Why?
Because it is the Atelier.Atelier with a capital A.
One of the most inspiring places I have seen in Mauritius so far.If not the most inspiring.
I am talking about Possal by Sweetie Ramlagun's Atelier at Avenue Boucan, Phoenix (Opposite Jumbo,the road leading into the residential quarters).
Once you reach a couple of metres or so into the road,it hits you.The house.
The haven.
The wonderland of childish fantasies come to life in architectural magnificence and off the chain style.
The sanctuary.
Pure awesomeness.
Here is my Possal experience about to begin!
So as I was saying above,once you go a little further up,you see a yellow chimney.
It makes all the other houses around look bland,no kidding.The house alone seems to act as a portal to another dimension.It just oozes chic, style and originality.
I step inside to find logs,plants and the like.Very tropical Mauritius with an urban comfort living touch.
It's all beautifully thought of and executed in an artistic yet practical manner.
The serene beauty of the automotive world,the mechanics,the engineering,and the spirit of the soul come together as one to create what is a sanctuary,imbuing with energy not only the designer but the client.There is so much to take in,so much to observe.Every single piece has been created with an astounding degree of precision-art meets practicality.
Sweetie told the designer Emilien Jubeau exactly what she wanted and he designed everything which was then approved by her."He organised everything with his team,like the car engine-I'm crazy about cars and mechanics!I love the architecture of buildings and car parts!"
She says her workshop is her dream.It was a dream just being in there.
A trainee working on a piece of fabric (left).
Everything is eye catching and needs to be taken in.Take the pipes,for instance.They are painted in black with colourful accents,their spaghetti structure winding
through the room.They also serve as lights.
When I say everything has been catered for,I do mean everything.The walls are painted,and so are the chairs,the doors,the ceiling. The furniture has been chosen with the greatest care,the artwork placed in the right spots.
I have never seen this before.I feel like it's a true privilege,an honour to step in here.Yet everything feels so friendly and welcoming!
Sweetie herself fills the whole house and its occupants with delightful energy, her thin,elegant frame winding through the workshop as she shows me around.
Every room has it's logo,relating to the mechanics of the body as well as those that go into producing the clothes.
Every piece has a relaxed atmosphere but there is so much work going on.What I appreciated as well was that she included a kitchen for her employees. Most people wouldn't have done that-they would have said that they could just walk and go to Jumbo if they wanted food.
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I even got to see the pieces she was working on!She has quite a large file where she keeps her drawings of the clothes she's working on.
She concentrates a lot on the architecture of the clothes and in the small details - you can see it in the designs.There was a dress for instance,that was completely transformed just by the detailing on the neck.All of the pieces transform the woman to another league.It's like somebody waved a magic wand and poof,the magic happens!
She doesn't only design for the young women of today-she makes older women in their 70s look absolutely fabulous,and men too.
Older women tend to have difficulties finding a shop they can go to that won't give them some shapeless bag to put on.That's why either they go to a tailor, or wear something a little age-inappropriate,or buy the shapeless mush.I saw the designs that she created for a wedding for a woman that was about 70.
It gave her a complete body makeover thanks to the architecture of the dress that lifts,cinches, gives elegance and timeless appeal as well as being appropriate for her age. She also designs menswear.Here,men aren't gaga over eccentricity or flamboyance.She knows this.She has designed a range that appeals immensely to the Mauritian man of today-it's simple,effective and everything is in the details.For instance,there is a white shirt with a twist-it has buildings printed on them that can only be seen up close,or when light illuminates underneath the fabric.
There was a rack of some pieces at the back of the room,which she showed me.
Amongst them was the green version of the pink dress bought by Laura Gucci the night of the Heat Final.I was really happy to see the dress up close - there is just so much more detail present than one could imagine, from the loose structure of the sleeves to the perfect overlapping of the fabric at the bottom.
No wonder Gucci was impressed.
There was also a black dress consisting of multiple thin layers of fabric which was FABULOUS.It wasn't finished yet but I'm already saving up to buy it.It's the glamour of a forgotten era.
You see,whether you go to Europe,Asia or Africa,things have become very commercial.Nothing has been meticulously prepared.After the great recession,businesses had only one goal:to make money. If you want something of Possal quality abroad, you have to pay quite a lot for it. That's why vintage has become something of a mot d'ordre - vintage basically means exclusivity,something reminiscent of the forgotten glamour of the years before money was everything.
With Possal,you get quality,timeless clothing of that glamour. Where the small details really count.
Another piece that caught my attention on the rack was a skirt.The amount of patchwork,beading,stitching that was in it was mind-blowing.
She showed me her bureau upstairs.If you were anticipating something in wood,prepare to be shocked.
It's the engine of a car,mixed in with a fan,with a machine a poutou and I think I saw a watering can.
At one end,you see a mirror. It's a trompe d'oeuil. It is in fact a door that leads to her room.
Behind Sweetie's chair,lies the Possal artwork.
She is truly the it girl of Mauritius right now-model,designer and entrepreneur extraordinaire. But the 'it'status will last forever - she has created a legacy through Possal. On top of all of that,she is really friendly and down to earth.
Some people say that girls can't have it all.They can't be beautiful,talented,clever and successful.You never hear those words about men-it's a sexist mentality present throughout the world.
Sweetie possesses all the qualities above and then some.But the quality that she has above everything else is perseverance.
She has worked extremely hard to get where she is.Nothing came easy for her,nothing was given.Everything that she has,she fought for it,worked for it.
One of our national icons and a true role model.
Please visit the atelier,people. It's so worth it. Pictures can only convey a fraction of what you feel being in there!
Possal by Sweetie RAMLAGUN
boucan road, morcellement boucan phoenix
email: possal77@gmail.com
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Have a great week and amazing weekend,people!
xoxo
Alex
