New designers pop up everyday and quite a few of them are undoubtedly talented. We’ve had our eyes on quite a few up and coming brands and we will be highlighting some of the major on-the rise- brands you need to know in the Discover series.
I have always wanted to have a commercial aspect to my fashion story. Prior to officially launching my first commercial line last year, I had always worked in fashion in some capacity. I have designed and illustrated for local and international brands, dabbled in art direction and creative direction as well. I’m a firm believer in exploring the many branches of the industry. If I had to pick a reason for starting my fashion line, it’ll probably be the corny reason that I’ve always wanted to see people in my clothes…it’s a great and interesting task designing for the human body…I think fashion is anatomical architecture and being a designer allows me to explore the sort of bodily “structures” and “buildings” I want to see people occupy.
The Papa Oppong woman is the new African woman. She loves art and loves to wear art inspired pieces; she’s art-chic. She definitely doesn’t take herself too seriously and won’t be caught dead dressed head-to-toe in the latest trends. The Papa Oppong woman is on a never-ending journey to stand out and set her own trends. Lastly, she doesn’t take instructions from the seasons…wearing summer pieces in the winter is a challenge she’ll gladly accept.
On where he gets style inspiration
I get style inspiration from many different sources. One of my favourite sources is Instagram where I’m bombarded with visuals from all over the world. I follow everything from food pages to arts and craft pages to models to documentary journalists. There are so many things to see on Instagram and though this can get overwhelming and a lot sometimes, it’s a really good source of style inspiration. Some of my favourite Instagram style personalities are Rihanna and Louis Rubi. I also use Pinterest a lot for when I’m building a mood board for collections and the good-old-fashioned way: exploring the city of Accra where I live.
The Papa Oppong woman is the new African woman. She loves art and loves to wear art inspired pieces; she’s art-chic.
How would you describe your label?
The Papa Oppong label, I would describe as art-chic luxury label. I think it’s necessary that we as Africans, define what we mean by the word “Luxury”. I don’t think what is considered luxurious clothing in Paris directly translates to luxury in Africa. We have a history of bespoke like no other place on earth. We work with our hands and skills are transferred in some places from parent to child and that to me is priceless. That’s the story of the Papa Oppong label: telling the new African story by blending signature art and skill with modern silhouettes. It takes more than mink and skins to make a luxurious product… well thought out pieces made with a vision, passion and heart is a definitely a start.
What do you believe should be the foundation of every woman’s wardrobe?
I think plain colours should be the foundation of every woman’s wardrobe… white, black, navy. In Africa we love prints and they can easily take over a woman’s wardrobe. Having staple pieces in plain colours is great to me because of their reusability. You can wear your plain coloured staples over and over again without any signs of aging…this can’t be said about prints which feel old after two to three wears. Having a closet filled with classics like a white dress- shirt and a little black dress ensures that you always have something to pull out in case of any fashion emergency. Can’t go wrong with plain colours
Where can we purchase pieces from the brand?
Currently Papa Oppong pieces are stocked in Elle Lokko Concept Store in Accra, Ghana. For international clients, pieces can be ordered directly via @papaoppong on Instagram.
Follow them on Instagram @papaoppong
Credits
Model: @karenabiba
Photographer: @william_quartey_
Makeup Artist: @paigeclarde
Art/Creative Director: @papaoppong
Are you a fan of Papa Oppong ? If you’d like to be featured or there is a brand you think we should feature email style [at] bellanaija dot com. We’d love to hear from you!
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