A Loss For African Fashion

I’ve been out of the loop for a while, avoiding Ghanaian news, because it was all just so depressing, with reports of the Cedi (Ghana's currency) steadily decreasing in value and talks of increased water and power cuts. So imagine my shock and dismay, when I learned this past weekend that Kofi Ansah passed away at the beginning of this month at the age of 62! One of the few Ghanaian designers to become successful internationally, he has always been someone I have admired from a distance and I had harboured a secret desire to see one of his fashion shows live, especially now with my move to Ghana. Alas this will never be. Life is not fair and tomorrow is not promised friends, its always sad when people who are at the forefront of promoting Africa and its people through their artistic expression pass away.

A fashion and design graduate of London’s Chelsea School of Art, Ansah was a pioneer in the African fashion community with his designs gracing the catwalks of Paris, Milan and London. His designs were sold in retail stores and boutiques in London and the US including Saks Fifth Avenue. As a couture designer, his eye for detail was lauded. He had an undeniable signature touch of using quilting, embroidery and appliqués in the womens- wear he designed. He mixed Western contemporary designs with the richly textured and boldly coloured fabrics African clothing is known for.

Below is his collection from Tigo Glitz Fashion Week in 2012 where he received a lifetime achievement award

He was the Creative Director of Artdess Limited, a design and creative concept company he founded in 1998, which he used as a platform to design clothes and promote the fashion industry in Ghana. An avid believer in mentoring and supporting likeminded individuals, he held workshops for young and emerging Ghanaian designers; oh I wish I could have attended one of those, just to be able to pick his brain, and understand how he persevered in a business climate that views fashion as a frivolous industry that generates no profit. And also to discuss his design process, consistently coming up with designs that were cutting edge and inspiring is no mean feat.

Ansah was a winner of the Millennium 2000 African Fashion Awards and the winner of the Ghana Quality Awards Diamond Division October 2003 for clothing and design with his company Artdress LTD. He also designed the costumes for the opening and closing ceremony of the CAN 2008 African Cup of nations staged in Ghana. He was a founding member as well as a past president of the Federation of African Designers.

My favourite and most memorable collection by him would have to be his S/S 2009 haute couture collection debuted during Rome Fashion Week and some say changed the way people viewed African fashion forever! On the runway we saw models in mod style clothing and African print leg warmers, in the ever classic black and white colour trend of that season. but most importantly we see THE HEADWRAP!! And from my previous OOTD, you guys should know by now that I love a good headwrap.

Below are some pics from that timeless collection:

In 2011, June Ambrose came out with a collection of turbans that funky fashionistas like Solange and Amber Rose started rocking. But this look did not come out into mainstream fashion until after his 2009 collection. Various collections by other designers have since then, added turbans to their collection and used more African inspired print fabrics and I like to think they were inspired by him and that timeless collection of 2009.

House of Dereon's S/S 12

Solange Knowles and Amber Rose in headwraps

June Ambrose Turban Collection

His sudden death came as a shock to friends, family and the African fashion industry. He will be buried in a weeks time and our thoughts and well wishes are with his family. Kofi Ansah brought African style to the forefront of international fashion and has helped shape more trends than we can begin to imagine, his unique, glamorous, daring take on fashion will be sorely missed.