Sometime at Lusaka July 2017

Few weeks ago, PR Girl Media (Lusaka based PR and Events Company) invited Nadrey Laurent (formerly Totally Ethnik) to showcase at this year’s Lusaka July 2017.

It happened that I had to attend the event as the #PRGirl for Nadrey Laurent.

Love the beauty and energy the girls at PR Girl Media put into their event and really doff my hat to them.

The event was a sold out one. Zambian fashionista’s came out and did a massive appearance on the red carpet. They didn’t come to play at all.  Good fashion sense with great fashion show, loads of food and drinks.

This year’s event which was themed “African Luxury” really lived up to expectations with Special Guest appearance from Boity Thulo, South African fashion icon and media personality. From the red carpet appearances to the food, and drinks had the best of what a luxury event could offer. For the girls at PR Girl Media, they wanted nothing less than giving the guests an experience of luxury.

These socialites and A-listers, influences and celebrities showed up looking glamorous in their best outfits and also saw Africa's highest fashion on display with designers from Ghana, Botswana, South Africa and Zambia on stage.

The fashion show had some great designers such as Zambian based Esnoko, ChizO and Nadrey Laurent (formerly Totally Ethnik) from Ghana, Quiteira & George from South Africa and iZaura from Bostwana amongst others all showed the best of their pieces on the runway.

After the event, I had the opportunity to meet and chat up with these sisters who have become Zambian fashionistas and style influencers and were recently featured on CNN. Talked about many things relating to African fashion and also learnt a lot from each other. Wish them well as they put Zambian Fashion on the global map. I had a great time talking with them.

And then I found a great connection, the girls at PRGirlMedia (Chishi and Monde Nyambe) & MaFashio (Sekayi and Tukiya Fundafunda) are both sisters in business together. How beautiful it is to be in business with your sister. Cheers ladies, keep up the great work.

I did have a great time in Zambia and will keep the memories with me and hope to return sometime soon.

I will leave you with these photos…

Sekayi and Tukiya Fundafunda of MaFashio

Monde and Chishi

Costume by @Nadreylaurent

Faith Senam Ocloo 
Fashion Public Relations
 Fashion I Beauty I Lifestyle I Arts

Re-living Women in PR Ghana Seminar 2017

Speakers and Panelists -Women in PR Seminar 2017

On the eve of 1^st July, 2017, I felt a deep joy in my heart, not just because we have been able to pull off an event for the first time but to see something that has been on my mind for many years come to pass.

Right from this day in 2015 when I blogged this first post featuring Millicent Baku, PR at WAEC, the event idea started. Few years down the line, Women in PR Ghana Seminar officially launched.

It started sometime in 2012 when I joined a Facebook closed group page called Women in PR created by Ange Collins where she spear heads a Women in PR Summit as well as followed her blog and social media pages. I became a fan of all those activities and wanted so badly to see same happening here in Ghana.As they said, there is no original idea on this earth, the idea to have a women in public relations event was born out similar thing being done in US and Canada.

I had always wondered and wandered; why wasn’t such events or organizations in Ghana. Five years down the line, this has become a reality. Then I knew it was close to impossible to organize it because I was a recent graduate, I barely knew anyone in the PR industry talk less of holding a women in PR Seminar.

On Saturday 1^st July 2017, with the support of a great team and friends and people I call angels, we were able to pull off the maiden edition. In as much as I had very high expectations in terms of attendance because it was a niche event and companies were going to embrace it, it was a hard knack to crack. 

It was the first time so yes, doors slammed at us, people said No, heard the “I am Sorry words”, people changed their minds, people turned their backs, and the last nightmare was knowing one of leading speakers wouldn’t show up.

With a first event of close of 80 attendees, we could only be grateful. We had the likes of the President of IPR Ghana Madam Elaine Sam, Dr. Koryoe Anim-Wright President of African University College of Communications, Gifty Bingley Head of Corporate Affairs, Tigo Ghana and Cynthia E. Ofori-Dwumfuo (PR Business Leader, Ogilvy & Mather Ghana) all as speakers.

And had a panel discussion moderated by Akosua Ogyiri Kwafo (Communications Professional, Stratcomm Africa) will have panelists to include Joyce Ahiadorme (Sustainability and Community Affairs Manager, Voltic Ghana), Paulina Kuranchie (Head of PR Department, Ghana Institute of Journalism), Afia Drah (Head of Public Relations, Trust Hospital) and Fati Shaibu (News Editor, e.TV Ghana).

I am confident of how far this event will go to affect the practice of Public Relations in Ghana, build a great community of professionals and serve as a resource platform for many of us.

I know I have made my appreciation post on Facebook already but I will still want to thank everyone who believed in this idea and has not stopped supporting us to keep the flame alive.

We are already thinking about the next edition. Feel free to share your ideas on how we can improve and become better.

See you at the 2018 edition.

Cheers

Speaking to the IPR President and AUCC President before the start of the event

Photocredit: Shotbyese & Faithful Spirit

Faith Senam Ocloo 
Fashion Public Relations 
Fashion I Beauty I Lifestyle I Arts

Totally Ethnik Rebrands to ‘Nadrey Laurent’

Totally Ethnik, one of the leading fashion brands in Ghana on the 30th June 2017 officially rebranded to Nadrey Laurent. Many have asked what inspired the Rebrand as they love Totally Ethnik anyway.

It became necessary at this time as the brand is gaining more global attention as well as making great in-roads onto various fashion markets.

So here is to why we did a rebrand: Totally Ethnik was established in 2013 as a home/interior décor company which later transitioned into a clothing brand. Overtime, we have had the feedback on the name Totally Ethnik especially when foreigners come into contact with the pieces, they expect the name to live what they see(must be totally ethnic). You know what I mean, must be african prints or completely African and be as ethnic and possible. 

Truth be told, our pieces are a mix of anything the designer is inspired by.  The designer doesn’t want to be boxed into making collections with only prints or African fabrics. She loves to have the creative freedom to express herself, hence we realized that the name “Totally Ethnik” was becoming a limitation.

Now on Nadrey Laurent; with a desire to have personal connection our customers, we decided to have a name that will connect easily with our customers as well as give it an international appeal.

Nadrey Laurent therefore is my love, my heart for Nadrey in a (local dialect in Cote D’Ivoire) which is also the name of the Designer's first daughter and Laurent which is also the name of designer’s father whose fashion sense serves as a source of inspiration to her.

So yes, we are now Nadrey Laurent. The name change was done together with the official opening of Nadrey Laurent Flagship shop in East Legon near A&C Mall same building as Hair Senta New Shop.

It is located on No.24 Jungle Road, East Legon.

Hope you will stop by soon to check out the place and our new collection below:

Visit www.nadreylaurent.com to see more

Designer                              :              Marie Kipre

Models                                 :              Naadei, Kenza & Nii Otoo

MUA                                     :              Makeup by Asare

Photography                    :              KlassyFilms

Stylist                                  :             Sarah Ferdjani

Accessories                        :             Odara, Muggs Jewellery

Directed by                        :             Mareep Production  

Faith Senam Ocloo 
Fashion Public Relations 
Fashion I Beauty I Lifestyle I Arts

While I've been away; The Life of a Ghanaian Fashion PR Girl

Photocredit: PRGirlMedia

I know I have been missing on my blog for the past month or so. It’s been a crazy season for me. I have had to triple my efforts to make these 3 events come to live. I will share a post for each of them in my subsequent posts.

Firstly, is the “Rebranding of Totally Ethnik to Nadrey Laurent” coupled with a new shop opening which took place on the 30^th of June 2017 and then the “Maiden Edition of Women in PR Ghana Seminar” event on the 1^st of July( organised myself and team) and then and finally my trip to Lusaka on the 6^th of July 2017 for Lusaka July 2017 on the 8th in Zambia as the PR Representative for Nadrey Laurent.

Combining fashion and Public Relations has been one of the greatest career decisions I have had to make. As crazy as these 2 industries are, one needs to learn to be up and about all the time.  No off day, off hours always on the go. It's been exciting and fun moving from these 2 spaces in time and reminding myself that they are 2 different love(s) I have to deal with. 

I am going to share what these events are and how what my role was with you in my subsequent posts. I am sure you will appreciate and share your thoughts as well.

Cheers

Faith Senam Ocloo 
Fashion Public Relations 
Fashion I Beauty I Lifestyle I Arts