THE GOAL EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME LAUNCH BY STANCHART GHANA

 

This Monday, I was privileged to witness the launch of GOAL by Standard Chartered Bank Ghana under the leadership of their Chief Executive , Mansa Nettey, at the Right to Dream Academy, Old Akrade.

The objective of the GOAL initiative is to enable young girls between the ages of 12 to 20 in urban areas from low-income families with financial education and life skills so that they can play active leadership roles in their families, communities and economies.


To support the GOAL project, employees will volunteer their time by offering financial education , organising GOAL events , mentoring the girls and offering their skills to support their NGO partners .

The programme seeks to empower adolescent girls using sports and life skills so they can make informed choices and to fulfill their potential. 

GOAL is a global programme of Standard Chartered Bank that has since its inception in 2006, reached over 200,000 girls in 25 countries equipping them with the confidence, knowledge and skills they need to be integral economic leaders.
The programme aims to reach 600,000 girls by 2018.

 The colorful event brought together staff of Standard Chartered Bank , government officials ,media houses , journalists and bloggers.
There was a beautiful display of football by the girls of the Right to Dream Academy to climax it all.

Check out some of the photos from the event below.
 

 

 

 

 
 






 

 

AUTHENTIC PRINTS: ONE FASHION BRAND AT A TIME

With the influx of "cheap" prints on the Ghanaian markets, it is common to see most brands and consumers opt for those prints to save cost whiles sidelining textile brands like GTP, Woodin, Printex among others.


I keep asking myself "Do these textile companies stand a chance against these cheap Chinese fabrics?"

Because not only are these prints cheaper, some are actually imitations of authentic print designs.

It is however commendable to see that a local fashion brand , LOVE ANKARA, chooses to only work with authentic prints.
The brand is making a strong statement by their stance and deserve to be appreciated and supported.











 

I am sure if other brands follow suit , we will be able to reduce if not completely eliminate these cheap prints.

To curb this menace on our markets is going to take great effort and time . But all hope is not lost, the honours lies upon us as consumers and fashion brands to pick a side. To only use authentic prints , not just those by big companies but also those by small scale local textile manufacturers.

We all need to make an extra effort however we can to make these cheap and imitated prints unattractive.
With brands like LOVE ANKARA, I believe we can achieve this earlier than we think, ONE FASHION BRAND AT A TIME.

Let's keep the conversation going.
What's your take on this topic?

 

Photo Credit: LOVE ANKARA

MY CURRENT OBSESSION: LOVE ANKARA FLATS

 

Hello Loves, I hope May did not take you by surprise as it did me. We are going to be alright nonetheless :-).

Everyone who knows me, knows I love sneakers (Tomboy problems lol) and the only thing I fantasize about all year would be swimwear (a contradiction maybe).

Now let's talk about my current obsession, shall we?
I'm not a ballerina kind of girl but Natives by Love Ankara got me all excited about flats, from their Eco-friendly and stylish packaging to how easy it is to put your flats in your purse or clutch. 

I love that the flats are so lightweight and comfortable, and they sure flatter my feet.
After several washes, the print does not fade and the packaging makes it ideal as a gift.

A worthy obsession if you asked me, I "heart" my flats and I "heart" the colour.


 The Native flats are made from premium leather and authentic limited edition African prints( Woodin and GTP), they are foldable and machine and hand washable. The in-soles are soft and prioritize comfort. Natives are hand-made in Ghana and available in sizes 38 to 44, delivery available both in Ghana and across the world on order and pre-order.
 

A Little information about the Love Ankara Brand;

" Love Ankara is about re-defining what authentic African fabric is. Our brand is a retail, fashion and decor brand that seeks to promote authentic African prints, empower women and preserve our local textile industries. Love Ankara fabrics, shoes and accessories are worn by powerful, outspoken, daring empowered women the world over...Women who are not afraid to be authentic, to be true to who they are! Love Ankara is our creative way of depicting our distinct cultures and personalities by showcasing our rich heritage through prints, fashion and decor. In Africa, fabric and prints are more than just cloth; it’s at the core of who we are as Africans, expressive, creative, confident; a colourful and authentic empire that carries an inextinguishable spirit...a joie de vivre! This is what makes us quintessentially African and by telling our story, we hope you'll come to love our brand and tell the world about it."

CONTACT DETAILS:

Whatsapp: +233 244 746597
Online Store : loveankara.storefoundry.com
Facebook: Love Ankara
Instagram: love_ankara
Email : shop@loveankara.com

 

IMAGE DETAILS

Makeup : Dab_and_blend (Instagram)
Photography : thebluedee (Instagram)

TIGO GHANA'S BLUE LIGHT DISTRICT

 

Last Saturday saw Tigo Ghana engage their current customers and potential customers in an exciting day filled with fun activities dubbed "Blue Light District" at the Achimota Retail Center. 

The full day event that took place from 10am to 10pm saw customers engage in activities such as FIFA 2017 tournament, Table tennis, Mini football and take quirky photos in the digital photo booth. There was a mini goods market that had vendors which included Kandy's Smoothie, Slay Cosmetics, Bata shoes, Wild Cherry, MV Accessories and Nallem Clothing.
All customers had to do was to buy at least GHS2 credit to gain access to the free WIFI code.

 The main aim of this event was to create a hangout for customers and potential customers to experience the Tigo brand and newly improved high speed reliable internet through exciting activities.

 The event was climaxed in the evening with a mini concert featuring Jupitar and Epixode with DJ Virusky on the deck.

Check out some of the images from the event;

 

DAY 7, KAHMUNE : 59 DAYS OF GHANAIAN FASHION

 You can imagine my excitement when I came across this brand on my Instagram because finding anything in a nude shade meant for a black girl can be a nightmare.
 Actually I followed a post on Jamila Acheampong's page and I was pleasantly surprised. 

I first met Jamila ( she's the creative director of this brand) some years back at a Blogging Ghana event a couple of years ago,I am super proud of her and knew this brand had to be part of 59 Days of Ghanaian Fashion. So on Day 7, I introduce to you KAHMUNE, barely a year old but this shoe brand has been featured in Elle USA and on several online portals.

KAHMUNE pronounced "com.mune" is a luxury line offering an array of footwear styles designed to match the skin tones of ALL women.

Their core values are;

1. Representation: We stand for the women that both historically and currently do not see themselves embodied in the fashion and beauty industries.
2.  Diversity:We stand for ALL women. All shades are beautiful! and 
3.  Inclusion: We stand for the representation of under served communities. It's time we made sure all women have a seat at the table regardless of their complexion. 

According to Jamila;

 "The idea behind KAHMUNE was born in February 2016. Whilst browsing social media in search of “nude” clothes and accessories I noticed that the term always drew the same results."

"Although I was in search of items that matched my dark skin tone, all I kept coming across were the same beige, cream, and tan shades.

It was overtly clear that “nude” had a type. My Dad has always said that 'some of the best business ideas are the ones that solve a problem'. The fact that the term “nude” is attributed to a specific shade is a problem. KAHMUNE was born as a long overdue solution.

We have spent countless hours researching shades in order to ensure that we are able to serve the majority of complexions around the globe. At present, we offer our styles in 10 colors ranging from the fairest of skin tones to the darkest of brown."

And how amazing are these names for the different shades , Rio, Edinburg, Juba, Gaborone, Enugu, Douala, Kumasi, Goa and Bogota.

When I asked where she saw her brand in the next 5 years, Jamila had this to say; 

"I would love to make Kahmune a global brand and a household brand. Hopefully we'll have a few flagship stores around the globe as well. In terms of the products, the sky is the limit when it comes to shoes so my aim is for us to carry at least 50 styles! Maybe clothing? Cosmetics? Never say never!"

 

Find them on Instagram: @kahmune 

Or on their website: http://www.kahmune.com/

 

 

 

DAY 6, MYTH HOUSE : 59 DAYS OF GHANAIAN FASHION

"Our brand name MYTH, is actually an acronym that represents our values: Modern Youthful Trendy Haute, which also best describes the kind of woman we design for. We keep every thought, every creation and every effort in growing our business truly Modern, Youthful, Trendy and Haute." 

On Day 6 we feature MYTH House a luxury accessories brand that uses unconventional materials, especially metal mesh, to create sophisticated fashionable pieces for the Modern Trendy Youthful and Haute woman. A proudly made in Ghana product from an innovative house of fashion.


According to the CEO and Creative Director of the brand,Kukua Buckman, MYTH was birthed when she came to Ghana after a master's programme where she worked on a project that had her working with metal sand. She was also inspired by and developed the concept from a bag she saw by Anndra Neen. And now five collections later, Kukua must be a very proud mama, because her "baby" is growing beautifully.

Some of the brand's highlights include; a feature by Poqua Poqu, at the Durban Fashion Fair in South Africa,a feature in An African City series, a feature in She By Bena's Skittles Collection and the Exclusive Fusion Artistry Fashion Show.

We are looking forward to seeing MYTH featured in the ever-glamorous Vogue and Bazaar pages on the season’s hot accessory list or as a feature piece in an editorial shoot.  We look forward to becoming a runway regular at the Paris, London, Milan and New York fashion weeks. We are believing and working hard to be GLOBAL in the next 5 years. 

I enjoyed shooting this one with my bestie Gifty Sackey , thanks babe for tagging along.

This bag is a classic piece and every woman needs to own at least one.
Find Myth on Instagram Myth House

DETAILS

Bags : Myth House

Makeup : simply_nanaaba (Instagram)

Photography : kwamani_photography(Instagram)

DAY 5, AKILA : 59 DAYS OF GHANAIAN FASHION

Birthed out of the need to fill the gaping hole that a lack of local accessory designers presented, on DAY 6, we feature AKILA , a premium Ghanaian brand that specializes in hand-crafted beaded accessories.

The founder and creative director of Akila, Ruth-Maria Assandoh, holds a first class degree in Fine Arts from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, a Master's degree in sales and has built her business out of passion.

Akila works with locally and internationally sourced beads and materials to create various accessories ranging from bags, hats, jewelry slippers as well as phone and computer cases.

All their accessories are created at their workshop in Accra, Ghana, by a team of talented artisans made up of deprived women, youth and the unemployed in the Ghanaian society, who have a desire to acquire skills with which they can begin a career in accessory making themselves. 

"By providing free monthly training, the aim of targeting this group is to provide them with sustainable income to enable them become contributors to society, as we play our part in eradicating poverty."

Every AKILA piece is created to bridge the gap between African ingenuity and modern finesse.

Although operating from Accra, Ghana, AKILA pieces can be accessed world-wide via their website.

For this photoshoot I asked my girl Theresah who blogs at www.bijouxquibrillent.com to join me and you can tell how much fun we had on set.

DETAILS

My Hair and Make-up : Fixylooks (Instagram)

Terrie's Hair and Make-up: (Herself)

Bags : AKILA

Other Accessories : WittyShades

Photography : Israel