About Pagne Lifestyle

Pagne Lifestyle’s roots are based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where Founder and CEO Elizabeth Jaffee first fell in love in with African wax print textiles known as “pagne” while serving as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State.  After years of designing products for herself, friends and family, Pagne Lifestyle was established to bring the joy of pagne to a broader audience.  Pagne Lifestyle designs and produces beautifully handcrafted pagne products while also supporting improved livelihoods, skills development and economic opportunities for our producers in the DRC and the United States.

Meet our Congolese Collaborators

Pagne Lifestyle is pleased to collaborate with Lebrun Bangala and his team at LB Design as part of our mission to partner with talented designers and producers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  Lebrun Bangala, a native of Kinshasa (DRC), discovered his passion for fashion as a young model.  After being encouraged by industry leaders who recognized his talent, he successfully started designing his own creations, including in collaboration with Woodin and Vlisco, before eventually founding his own couture house, LB Design.  LB Design creates a range of couture products for individuals and companies in Africa, Europe and the United States, including Pagne Lifestyle.

Our Local Partners

Stich-Ed Together Pagne Lifestyle

Pagne Lifestyle is excited to partner with the Ethiopian Community Development Council, African Community Center of the DC Metro area (ECDC ACC DC)’s Stitch-Ed Together program. Stitch-Ed Together supports skills development, community integration, and livelihoods and economic opportunities for refugees and immigrants in the Washington, DC area.  Through the Stitch-Ed Together partnership, specially produced Pagne Lifestyle products are handcrafted by participating refugee and immigrants in Stitch-Ed Together.  Participants in the program receive both training and a portion of the sales of each product.