Marie Paul is family-run, built by Chris Ikana, his brother Winner Ikana, and Marie Paul Bidi. We are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and that background is not a marketing angle for us. It is the reason we treat clothing as a responsibility.

Marie Paul Bidi has been sewing for over 25 years. She learned in environments where speed was demanded and standards were unforgiving, then brought that discipline into Charlotte production work, including military industry sewing, where the work has to be right the first time. When you grow up watching skill get built like that, you stop calling it talent. You call it sacrifice, patience, and repetition until the hands do not miss.

Chris Ikana has been sewing and designing for 10 years, learning by doing, taking garments apart, rebuilding them, and studying why certain silhouettes carry authority in a room. He started Marie Paul because he refused to let Marie Paul Bidi’s craft stay invisible, and because he wanted a house that honors the people behind the stitch. Chris and Winner invested real capital, real hours, and real personal risk, not as a side project, but as the foundation of the house.

Marie Paul operates within Ikana Industries, which means we think long term and build systems, not just drops. We want the highest level of fashion without leaving people behind. We aim to make garments that hold posture, honor identity, and last for years, for clients who care about meaning as much as appearance.

Marie Paul. Made to honor the people who wear it.