The Black Star Fashion Week (BSFW) kicked off on Wednesday with a summit at the Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra. Organized by the Black Star Experience, led by Rex Omar, the event aims to chart a clearer path for Ghana's fashion sector. The theme "Put Ghana On" brought together policymakers, creatives, and industry players for masterclasses, panel discussions, and exhibitions.
Ghana's Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, saluted the organizers and emphasized the importance of recognizing fashion as a strategic pillar of Ghana's creative economy. She highlighted the potential of fashion to create jobs, draw investment, and boost exports, citing traditional textiles like Kente, Fugu, and Adinkra symbols as a foundation for innovation.
Minister Gomashie stressed the need to integrate fashion into Ghana's tourism offerings, suggesting that fashion weeks, textile exhibitions, and cultural festivals should become important features of the national tourism calendar. She commended leading designers like Kofi Ansah and Oswald Boateng for their contributions to global fashion and encouraged emerging designers to develop their own distinctive voices.
Rex Omar, Coordinator for Black Star Experience, noted that the fashion week offers a platform for conversations around industry data, international competitiveness, and access to finance. He announced that the Black Star Experience Secretariat will begin publishing an Annual Ghana Fashion Industry Report from 2027, providing credible data and insights to support the industry's growth.
Speakers at the summit explored topics like the storytelling power of fashion, effective financing models, and the role of technology and sustainability in shaping the industry's future. A panel discussion moderated by Chrystal Kwame-Aryee examined the theme "How Do We Put Ghana On? Kente, Culture and the Power of Our Story," featuring experts like Osei Bonsu Sarfo Kantanka and Dr. Courage Besah-Adanu.
Stakeholders called for stronger intellectual property protection, fairer remuneration for traditional artisans, and strategic investment to boost the global visibility and commercial value of indigenous Ghanaian products. They also emphasized the importance of targeted training to equip creatives with practical knowledge of intellectual property rights and branding.
The festival will climax on Saturday, November 7, at the Royal Senchi Hotel in Akosombo with "The Presidential Runway" fashion show. High-profile dignitaries in attendance included Ghana Tourism Authority CEO Maame Afua Hoadzeto and UNESCO representative Edmond Moukouala.
Key points
- The Black Star Fashion Week aims to chart a clearer path for Ghana's fashion sector.
- Minister Gomashie emphasizes the importance of recognizing fashion as a strategic pillar of Ghana's creative economy.
- The event features a range of activities, including masterclasses, panel discussions, and exhibitions.
