Shirts of Nelson Mandela showed he was true to himself: tailor

Nelson Mandela shaking hands with Pathe Ouedraogo

Pathe Ouedraogo can scarcely stay aware of interest for his "Madiba shirts" since Nelson Mandela kicked the bucket a week ago. 

The man whose colourful plans were made really popular by the opposition to politically-sanctioned racial segregation symbol has affectionate remembrances of his most high-profile customer, who was "not anxious" to show the planet who he was through his trademark colourful shirts. 

"All the shops have been calling," he said, raising his voice above the murmur of sewing machines and African music in his clamoring workshop in Abidjan, where in the range of 30 specialists were dashing to take care of requests. 

"We had an exceptional stock ready, however its all gone. We're making more," the tailorsaid, a measuring tape around his neck and clad in his own particular Mandela-style streaming shirt of blue and pink batik prints with yellow sleeves. 

In his boutique crosswise over from the workshop in the city's Treichville quarter, photographs of famous person customers line the divider, incorporating model Naomi Campbell, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, previous Un head Kofi Annan and, obviously, his favourite client Mandela. 

Ouedraogo said Mandela was a planet guide who set out to dress specially on the worldwide stage, avoiding the standard uniform of a dull suit to gladly wear shirts that commended African designs and colours. 

"The contrast with the others is that wearing my shirts he never asked: 'Does this suit me? I don't look crazy? Shouldn't I dress progressively like either head of state?' 

"He was somebody who... existed how he needed to live. He was challenging, he was not hesitant to wear this, he was not humiliated," Ouedraogo said. "He was not prefer the others."  

He said his association with the Nobel Peace laureate started "in 1994 or 1995" when South African vocalist Miriam Makeba purchased some of his shirts as a blessing for Mandela, and Ouedraogo tossed in a couple more. 

"Later I accepted a transcribed letter from him that said: 'The Africa of tomorrow has a place with the inventors of extravagance'." 

The pair met up close and personal in 1998, when then-president Mandela went through 30 minutes with him on the sidelines of an African summit. 

"Regularly when you are accepted by heads of state, there is a restraint between you. In any case not with him," Ouedraogo said. He reviewed how Mandela took him by the arm, tapped his head and said: 'There is a ton going ahead in this head here'." 

"He could have said: 'Who is this fellow, some creator or tailor?'... Yet he listened to me. He took me by the hand even extreme he had never reached me. We strove for a stroll in the enclosure."  

After that experience, Ouedraogo came to be reputed to be Mandela's tailor. 

His Pathe O shirts, which go in cost from 15,000 to 120,000 Cfa francs (23 to 183 euros) are presently sold in around twelve African capitals, and Ouedraogo promptly concedes he has Mandela to thank for being his brand represetative. 

"Numerous individuals profited from his name, incorporating us," he said. 

The Burkina Faso-conceived entrepeneur said he might go to South Africa without much fanfare to pay his last regards to Mandela, whose figure is lying in state in Pretoria in front of his burial service on Sunday. 

He said he needed to pass on his sympathies to Mandela's crew. "He was similar to a father to me."

On December 12, 2013