"Linda Alves Nunes Atelier Iss\u00e9 by Lita Ready-to-Wear\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-4.jpg 819w, https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/3-4-480x600.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 480px) 480px, (min-width: 481px) 819px, 100vw\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Linda Alves Nunes is one of those activist designers who refuse to take the easy route of adopting a uniform narrative on African textile identity. When asked about the systematic use of wax\u2014that industrially printed fabric\u2014her verdict is final: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cThese days, there\u2019s too much talk about the pagne. I\u2019m outraged by this because the pagne isn\u2019t African at all\u2014I want to emphasize that. We\u2019ve adopted it and integrated it into our culture, but it doesn\u2019t come from Africa. \u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>To fuel her creative process, Linda prefers to turn to truly indigenous materials. While West Africa has historically mastered the cultivation and weaving of cotton, Central Africa has developed other forms of ingenuity in working with materials. Linda thus conducts extensive research on plant-based textiles: <strong>raffia<\/strong>, traditionally worked by the Pygmies, and<strong>tree bark<\/strong>, which is beaten with mallets and then re-soaked to make it as supple and durable as fine leather.  <\/p>\n<p>To preserve these techniques and adapt them to modern needs, she actively collaborates with a 20-year-old artisan from the interior of Gabon. Together, they have taken on the challenge of building traditional looms. These tools, which previously could only produce narrow strips 30 to 40 cm wide, have been modified to produce fabric panels one meter wide. This technical innovation allows Linda to cut her pieces in a single piece, eliminating unsightly seams and ensuring a smooth, flowing finish.   <\/p>\n<p>Drawing inspiration from the four elements of nature (Earth, Air, Water, and Fire), she enjoys dyeing her raffia fibers herself using natural pigments and combining them with prestigious West African textiles, such as <em>Koko Dunda<\/em> from Burkina Faso.<\/p>\n<h2>A blend of high-end custom-made and ready-to-wear<\/h2>\n<p>Based in a workshop adjacent to her home in Libreville, Linda leads a team of three people, including one embroiderer and two seamstresses. This decision to operate on a small scale is strategic: it allows her to personally oversee every stage of garment production, from cutting and pattern-making to finishing and hand embroidery\u2014a craft she learned during her upbringing with the nuns. <\/p>\n<p>The workshop&#8217;s activities are organized around two distinct areas:<\/p>\n<h3>High-End Custom-Made<\/h3>\n<p>Designed for prestigious events, traditional weddings, or international fashion shows, this collection emphasizes total exclusivity and a personal connection with the client during fitting sessions at the showroom.<\/p>\n<h3>Limited-edition luxury ready-to-wear<\/h3>\n<p>Designed to meet the needs of a small community like Libreville\u2019s, Atelier Iss\u00e9 by Lita\u2019s ready-to-wear collection is produced in micro-batches of no more than five pieces per fabric. Linda designs versatile silhouettes, much like her signature jumpsuits, which she has been creating for the past five years. A \u201cthree-in-one\u201d garment can thus be worn casually, transformed for work, or paired with heels and a designer bag for a formal occasion. The atelier also offers a men\u2019s line of lightweight summer ensembles and suits that has been a huge success.   <\/p>\n<h2>International ambitions<\/h2>\n<p>In just five years since its founding, Atelier Iss\u00e9 by Lita has already gained solid international recognition:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The brand was named <strong>International Designer of the Year<\/strong> at a fashion show in Ghana.<\/li>\n<li>She represented Gabonese excellence at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, by walking the runway in the prestigious Women&#8217;s Pavilion created by <strong>Cartier<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>She designed the outfits for the iconic Gabonese singer <strong>Tita Nzebi<\/strong> for her concert at the French Cultural Center and for the cover of her latest album.<\/li>\n<li>Ella took part in the &#8220;Parlons Mode 241&#8221; pop-up event organized by model and entrepreneur <a href=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/dorine-x-mboumba-international-model-and-entrepreneur\/\">Dorine Mboumba<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In September 2026, the brand will reach another major milestone by participating in the prestigious <strong>FIMO<\/strong> (International Festival of African Fashion) fashion show organized in Paris by <a href=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/jacques-logoh-founder-of-fimo-228-the-lome-international-fashion-festival\/\">Jacques Logoh\u2014<\/a> a must-attend event for discovering African brands.<\/p>\n<p>Although she does not currently have her own e-commerce site, Linda Alves Nunes manages her sales directly through her studio in Libreville and on social media, while remaining open to partnerships with concept stores in Paris, Dakar, or Abidjan. By combining the resilience of artisanal craftsmanship with a modern vision of silhouette, Iss\u00e9 by Lita has established itself as a major symbol of Central Africa\u2019s textile excellence. <\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>Read also<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/azzedine-alaias-intimate-africa\/\">Azzedine Ala\u00efa&#8217;s Intimate Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/bethsabee-gabbay-a-cultural-producer-working-between-europe-and-africa\/\">Bethsab\u00e9e Gabbay, a cultural producer working between Europe and Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/african-textiles-as-a-vehicle-for-cultural-sovereignty\/\">African Textiles as a Vehicle for Cultural Sovereignty<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From M\u00e1laga to Libreville, Linda Alves Nunes is developing Atelier Iss\u00e9 by Lita by reviving traditional techniques such as raffia weaving and hammered woodwork. She offers a versatile and contemporary high-end clothing line. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[135,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-news","category-podcast-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13684"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13688,"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13684\/revisions\/13688"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africafashiontour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}