Burkinabe Designs

Accessories – Charlotte

I was Born Emilienne Ouedraogo In a small village outside of Ouagadougou Burkina Faso. I was adopted by European and American parents at the age of five months old. I lived in different countries around West Africa including Mali and Benin until I was 10 years old. moving to the US from Africa was VERY hard for me. My Parents chose Hillsborough NC to raise my brother sister and I. I being the youngest and only adopted child found myself often entertaining myself alone at home and ostracized at school the world just didn\'t \"Get\" me. there came a point where my parents did all they could to console and comfort me, growing up in \"rural\" to say the least Hillsborough was very hard. After the rejection and my continued efforts to fit in failed, God sent me art, and the passion that I cherish so much today-DESIGN- began. It took me a quite a bit of time to become proud and not ashamed of my heritage. Speaking French as my primary language and being African was something that I rejected for so long. But when I finally embraced it, I began to LIVE and not SURVIVE. There is a big difference. I started by designing personalized jeans for people. I wanted everyone to have something that Defined their personality. I then went to college and started a socially conscious graphic-t line. Midway through College I started making custom accessories, and so Burkinabe Designs was born!!!