10 Fashion Brands in Ghana that pushed the PR Button in 2016

As I did last year, I shared my 10 fashion brands in Ghana I thought have pushed various aspects of the communication mix to get their brand out there. This year has been not been an impressive one for many fashion brands. 

That notwithstanding, some few brands have still managed to push further and keep working to create some visibility for their brand. Some established brands are fading off whiles some emerging brands have made good in roads this year and 2017 could only get better for them.

Below are my 10 Fashion brands in Ghana that have worked pretty hard this year to put their brand on the radar and create brand presence both online and offline through fashion events and shows, lookbook/collection launch, product/celebrity  placements, media features, awards amongst others.

1.    Sima Brew

This brand has become the go to for many female celebrities. There was no single major event in 2016 that won’t see a celebrity in a Sima Brew Gown. Celebrities such as Selly Galley, Zynnell Zuh, Berla Mundi, Becca, Joselyn Dumas amongst others have been seen in one Sima Brew dress or the other.

The brand also won Red Carpet Designer at the Glitz Style Awards 2016 and Designer of the Year at the Ghana Fashion Awards and also showcased at the Glitz Africa Fashion Week 2016. With such remarkable brand positioning, 2017 can only get better for this brand.

2.    Abrantie The Gentleman

This brand is almost becoming one of the strongest brands in Ghana. They have remain consistent over the last couple of years. They launched 2 collections in the year; AYEYI and GMAN Collection with a buzz on both traditional and social media.

ABT The Gentleman showcased at the SA Menswear Week, African Fashion Week Amsterdam, Durban Fashion Fair and Mercedes Benz African Fashion Festival. The brand was also nominated as Designer of the Year at Glitz Style Awards and Ghana Fashion Awards and won Designer of the Year at Afroma Awards. Their brand visibility this year is commendable.

3.    Totally Ethnik

Totally Ethnik one of the top fashion brands in Ghana have launched 2 collections this year; Dolce Vita and Colors of the Earth which gained several features in top fashion blogs and also generated several media buzz.

Totally Ethnik showcased at the Mercedes Benz African Fashion Festival and Glitz Africa Fashion Week. They were also nominated for Glitz Style Awards and Afroma Awards as Designer of the Year.

The brand have worked in creating not just presence in Ghana but also in Lagos, Abidjan, Kampala, Kigali, Paris, Geneva by stocking their pieces in shops and also organized private sales events in several cities. Celebrities such as Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Bolinto, Sandra Ankobia, Toke Makinwa have been spotted rocking a Totally Ethnik dress. I see this brand making greater strides in the coming year.

4.    Atto Tetteh

This brand is one of the emerging brands that have made great inroads this year. They started off the year participating at the Accra Men’s Fashion Week and then at the Glitz Africa Fashion Week. Their 2016 collections Tohazie and Artisan have been really impressive.

They were nominated as Emerging Designer at the Glitz Style Awards and won Emerging Designer at the Ghana Fashion Awards. Celebrities such as Stephen Appiah and Okyeame Kwame have been spotted in an Atto Tetteh outfit. With such progress made already, we can look forward to better 2017.

5.    Christie Brown

Being one of the ‘role models’ in modern day Ghanaian fashion, Christie Brown has managed to still keep up with being on the list of top fashion brands that have still been pushing hard to keep up with their brand presence. Even though this brand did not participate in any fashion show all year through in Ghana, they however launched 2 collections which created a buzz among fashion lovers all over including a feature in the Teen Vogue.

6.    Charlotte Prive

Charlotte Prive this year worked on making their brand visible at most trade and exhibition events held all year through as this earned them great brand presence within the fashion space. They won Designer of the Year at Glitz Style Awards and also participated at Flower and Garden Show event organized by Stratcomm Africa.

7.    Studio 189

This brand which recently opened its shop in Accra launched its first collection in 2013. They recently showcased at the Lagos Fashion and Design Week, being the only brand from Ghana to have participated at that event. They have gained several media features among which were a feature in vogue.

8.    Selinabeb

One of the very few accessory brand, Selinabeb has continued to create visibility for its fashion brand by introducing a collection called the Stars Collection which featured several top Ghanaian celebrities such as Sandra Ankobia, Joselyn Dumas, Berla Mundi, Kokui Serlomey and Victoria Michaels.

They participated at the African Jewelry and Accessory Fashion Week and Glitz Africa Fashion Week and also won High End Fashion Accessory at the Feminine Ghana Achievements Awards and also participated at several trade fairs among which was the annual Guba Expo event in London.

9.    AfroMod Trends

Being a ready to wear line, Afromod Trends brand’s marketing strategies have made it the go to brand for many smart and easy going women. Their collections for 2016 Elegance Fugu and Canvas of Dreams gained some media attention.

Celebrities such as Sandra Ankobiah, Naa Ashorkor, Yaayaa are mostly seen wearing Afromod Trends at different events and created some visibility for the brand.

10.  Brommon Bespoke Menswear

Brommon Menswear is one of the top handmade suits based in Ghana.  The brand has become a strong force within the menswear space. Prior to its launch and after its launch mid this year, the bespoke brand has position itself as a go to for menswear style inspiration. Personalities such as Nana Asante Bediatuo and Bola Ray, Stephen Appiah have been seen severally in a Brommon piece.

My expectations for 2017

Going into 2017, I wish designers and creative entrepreneurs be more creative through research, learning and investing in building strong and recognizable brands that match global brands.

By Faith Senam Ocloo

The writer is the founder of E’April Public Relations, a boutique PR firm. Senam is a fashion public relations specialist with interest in fashion, beauty and lifestyle. She can be reached on +233272686959, faithsenam@gmail.com, @senamapril on Instagram and @faithsenam on Twitter.

Kindly note photos used here are not my personal photos

Building a Global Fashion Brand

Fashion is one of the oldest industry in the world. It has existed many generations before us and will continue to exist years to come. The likes of iconic and talented designers such as Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Dolce and Gabbana, Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld amongst others have built brands that have become recognizable anywhere.

 Fashion is influenced by different factors and incidents happening around us. It has evolved over time with many fashion brands of their time working so hard to create a brand that will transcend all barriers and become acceptable worldwide. For instance, we’ve known the Christian Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga etc for their distinct brand identity.

Fast forward to Africa in recent times, many big talents have emerged and are gaining global attention in the fashion world. They are working tirelessly to create their own unique aesthetics and signatures that will be seen as unique, African and at the same time match up global brands. The likes of Deola Sagoe, Taibo Bacar, Christie Brown, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, Lisa Folawiyo amongst others have been seen on international platforms where they have shown their creativity and talent as proud African Designers.

 So the question is how do you build your fashion brand into a global one?

Research and know your trade

As a designer aspiring to grow and become internationally recognized, it’s prudent to know other designers who have treaded similar paths and how they made it. Through research, you can learn from them as well as know how you can incorporate our African heritage, culture, fabric, textures into your work to create your own distinct and unique designs.

 Create unique aesthetics for your brand

From your fabric choice or customized print to the designs, colors, silhouettes and the finishing of your pieces, you have to create that feel that makes your brand stand out from any other. Make sure all your online and offline feel are in sync to give an overall experience to your customers.

 Identify your market

Knowing your target market influences your choice of fabric, pricing, design and marketing promotions. This helps to choose which market your brand will sell and which ones will not. For instance, you need to know your market level to know where to position your brand in the value chain and what kinds of people you want to wear your cloths.

 Move from passion driven to business model

Many emerging designers have started their fashion brands as a result of their passion for fashion. As much as passion driven is a great thing, your brand needs to grow beyond your love and passion for fashion into a business. You need to begin to see yourself as an entrepreneur in order to move the brand to a bigger level. This also means that you need to know the right time to get structures in place that will enable the business to run effectively with or without your involvement in every aspect of the business operation.

As a fashion designer looking to build a brand that is recognizable globally, the aforementioned could be helpful in positioning your brand as one of the best on the continent.

Article was first published in the Business and Financial Times Weekend Paper

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

Why your fashion business needs Public Relations

Public Relations (PR) has become very important not just to large corporations but also to fashion startups and fashion businesses. Fashion is a business and must be treated as such if you wish to position your fashion brand to match global brands.

I have in recent times applied to international fashion shows and events for some fashion clients, and as part of the application process you are asked to fill in your PR Representative or PR agency. 

This has become necessary because the efforts and support that PR provides to a fashion business cannot be ignored or downgraded.

Many have asked at what stage of your fashion business you need a fashion PR expert’s support. Is it when you can afford or when your business exists after a number of years? I will say the very day you start your fashion business, you need to start applying PR efforts and then tag along the expert as your business grows and is able to afford an expert’s service. In other instances, the expert can come in right from your product development and messaging before the launch of your fashion label.

A fashion PR specialist would be responsible for liaising with fashion media and bloggers, write-ups, overseeing product launches, co-branding and placing products with retailers, collaborations among other duties as follows:

PR manages your overall communication

Public Relations as it is known manages communication between an organization and its publics. It helps you better manage the kind of information you want to communicate to the various publics you deal with. As a fashion business, you work with customers, bloggers, fashion media, buyers, stockists, influencers/celebrities etc. It’s the PR specialist’s responsibility to ensure that your messaging is consistent with your offerings. They would advise what you communicate, which channel/medium is the most effective and reaches your target. Managing your overall communication also means pitching your brand to fashion media and bloggers to keep you constantly talked about in the media and within the fashion space. With social media as a driving tool for many successful businesses, PR assists with managing both your online and offline presence.

PR helps to build mutual relationship

In the business of fashion, you engage with different kinds of people and you need to establish mutual beneficial relationship with them. People such us Bloggers, Celebrities, Buyers, Customers, Media, Stylists etc. Fashion PR specialists help you to establish and strengthen your relationship with these people as you grow and expand your brand through creative promotions and collaborations. For instance, advise on the kind of collaborations that will be appropriate for your brand and which ones will conflict the image of the brand.

PR manages the image of your brand

One of the most important tasks of a fashion PR specialist is to ensure that your company’s name remains on customers’ shopping lists. The brand must be managed to be positioned as a top of mind brand to heighten its appeal among its target market. This can be achieved through constant features in print and electronic media, participation in trade shows, product placements, blogger/influencer collaborations, fashion shows etc. This will maximize visibility for your brand and make your company known.

Your fashion business needs PR in order to create and execute effective communication strategies that will grow and strengthen your brand identity.

Photo Credit: Elle Lokko Store

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

10 Ghanaian Fashion Brands that pushed the PR button a bit further in 2015

Top Ghanaian Fashion Brands for 2015

It's been an amazing year for some Ghanaian fashion brands especially those who have made significant efforts at promoting their brands throughout 2015.

 Also, alot has happened within the fashion scene in Ghana for the year 2015. We have seen some new brands making in roads onto the fashion scene, while a few existing ones are also still pushing harder their PR and social media buttons to still stay relevant and for some others I can only say they are fading off.

 The year has also seen events such as the Fashion Icons Awards 2015, the launch of Glitz Style Awards and Afroma Awards, and also the returned Ghana Fashion Awards.

 Fashion Weeks and shows such as the Ghana Fashion and Design Week, Mercedes Benz Africa Fashion Festival, Expressions of Accra, FashionistaGH shopping festival amongst others also gave designers the opportunity to exhibit their collections.

 Here are my top 10 Ghanaian Fashion brands(in no particular order) that have created brands that transcended barriers and borders and have pushed the PR button a little real hard in 2015 through each collection, photography for their lookbooks, social media, websites, nominations and awards, fashion shows, celebrity placements and features and the media buzz that comes with it. 

These very little things communicate what their brands have been doing all year through thus gaining industry and media attention:

 

1. Totally Ethnik

 Totally Ethnik started their year with a feature on the front cover of Glitz Africa Magazine when they provided oufit to style the cover girl Joselyn Dumas. Their 2015 collections; Feline and Ebene were really impressive and had lots of media attention and buzz from fashion bloggers across the globe.

 The team also participated in Mercedes Benz Africa Fashion Festival, Accra, Salon Boucle d'EBene in Paris, Ghana Fashion and Design Week, Ethnodence Fashion Weekend in Belgium, Black Fashion Week in Paris and Africa International Fashion Week in Nigeria.

 The brand won Emerging Designer of the Year at the Afroma 2015 Awards prior to that was also nominated at the Glitz Style Awards, Ghana Fashion Awards.

 Celebrities such as Lydia Forson, Caroline Sampson, Victoria Michaels, Christabel Ekeh and Afua Rida have all been seen in Totally Ethnik outfits.

 With all these in a year, we can only get excited for this brand in the coming years.

 2. Selina Beb

 Selina beb is a Ghanaian fashion brand that specializes in quality handbags and clutch purses. These are made from genuine leather and African prints.

 This year, the brand participated in a number fashion shows. Notable among them is her participation at the Africa Fashion Week London as the only Ghanaian Fashion Accessory designer  for 2015, Guba Expo 2015, Expressions of Accra and have also exhibited at almost all fashion exhibitions held within the year.

 Selinabeb also emerged as the Accessory Designer of the year at the Glitz Style Awards and was nominated at the Ghana Fashion Awards.

2016 could only get better for this amazing brand.

  

3. Abrantie Clothing

This year has been the best year so far for the Abrantie brand. Having won 3 awards in 2015, Oheneba Yaw Boamah can only be smiling all year through.

The brand started the year with the Alewa SS2015, then the Checkables Collection and crowned the year with the Sahara Collection.

Abrantie Clothing won the Next Rated Designer of the Year at the Fashion Icons Awards 2015, Designer of the Year at the Glitz Style Awards 2015, Designer of the Year at Afroma Awards 2015 and nominated at the Ghana Fashion Awards.

The brand also participated in the Mercedes Benz Africa Fashion Festival, Accra

Durban Fashion Fair, South Africa 2015 and Milan Expo 2015, Italy.

Lets get ready to ramble in the Abrantie way in 2016.

 4. Pistis GH

 Pistis has managed to still pitch its tent at the top in the 2015. You are most likely to find a celebrity on the red carpet at most big events wearing a Pistis.

  

This gave them the recognition hence winning the Red Carpet Designer of the Year at the Glitz Style Awards and Fashion Design Brand of the Year at the Ghana Fashion Awards.

  

Another interesting space that this brand has captured is the making of traditional gowns for brides during their marriage ceremony.  The statement made with their designs fused with Kente and sometimes lace are colorful and very unique .

5. Papa Oppong

Papa Oppong Bediako popularly known as Papa Oppong is a fashion designer, illustrator and a graduate from Radford University College.

Papa is known for illustrating a lot of celebrities in Ghana and beyond; among them is Amber Rose, Rihanna, Ty Hunter, Yvonne Nelson, Lupita Nyong’o and many others.

This young chap was featured earlier this year on Forbes as “The 15 Young African Creatives Rebranding Africa” 2015 list, featured on CNN African Voices, collaborated with the bespoke Jewelry curator Anita Quansah London for her SS Tribe Vibe Collection.

He also worked with other brands such as cosmetics giant MAC and Dutch wax fabric company Vlisco. He attended "Designer Meet and Greet in DC"in November.

There is a lot more we are looking forward to from the Papa Oppong brand come 2016.

6. Christie Brown

The brand Christie Brown, has become a household name. The brand has managed to still keep their brand top of mind all throughout 2015.

Earlier in the year, they launched their SS15 Collection and crowned the year with the Coup de Class Capsule which was extravagant and got a lot of fashion eyes turning.

The Christie Brown statement neckpiece has been there all through the year and have also provided outfits for celebrities and graced some media platforms.

 7.AAKS Handcrafted

 A.A.K.S was only launched earlier this year but the brand has caught the hearts of many fashion enthusiats with its colorful handcrafted bags.

Established by Ghanaian Designer Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, the brand has already been shortlisted as emerging designer from Africa by Vogue Italia, featured by Elle South Africa, Elle Spain,  Anthropologie, participated in IED Moda graduate show in Millan and also featured in the Guardian as .

The brand is a force to reckon with going into 2016.

 8.Poqua Poqu

PoquaPoqu is a luxury Pret a Porter women fashion brand. This brand is working real hard in keeping its place as a ready to wear brand for the everyday woman, be it casual, chic or sophisticated.

Starting the year with its all white "ASEDA" Collection that looked really gorgeous and then managed to keep the pace by participating in several trade shows and fashion events such as designing an outfit during the launch of the Lux new fragrances.

Celebrities such as Becca, Anita Erskine, Afua Rida, Kokui Serlomey and Damilola Attoh have all been seen within the year rocking one Poqua Poqu outfit or the other.

The brand has also provided outfits to style celebrities for Glitz Africa Magazine

 9. Alinafe

The interesting and exciting thing about this brand is that, it gained 3 nominations in 2015 at the Fashion Icons Awards, Glitz Style Awards and the Ghana Fashion Awards thus grabbing the attention of many industry players.

Being a former Vlisco Fashion Fund Winner, the brand has collaborated with Vlisco on a number of projects throughout the year. Celebrity musician Irene Logan is mostly seen in an Alinafe outfit.

10.Lumiere Couture

Lumiere Couture started the year off with the outdooring of its SS15 Lookbook called Identity. This was followed by their participation at the Africa Fashion Week, Nigeria

The brand also received some media buzz after it was nominated and won Emerging Designer of the Year at the Glitz Style Awards and was also nominated at the Ghana Fashion Awards 2015 and Afroma Awards. They as well designed an outfit for one of the Lux fragrances during the Lux launch.

They ended the year with the Resort 2015 Collection.

My Expectations of 2016

Going into 2016, I see a new crop of young talents springing up and gaining much media attention.

I expect designers to invest in their brand, create unique brand identity, invest in Public Relations to promote their work and help shape their brand image. 

I hope to see originality, creativity and pure passion for fashion and am sure i will be seeing you again by the end of 2016. Prosperous 2016!

By:

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