It used to be that the average young Ghanaian had dreams of going to school up to the tertiary level to graduate and get hired by a big firm. Lately though, Graduates and non- graduates have started moving in a different direction; they would rather pick a trade and start their own business in their chosen field. One of the most explored fields in this area is the fashion industry.
Some 20 years ago, only 4 names stood out as full blown fashion designers, Azedu of Shapes, Nallem, Kofi Ansah and Chez Julie. Check again today and there are close to 50 Ghanaian designers, some of them doing very well for themselves both home and abroad.
One such young entrepreneur, Ob Abenser, chose to start his business in the fashion field by bringing together all these burgeoning fashion houses under one roof to encourage healthy competition, creativity and create a platform for the consuming public to meet these designers one on one while satisfying their fashion shopping needs. That’s how Auntie Oboshie Shopping Festival was born.
Formerly known as the FashionistaGH Shopping Festival (FGHSHOP), Auntie Oboshie Shopping Festival has grown over the past 5 years into a formidable brand and the most anticipated fashion event on the Ghanaian fashion calendar. The show has recorded over 5,000 visitors at a single event which is huge for the Ghanaian market.
This past weekend 4th & 5th June 2016, the fifth edition of the shopping festival (the first as Auntie Oboshie) happened. There were over 50 fashion brands showcasing everything from accessories to jewelry, shoes and of course clothes for both men and women and children as well.
Ob Abenser believes that the African fashion space is yet to reach its full potential and the recent fixation on wax prints is only the beginning of bigger things to come.
There were a couple of designers exploring other indigenous Ghanaian fabrics like the Asante and Volta Kente and the rich fabrics from the northern regions.
Many of the vendors have online shops and are offering services like home calls and styling advice to help them stand out of the lot.
Also exhibiting were local cosmetics and personal care product makers who are also owning that space and spreading their wings out into other African countries.
Included in Auntie Oboshie’s repertoire are their lectures that school fashion house owners on the basics of business as well as fashion shows and a resourceful website offering fashion tips and other interesting reading material for the Ghanaian fashionista.
If the fashion industry is to grow into the multi-million Cedi industry we are all hoping for, it will take forward thinkers like Ob Abenser and his industry tailored ideas to get it out of the suckling stage to a full grown cash cow.