Accra Fashion Week
Africa is learning to become leader in a new world. It was now the turn for Ghana to host its fashion week. Accra Fashion Week finally happened.
The scene was set in the beauty and splendour of the Nkrumah Mausoleum which stands in the heart of Accra. The columns made for a very unique back drop to showcase the FNEtia brand. After much hard work nothing prepares an emerging designer for the overwhelming emotion of seeing your work on the catwalk. It was a great privilege to be able to compliment some of the other creations on the catwalk with my jewellery. Designers, Levis Le Createur and Clavon Leonard.
As I travelled to Ghana my heart was firmly set on this programme. Pumped and ready to go and achieve an amazing goal showcasing FNEtia to the my beautiful Ghana. In preparation I collaborated to direct the campaign shoot, to one of Africa’s leading fashion extravaganza. As the pandemic reached its peak the show had to be postponed. A new dated has been set for December 10-13, coined Virtual Insanity.Now that the world has had to learn a new order, Africa is about to do it in extraordinary fashion It promises to be an exploding show stopper to lifts spirits, after such a difficult period.
Global Fashion Week
I was rather privileged to gain an opportunity to work with one of the most amazing designers from the USA, Clavon Leonard. He saw my work and complemented me on my unique style and asked me to join him at the Global fashion Week. There is a collaboration that would be amazingly simple here so lets watch this space
Combining Creative Art and Finance
Project 841
Covid19 sort to wreak havoc on many lives, we lost so many loved ones. Almost a negative aspect to our daily lives yet amidst it all some of us found a silver lining. It made me sit up and use my skill, amazing what how many of us can say we learnt as a new skill or simply homed in on, what was there already due to this pandemic. In collaboration with my sister at Dua Pa we created Project 841. Seemingly the pandemic was not all we had to consider, but the mere fact that as black people we had to change the narrative in ensuring support for each other’s business. In this we would help raise our own social economic profiles, therefore providing for ourselves at a time of a crisis. Taking this business unusual approach may become the bounce back many small businesses could adopt.
As creative director I managed, organised logistics and concepts for the shoot utilising our beautiful Ghanaian surrounds rather than opt for a studio.
This first project for Project 841 took on 8 designers bringing together our various products in one arena. It was a great experience for many of us. Which gave us all the opportunity to bond and showcase the talent that Ghana has to offer the world.
This was covered by;
Also covered by Media outlets such as the local paper, Daily Graphic, in raising awareness for this initiative.
The second part of this project, dubbed Yaa Asantewaa sort to support women in business. Much light has been shed recently on women now taking a seat at the table and we decided that this should be our mantle as part of the history of the year that stood still, that is 2020. It has been a very strange year but we wanted to take the initiative to add a sparkle of hope and positivity to our work. With lessons learnt as a result of part 1 of this project. We set new parameters such as setting launch dates and building our audiences up to the big reveal. As women warriors, working together we beat the age old portrayal holding each other up, fixing the other’s crown along the way. Big sister and mentoring aside, and in true Due Pa fashion of collaboration and growth we learnt a lot from each. The end of the
project spells the beginning of a great business partnership and a beautiful sisterhood of friendship. Members of a matriarchal society we showed exactly why we are the glue.
Meet the Warrior Shepreneurs
Once again the Dua-Pa initiative brought together a group of creative minds for the third collaboration of Project 841. In the face of adversity BOLD AS BAMBOO was born. Our shoot took place around the beautiful botanical gardens in Legon. Each project has tested us all and taught us about resilience. The current pandemic continues to revolutionaries the way we work and this shoot was no different to the others.
My pieces from this showcase was however a representation of a how the whole world was dictated in 2020/21. BLM, Covid 19 and many political issues.
My piece I made with the Ghana flag upside down,’Renewal’, was to show the land that saved me at a very troubling time. I turned it upside down to show that at the time the land was also upside, yet it sought to renew me while remaining me of the home I left as a child.
My second piece, ‘Strength’, was my chance to depict all we saw in 2020/21 and how much the world persevered through it all. Finally,’Splendid beauty’, a realisation and appreciation of how beautiful a home our motherland is.
IMAGE GALLERY
Odo Fever
FNEtia jewellery was showcased on the sister channel of TV3, Onua TV as part of the the new show Odo Fever.