SEASON Meets: Aïssatou and Soulemane Tounkara — SEASON zine: Fashion + Football

Words Llivane Lawson
Photography Madeleine Penfold
Film & Edit Mia Lewis

We’re only a few seconds into our phone call and I sense that Aïssatou Tounkara and I have a fair bit in common. As two French Black women who moved abroad to pursue their passions, we swiftly connect and move from one subject to the other. We touch upon our careers in England — she played with Manchester United for a year until August 2023 while I’ve been a Londoner for almost a decade. We discuss our ethnic backgrounds from West Africa — her roots are in The Gambia, and my family originates from Togo. The conversation swirls around our tight-knit family bonds — I grew up with three sisters and in comparison, she has been surrounded by six siblings. And as it turns out, the youngest might ever so slightly be her favourite. ‘It’s quite funny because that’s what the rest of my family often makes fun of us for. I just think it’s because Souleman is my little brother and I’ve always felt very protective of him.’

Cue Soulemane, the little brother, who joins us in the call a few minutes after Aïssatou. The young man is relaxed — despite his big sister’s lighthearted warning that he’s ’awkward’ – and as calm as his sister. It’s a weekday at 10PM CET and the French defender for Paris Saint-Germain, 28, just wrapped up a long day of training. The siblings’ poise and studied pauses are suspended mid-air between questions and answers. Sharing our personal experiences, we use the informal ‘tu’ instead of ‘vous’, as if I had known the pair for years and we were casually catching up.

Aïssatou stars in a new photoshoot with her brother Soulemane, captured by London-based photographer Madeleine Penfold. A storyteller at heart, Madeleine, who previously shot Arsenal and England legend Rachel Yankey OBE and 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff, turned her lens towards the Tounkara siblings for an intimate and reflective fashion series back in May — an ode to the beautiful relationship the two subjects share. ‘This was all Madeleine’s idea,’ Aïssatou reveals. ‘She had already photographed me last year when I was playing for Manchester, and she thought I was quite good. I’m used to working with her, so she talked me into the idea of shooting me and my brother.’ Soulemane, 24, is a professional model, walking in shows for the likes of Givenchy, Valentino, Jacquemus, and Balmain. He was definitely ‘more comfortable than me’, Aïssatou warmly describes. ‘During the shoot, he was the one guiding and giving me directions, which is funny because I’m the big sister.’

Madeleine perfectly captured the alchemical bond that links the Tounkara siblings. The pictures were shot on the outskirts of Manchester when the model was visiting his sister for a few days — Aïssatou and her team were just about to play a big game at Old Trafford. Scenes of the duo climbing trees and playfully chasing each other in the green outdoors encapsulate childish innocence, pure joy, and sibling love. ‘That’s exactly how we act in real life too. Whether it’s before one of my games or Souleman’s runway, we are constantly involved in each other’s life,’ Aïssatou shares.

‘Football came to me very naturally. As a kid, I would play at school or with my friends in the “quartier”,’ she adds. Starting with the Buttes-Chaumont FC aged 13, Aïssatou signed with Atlético Madrid and moved to Spain from 2018 to 2022. While she describes ‘a rather simple, traditional progression in football,’ I sense both measured pride and humbleness in her words, a sign of her maturity and finesse.

Together, we move onto the face of women’s football in France, a sport that has increasingly gained followers over the past few years. During the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the France vs Australia quarter-final gathered an audience of 5.7 million viewers, an unprecedented number in France for a Women’s World Cup game. In comparison, the BBC recorded a towering-high total of 12 million viewers for the coverage of England vs Spain in the final. ‘As much as French football has enormously progressed, I feel like we still don’t get the same support as let’s say, in the UK or Spain, the new World champions. Last year, when I was in England, I felt like there was more passion coming from the supporters who really rooted for their players. People were excited for the games ahead.’

I note how the French squad is one of the most diverse teams in the world, with half of the players coming from African and Caribbean backgrounds. Could there be a link between the lack of engagement for such a diverse team and the current social and racial tensions in the country? Aïssatou is hesitant to answer. ‘Honestly, I don’t know. I’m not the best person to give you an answer. Our family grew up in a very diverse area in Paris, and today, I’m super comfortable with my multiethnic team. While we played the Euros last year in England, I remember that a lot of journalists were curious about us — they were surprised to see people from so many different backgrounds in the French squad. And that was cool. But for me, we just play as Les Bleues, that’s it.’

Selected in the French national team to compete in the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the Women’s Euro 2022, and the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Aïssatou’s path as a defender has been paved with remarkable opportunities and continuous family support. ‘I always loved football and I regularly come to watch her games. Where I can, I give her advice,’ says Soulemane. ‘And it goes both ways with Aïssa; I was lucky enough to do a job in Madrid when she happened to be there. So, I invited her to see the show backstage, to see the outfits. I loved sharing this moment with her.’

Soulemane’s own career kicked off five years ago after being scouted in the street and introduced to 16Paris, the boutique modelling agency. From there, his success story is filled with back-and-forth flights between Milan, Florence, and Paris to walk for designers (MSGM, Jil Sander, and Versace to name but a few) or feature in lookbooks for Lacoste, Zara, and Prada x MyTheresa. ‘You know that feeling, that rush of adrenaline just before a game starts? I feel that way too, before I walk on the runway.’ Although his job is to patiently put on, take off clothes, strike a pose — and repeat — Soulemane is pleased to find similarities between his world and Aïssatou’s. ‘Like her, I get to travel to new places, meet new people from all over the world, work in many different ways. That’s what I love about my job.’

I ask him about the Maison he dreams of walking for one day. ‘Vuitton.’ he replies without hesitation. ‘Pharrell Williams’ first show was highly-anticipated and he set the bar very high. From the pieces to the location and the people he brought... it was so much more than just a ’fashion show’. I also feel like I learned a lot about fashion from Virgil Abloh.’

Would he be interested in pursuing a career as a stylist? ‘For the moment, I don’t know yet, but I’d like to explore further and pursue other interests — whether it’s acting, consulting, or becoming a content creator. But, the most important for me is to stand out without losing my character.’ Note to myself: I’ll have to keep an eye on his Palm Angels and Dior-filled Instagram account (curated by his sister), to find out more.

As my conversation with the Tounkara siblings draws to a close, I ask Aïssatou and Soulemane what’s next? She wishes for a bright future filled with titles, for her club and Les Bleues. For him? More runways in Paris, London, and Milan, of course — and to explore the fast-growing fashion scenes throughout the world, from Seoul to Dakar. Wherever Aïssatou and Soulemane Tounkara are, they always find a way to find themselves and each other.

Creative Team
Producer / Art Director Ruby Richardson
MUA Chelsea Graziano
Stylist Sara Luxe
Retouch The Observatory London

SEASON meets: Aïssatou and Soulemane Tounkara, PSG footballer and fashion model, on their alchemical sibling bond