Designer Sasa Mou, Creates Portals for Feeling, Freedom and Dance Through Fabric
“I want dark-skinned girls to know that this is a space for them.”
sasa mou, Dallas born and Seattle based designer, is at the center of our first spotlight conversation with the apparel designer and creative spotlight. She is the force behind apaansasa, a strikingly whimsical fashion brand where she ‘makes everything from scratch!’ When I began exploring different modes of storytelling, I knew amplifying local Black, femme-owned brands deserved a space to shine on the blog. The more I spoke to sasa, the more I understood how influential their self-directed brand has become to young Black girls. apaansasa is beyond a fashion brand—it extends as a portal for creative freedom and tool for ancestral reclamation.
What is the name of your brand and how would you describe your brand’s style?
sasa: It's called apaansasa and the brand style is very feminine. Sometimes it's kind of playful and kind of silly, a little bit simplistic. Personally, it's a bit rebellious in the way I use colors or the way that I'm able to play with hemlines.
What does apaansasa mean and what is the background of the name?
s: apaansasa just means—Sasa’s home in Dinka—a dialect spoken by the Dinka ethnic group of South Sudan. apaansasa is rooted in this desire I have to feel at home and to feel good in my body and the space that I'm in.
Losa: I love that you integrate your cultural heritage into the fashion brand ethos to create this ethno-synthesis—the process of combining multiple ideas to create something new from different sources.
Venus Eye 1 Ceremony Model Amour
At what point in the journey of the brand did you start to sew and design new garments?
s: I came up with apaansasa at the end of 2020, and it was at a time I didn't really know how to sew, but I always knew I wanted to pursue fashion. I was a Fine Arts major at the time, and I started with a lot of hand sewing projects and upcycling denim by sewing a bunch of different lace trims or painting on clothes.
My first official runway collection was in 2022. I did a runway show with MESH (a UW based collective of fashion designers & enthusiasts). Back then I had taken one or two sewing classes. Currently, I'm in an apparel design program so I'm learning everything from pattern making to construction. It's not as creative, but I am learning a lot.
“apaansasa is rooted in this desire I have to feel at home and to feel good in my body and the space that I’m in.”
You've also done collaborative fashion shows in the past. How did those come about?
s: I was hanging out with my friend Elena, who I met through MESH and one day we thought we could [plan a fashion runway show] ourselves. Our first fashion event series together was Venus Eye, and we hosted two runway shows. It was a learning process—not only having to design a collection in a short period of time but also figuring out everything that goes into event production. The fact that I was able to do it with her, Elena, was really helpful because I don't think I would’ve been able to do it completely on my own, from the jump.
Venus Eye 2 Ceremony Show Models Ayan, Jade, Yarangel
Who has been your major fashion influences or inspirations in your life or career?
s: I'm not super into a lot of designers the way that I feel people expect me to be. I'm more about culture in a sense or what the girls are into. In terms of designers, I’d say Sandy Liang, but I have a love/hate relationship with them.
Would you say your inspiration derives from a particular type of expression that or do certain fabrics and shapes resonate with you?
s: A bigger source of inspiration was my prom dress. I was looking everywhere, trying to find a dress for months and everything was just ugly to me until I went to a vintage shop. I found this 1940s slip dress, all silk and lace, it looked beautiful and draped perfectly. In that moment I wanted to know, what was different about that vintage dress compared to designs we have today and how I could make something like it.
L: Inspiration ignites from an experience or feeling while wearing a garment and enjoying the way the garment fits and the fabric composition looks and feels on your body to achieve an enhancement of self-expression and perception.
Venus Eye 2 Ceremony Model Cypress
“Sometimes it’s kind of playful and kind of silly, a little bit simplistic. Personally, it’s a bit rebellious”
We talked about your brand style being inspired by the girls and what is relevant in feminine spaces—are there ways you’ve incorporated Sudanese culture into apaansasa’s creative process?
s: For me it's more about spirituality and the way I like to dance—that's how I feel [spiritually] connected. I'm always thinking about dancing whenever I'm designing: what my body needs to feel, the garment structure needed to hold a certain posture, also how clothing can enhance body movement. I like the way my aunties talk about dance. That is really important to me.
L: I love that the fundamental design process is to enhance movement for dance and how dancing is in many ways both spiritual and cultural. For a lot of African people dance is such a cornerstone of our culture, healing, and play.
I’m fascinated by the way that you envision and design for the functionality of play. With apaansasa, the designs enhance the body as the source of sequenced movement; while dance transmits culture, emotion, divine connection and belonging.
Roots of South Sudan: Beads and Threads a South Sudanese Fashion Affair Models Abuk, Yarangel
You made a call to find South Sudanese and dark-skinned models for your fashion show, which has been both a significant and integral practice to showcasing your work. I appreciated how intentional you were about this, especially because of how pervasive colorism is within the industry and truthfully, our world. Many designers, modeling agencies, and the industry at large do not priortize highlighting dark-skinned women and femmes. Will you share more about this?
s: I always want black models in general, but in a lot of media, if there’s a black person, it's usually light skinned person. I really want to focus on the dark-skinned girls and being able to make an impact. It's really sweet that a lot of girls will come up to me and say they feel seen and soft. Centering blackness in general is important because even if [fashion runways] are diverse, it's not as diverse as it can be. This is showcasing that dark-skinned women is my standard. This is how I want other people to be introduced to my brand. I want dark-skinned girls to know that this is a space for them.
“apaansasa’s designs prioritize the body in as the source of sequenced movement; while dance transmits emotion, divine connection and a sense of belonging.”
What are your thoughts on circular fashion and what ways do you promote sustainability as a fashion designer?
s: I’m working on a very, very small scale right now so the biggest thing I can do is use natural fibers for pieces. Design wise, that's where I have the most control. If I'm going to buy something, I ask myself, can I reasonably wear this for the next five years? Is this something that a customer would want to have in their closet for five years or will it be thrown away?
L: I think that's a powerful place to be in as a designer, you are being intentional about your design objective. Critically thinking and measuring construction, consumption and waste reflect a thoughtful and conscious framework to wonder ‘what is the life cycle of this garment that I'm making?’ Unlike the fast-fashion industry that is more concerned about constantly selling trendy styles to build profits rather than considering the impact on the planet or communities.
As a follower of your work, I'd say a lot of your designs feature garments that I can see people wearing many years down the line. The collections you’ve created include versatile staples that still exemplify apaansasa’s romantic and rebellious flair while being easily styled into any wardrobe. They are timeless.
s: Thank you.
Venus Eye 2 Ceremony Model Maya
L: What piece of advice do you have for emerging designers or creatives?
s: Put yourself out there. If there’s a collective runway show, be a part of it. Being a part of a community is absolutely the most important thing—it’s the biggest thing you can do for yourself. Don’t think of it as a competition, think of it as expanding your worldview. You’re expanding the ways you’re able to create. I would not be able to do any of the things I’ve done if I didn’t have several people share their own knowledge, time and skillsets with me. Say yes to different projects, even if it’s a little bit scary, you learn to figure it out on the way. In terms of design advice, I spoke to this professional and they said since you're in school you need to choose a brand/item you like then figure out how to construct it and make it your own without necessarily copying. That’s perfectly fine when you're starting out.
L: I loved the ‘I Think I’ll Be Beautiful Forever’ runway show meets dance party. We were dancing our booties off for hours and you hopped in the DJ booth. What else can we expect from you and the future of apaansasa?
s: I wanna learn more music. I love cooking and I’m always cooking for friends. More writing, during my Venus Eye show, I shared a poem related to what is happening in Sudan and Gaza and myself. I want to share things that relate to the world even if it isn’t necessarily fashion, but political in terms of what is being made and how we choose to practice labor in fashion. Finding different avenues to express myself and to feel free is something that I’m always trying to find.
I’m finishing the last two quarters of school so I’m currently creating a three-piece collection for my graduating showcase, and we’ll have a final runway show at the end of June.
“Being a part of a community is absolutely the most important thing—it’s the biggest thing you can do for yourself.”
I could conclude this interview without gashing over my favorite apaansasa designs so I’ve included a gallery of mine and sasa’s favorite shots. Trust me, you will be gagged.
Thank you sasa and thank you reader! Be sure to follow @apaansasa’s wonderful journey on IG. If you enjoyed this article, please share a love note and pass on to a friend.
Images courtesy of Alé Hernandez, Bianca Recuenco, Briana Owusu, Elena Qiu, Emily Un, Ethan Chiem, Hana Hong, Kaya Nieves, Liv Carpenter, Maxine Eve, Miranda , Mirko Clarke, Peter Demonte, Rianna Pangelinan, and sasa mou
“Hard times require furious dancing. Each of us is proof.”
