The inaugural Black Star Fashion Week (BSFW) has opened in Accra with a summit bringing together policymakers, creatives and other representatives from Ghana’s fashion industry.
Organised by the Rex Omar-led Black Star Experience under the theme “Put Ghana On”, the initiative is intended to create a clearer direction for the country’s fashion sector.
The first day, held at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, featured masterclasses, panel discussions, fireside chats and exhibitions. Participants also had opportunities to network and exchange knowledge.
Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, attended as the summit’s special guest of honour. Ghana Tourism Authority chief executive Maame Afua Hoadzeto and UNESCO representative Edmond Moukouala were among the other senior figures present.
Gomashie praised the organisers and described fashion as a “strategic pillar of Ghana’s creative economy”. She also urged the sector to make a deliberate effort to incorporate fashion into local tourism offerings.
Rex Omar said the fashion week would provide an important forum to address issues including industry data, international competitiveness, access to finance, market development, infrastructure, skills development and intellectual property protection.
Sessions during the summit examined fashion’s ability to tell stories, financing models that could support the sector and the process of developing brands with appeal in international markets.
One discussion looked ahead to the impact of technology, sustainability and innovation on the industry’s development.
The event also highlighted successful Ghanaian fashion businesses and designers, giving emerging designers and brand owners an opportunity to learn from figures who have established themselves both in Ghana and abroad.
The summit forms part of a wider festival designed to support discussion and knowledge exchange across the fashion industry. It also provides a platform for examining how Ghanaian brands can strengthen their position locally and internationally.
The festival will continue at the Royal Senchi Hotel in Akosombo on 7 November with The Presidential Runway, a fashion show expected to be among the main highlights of Black Star Fashion Week.
By: Joseph Owusu Worae
