Taking Over Ghana Fashion and Design Week Twitter Handle

PhotoCredit: Yaw Pare

I had the privilege of taking over the twitter handle for Ghana Fashion and Design Week 2016 a few weeks back. This simply meant, I was in charge of sharing all that was happening during the fashion week, from the business seminar, backstage, runway, exhibition and all that took place during the period.

This year’s event took place at the Labadi Beach Hotel from the 21^st to 23rd October 2016.

Themed the “Neo Africa”, the event had a runway presentation of new season collections from designers shaping a new Africa fashion in the mix with other international designers and presentation which paints and shows the new season trends.

The 3 days event started off with a business seminar held earlier in the day with seasoned speakers who shared insights on critical and creative thinking in business innovation and brand development.

The 2 days fashion show had mostly young emerging designers showcasing their to the admiration of attendees. Interestingly, these young fashion talents such as Sama Flether, Steve Frenchie, Tutuwaa by Afua Biney, BLVCK St by Shika Odamtten and Owusu Kofi will be a force to reckon with in the near future in our fashion industry.

Other designers who were also impressive on the runway with their collection, fabric and design finishing were Bello Edu, Hazza Official, Ayo Van Elmar, Amarelis and Nomades.

Ghana Fashion and Design Week has positioned itself as a globally recognized contemporary international platform for commerce, envisioned to direct, lead and promote both emerging and established designers and creative entrepreneurs in Ghana and Africa to a global audience.

I hope fashion entrepreneurs as well as fashion students will take advantage of these opportunities such as the business seminars and event to expand their knowledge on the business side of fashion in order to build successful brands that transcends the barriers of this country and continent.

As one of the fashion events to look out for every year, I hope next year will get bigger as designers will be able to participate and showcase their designs to a larger audience in order to grow our fashion industry.

With all said and done, take a look at all my outfits for the 3 days event fully sponsored by @Totally Ethnik. I am looking forward to 2017 already.

And ooh thanks to GFDW for my Mercedes Benz Exclusive ride throughout the 3 days. 

Day 1 look

 

With Marie, Totally Ethnik Designer

Photo Credit: Nana Asempa Retold 

Laurie Frempong,(Model and Blogger), myself and Marie

With Asempa, Photographer(Nana Asempa Retold) 

Wish this car was mine

Day 2 look

While i wait for the show to start

Day 3 look

Photo Credits: Nana Asempa Retold & Yaw Pare

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

TOTALLY ETHNIK's New Collection is Simply Refreshing

Totally Ehnik "Dolce Vita"

There is really an inner joy to see hard work pay off. This recent collection by TOTALLY ETHNIK has got us hyped up. From the Model (Julee) to the photography (Dextdee Photography), the Makeup Artist (Pretty Touch_gh), to the one who directed most of the photography (Marie Patrice, Mareep Production) to the location (Aqua Safari) , this lookbook is simply refreshing.

Dolce Vita means “Living the sweet life”. It was themed with the famous Dolce & Gabbana lemon print which expresses the sweet and beautiful life through an array of sunshine filled with stripes, crepe, chiffon, lace and raffia.

Each piece was pulled together "to define our creativity beyond barriers and culture. It’s a statement of how luxury blends Western and African Trends; our versatility and warm personality anywhere at any time." Marie Kipre, designer explained to me while I was drafting the press release for this collection.

Dolce Vita is Totally Ethnik’s expression of beauty, elegance, happiness and resourcefulness

Dolce Vita: Living the Sweet Life.

Designer                    : Marie Kipre

Model                         : Julee Djoulde Bocoum

MUA                           : Prettytouch­­_gh

Photography          : Dextdee Photography

Directed by             : Mareep Production 

Fashion PR            : Faith Senam April

Check out thfull collection below:

Which of these would you love to wear? You can simply own one by contacting Totally Ethnik via their social media handles and website :

Website: www.totally-ethnik.com   Facebook: Totally Ethnik     Twitter: @totallyethnik

Instagram: Totally.Ethnik


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

My simple thoughts on Glitz Africa Fashion Week 2016

The 2016 Glitz Africa Fashion Week took place last weekend at Kempinski Accra Hotel amidst all the excitement from many fashion lovers.

The 3 days event held fashion shows for established designers, emerging designers as well as graduate designers from both Ghana and Nigeria who took on the runway to showcase their most recent collections from womenswear, menswear and accessories.

Designers as well as stylists took the opportunity to also exhibit their creativity beyond barriers to visitors among who are fashion buyers, retailers, local and international press, bloggers, editors and style influencers.

Designers such as Mai Atafo, Totally Ethnik, Selinabeb, Swarovsky fashion show by Ophelia Crossland and Abaya Dake were my favorites from the runway.

Other designers such as Okahari, Annesi Bespoke, Ejiro Amos Tafari, Jessica Torks, Amarelis, Lumiere Couture, Melanie Crane, Sima Brew, Tokyo James also showcased very amazing pieces.

There was a “Fashion for Help” fashion show which saw some celebrities such as Nanaakua Addo, Victoria Michaels, Adina, Vanessa Gyan, James Gardener, Nikki Samonas, Harold Amenyah and Joey B strut the runway in designer outfits that will be auction to raise funds to support charity. I think this was really a great idea to help a good cause.

Day 1 had very few attendees as I believed people did not turn up because it was a Friday and a working day and they were tired from work however day 2 and 3 had much more attendees.

Candidly, anticipation was high for Glitz Africa Fashion Week 2016 as there was a no show last year. I was expecting to see many well-known designers from many other African countries when the schedule was out as I believed designers needed the platform to showcase their collection to all who matter in the fashion industry. This wasn’t the case as many known designers especially in Ghana did not showcase at this year’s event.

All the same, I believe it was a good show especially after they missed out on last year and trying to pick up the pieces again. I hope next year gets better for both designers as well as the event organizers.

Myself on the last day

Faith Senam Ocloo 

Fashion Public Relations 

Fashion I Beauty I Lifestyle I Arts

Ghana’s Turn of Fashion Weeks Comes off this October

If you are into fashion, then you should know by now that the 4 big cities of International Fashion Weeks took place in September from New York, London, Milan and ended in Paris last weekend.

Clearly it’s the turn of Ghana’s Fashion Week spread through the month of October as we have 3 major fashion weeks coming up. Glitz Africa Fashion Week and Accra Fashion Week are both slated to take place during the same weekend from October 6-9 at the Kempinski Hotel and Trade Fair respectively and Ghana Fashion andDesign Week is scheduled to take place from October 21-23 at the Labadi Beach Hotel.

With these fashion weeks ahead and expectations varied from various attendees and designers, what should we be expecting from fashion weeks here in Ghana?

Fashion shows or weeks are trade events that are critical for the apparel industry everywhere. It offers designers the platform to communicate or showcase recent fashion trends to various audiences. It also gives creative entrepreneurs an opportunity to be exposed to retailers and buyers of interest, influential media both local and international where designs are showcased. In essence, it’s a platform that connects designers to all several consumers.

With the increased number of street style photos and glammed up front row attendees at fashion shows, don’t be deceived into thinking it’s all about partying, meeting friends and taking nice photos. Fashion week is a place of work; a place where you need to maximize your business and networking abilities to lock the best deals for the next media feature, brand endorsement, pre-orders amongst others. 

As designers, it’s the best place to impress attendees with your creativity as you present your collection to them.

So who attends fashion shows? Editors, Buyers, Stylists, Fashion Journalists/bloggers, Style Influencers, Creative Directors, Fashion Publicists, Models, Photographers and Fashion Consumers.

These varied attendees at fashion weeks have major roles to play in how designs will be reported or featured after the event. It also determines which one of them will be interested in buying, stocking or working with a design off the runway.

So planning on attending any of these fashion weeks coming up? Hope you find yourself in any of these categories of the attendees above. Nonetheless if you don’t belong and still want to know what’s happening there, then do follow their various hashtags and handles on social media to get all the updates from the seminars, backstage, runways and red carpets.

Photocredit: +Totally Ethnik

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

RECAPPING MY JULY MONTH

Photo Credit: Dextdeephotography

July month started off on a really exciting note. Am sure you have by now seen and read 2 or more articles on my column "Fashion & More with Faith Senam" published in the Business and Financial Times weekend paper.

"Fashion & More with Faith Senam" column as the name suggests is anything about Fashion, Lifestyle, Beauty and more in Ghana. From tips, features, events, spotlights etc

I couldn't be any much thankful. Its really worth a good chilled jar of beer (lol, as if I drink beer). 

But hey, am really thankful to Bernard Ashiadey, of the B&FT for the opportunity to continue to share some of the works I started on this blog few years back to a more larger audience. 

Thanks to you Gameli Hameleo (Livefmghana), Ebenezer Anangfio(Ghanagist), Ghanaweb for the publication. And to you all for every like, retweet, reshare and repost. 

If you havn't read any yet then check here, here, here and here and look out every week for my column and articles.

I also had the opportunity to speak to some young ones during the African University College of Communications (AUCC) Open House Session on the impact of AUCC on my career and professional life and why they should make AUCC their preferred choice. It was indeed an honor.

I know August will be a new level after attending all the 5days straight annointing and soul uplifting Greater Works Conference. Am challenged to pursue and receive the perfect gift God has in stored for me.

Thanks to @DextdeePhotography for the photos during our shoot for Totally Ethnik's new Collection at Aqua Safari, Ada (Such a beautiful place).

See you in August. Am out! 

Faith Senam 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.

Mercedes Benz African Fashion Festival and Style Lounge This Weekned

We are getting ready for another busy weekend even though tomorrow is a holiday. The Mercedes Benz African Fashion Festival (MBAFF) 2016 is happening this weekend at the World Trade Center from Friday 1st July - Sunday 3rd July. See below for details of timings for each event as well as schedule for the runway show.

Another refreshing thing happening as part of the #MBAFF2016 is the "Style Lounge" which takes place on the 2nd July from 8am-2pm at the same venue. Its nig

The event will be hosted by Model and life Style Blogger, Laurie Frempong with Naa Adjeley of Trends n Blends as Trendcaster. It will also feature a number of speakers who will share their experiences on various fashion and style topics.

I hope you will be there and while there, dont forget to hashtag all your posts to #StyleLounge2016 & #MBAFF2016.

I have grabbed a seat. See ya!

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