From a passion to a brand: The journey of Alicia Issaka, founder of KÔYÉ
Some brands are born from a business plan. KÔYÉ was born from a memory. That of a little Parisian girl, hand in hand with her mother, roaming the fabric markets. It wasn't just shopping. It was a ritual. An initiation. There, Alicia discovered the materials, the textures, the stories hidden behind each fabric. She didn't know it yet, but this is where the seed of KÔYÉ germinated.
Elegance as a heritage
Born in Paris in a vibrant and multicultural neighborhood, Alicia grew up surrounded by strong and elegant women. Her mother, a key figure in her childhood, introduced her to the world of textiles at a very early age. This emotional connection to materials became a fascination: understanding how a fabric can transform a look, but also a posture, a confidence, a presence. Far from imagining herself as a designer, she first developed a vision that quickly transformed into instinct.
It was while traveling in Ephesus that intuition became vision. When a woman told her the story of a garment passed down from mother to daughter, Alicia understood that she didn't just want to dress: she wanted to tell a story. This is how KÔYÉ was born. A brand like a textile story, designed to last, to resonate, to accompany.
KÔYÉ was officially born in Paris, then came to life in Barcelona, Alicia's adopted city, where light and vibrant energy meet the refinement of the French capital. This dual anchor forges the brand's DNA: structured yet light silhouettes, subtle yet powerful details, noble yet vibrant materials. Each piece embodies a perfect balance between tradition and modernity, femininity and elegance, ambition and softness.
Fabrics that carry soul
At KÔYÉ, fabric is always the starting point. Alicia chooses them first by touch, guided by sensation more than by appearance. She tests them, folds them, brings them to life before even designing her pieces. Favoring local, committed and ethical suppliers, she selects noble materials such as silk, lace, velvet... avoiding artifice to keep only the truth of the material. Because for her, a garment must be able to age, live, be passed on. It must be inhabited, carrying a soul.
And this soul is also reflected in their names. Ephesus, Palmyra, Fergana… Each KÔYÉ piece bears the name of a city, chosen not for its geography, but for the universe it suggests: an emotion, a light, a buried memory. Alicia draws on sounds, cultural resonances, and landscapes to name her creations. It's a way of extending the story beyond the fabric: making you travel, dream, and leaving it up to each woman to write its meaning. Each garment then becomes an inner postcard, an invitation to remember, to feel, and to exist.
Created to last, designed to enhance
KÔYÉ is not a seasonal brand. It's a brand of conviction. It rejects mass production, fleeting trends, and dictates. It offers sustainable, demanding fashion, designed for free, active women who want to combine style and meaning. Women who express themselves without needing to speak.
Among the house's iconic pieces, the Samarcande dress and the Hérat top embody this philosophy. The former, designed from the brand's inception, combines power and fluidity. The latter, versatile and precious, reflects the rhythm of today's women: a meeting in the morning, dinner in the evening, but always with the same confidence.
KÔYÉ doesn't seek to disguise but to reveal. Alicia wants to support women in their evolution, their impulses, and their complexity too. As she says so well: “ Fashion is much more than just clothing. It's a form of personal and cultural expression. You are the heroine of your own story, and our creations are there to accompany you at every step of your journey.”
Today, Alicia Issaka embodies an inspiring role model for all those who dream of transforming an intuition into a project, a passion into a vocation. With KÔYÉ, she has created a space where beauty rhymes with high standards, where elegance becomes a tool for self-affirmation.
What if clothing was also an act of courage?
