Sneakers have evolved from functional athletic footwear to a fashion staple, with various styles and collaborations driving their popularity.

Interestingly, the sneaker industry has become a significant sector in fashion, with luxury brands like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Prada incorporating sneakers into their collections.

From time to time, fashion weeks and runway shows feature sneakers as a key component of outfits while celebrities and influencers also showcase sneakers as a fashion statement.

Popular sneaker styles like Air Jordan 1, Adidas Superstar, Nike Air Force 1, Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, and Vans Old Skool have made a significant impact on fashion.

The fusion of sneakers and fashion has created new trends, business opportunities, and cultural phenomena, solidifying sneakers’ place in the fashion world.

This fashion trend has now made it easier for people to rock sneekers in many ways.

By Elizabeth Agyeibea Ackon

Rosemary Ekuban

Growing up, her biggest desire was to become a Private De­tective.

That robust aspiration was re­inforced anytime she saw Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Lydia Donkor, on the screens or on assign­ments, carrying out her professional police responsibilities.

Luckily, DCOP Lydia Donkor was not a ‘mentor’ far from her. She was somebody she used to visit at her office at her tender age.

But as fate may have it, Ms Rose­mary Ekuban now finds herself in a totally different occupation that has seen her established herself as the owner of an emerging fashion brand in Ghana – Banrose House of Crea­tives.

Interestingly, that is not out of the ordinary.

Seeing her late father design and sew dresses for people, Rosemary naturally developed an interest that overshadowed the police ambition and to cement what she felt was a family legacy.

Gradually as the police drive fad­ed, she tilted more for her new love for fashion.

Naturally, designing clothes came with ease and sew them for herself, friends and loved ones.

It was at this point Rosemary re­alised the father’s skill was inherent in her.

One day, as she went about her sketching and sewing clothes, she received the ‘stamp’ of her mother who remarked “Adjoa, you have tak­en after your father; this was how he used to design and sew clothes.”

That remark was the biggest ap­proval for Rosemary, sparking a peri­od of inquiries about her father who died when she was a kid. Her mother, elder brother and grandmother were the sources to provide that informa­tion about the father she did not get the chance to understudy.

“Though my father died when I was a little girl, I remember seeing him sew and how passionate he was with his work,” Rosemary recounted in a conversation with The Spectator.

Later in December 2018, she had the idea of turning her passion into a business and started sewing commercially for people in 2019 with the brand name ‘Banrose House of Creatives.’

That was her way to honour her father’s memory and hardwork.

She taught herself through the internet, learning about other de­signs and how to make them. Also, she styled people for occasions after learning how to do it on YouTube. That helped her to generate extra income.

The 23-year old fashion designer later enrolled at Bluecrest University in 2021 and obtained a certificate in Fashion Design.

At Banrose House of Creatives located at Ashongman Estates, one would come across beautiful designs for both males and females. They are also into general clothing and has added ready-to-wear clothes and also offer occasional sew on request service.

She gets most of her clients through recommendations from ex­isting customers and also on her so­cial media handles, adding that Nikki Samonas was one of her clients.

Rosemary now aspires to become a household name in the fashion in­dustry, both locally and internation­ally looking up to industry giants like Sima Brew, Pistis, Adjoa Yeboah Adjei and an American fashion designer and philanthropist, Ralph Lauren.

Her family has been her greatest support system when she decided to venture into the fashion industry.

She recounted how her aunty, Mrs Gloria Kafui Amedume, bought her a lot of fabrics to enable her start the business while her mother and siblings encouraged her to follow her passion although friends did not buy into the idea.

“The actions of my friends did not deter me from pursuing my dreams; I am now earning an income while some of them have not found a job yet,” she added.

Rosemary believes that position of some of her friends was the reason for the high rate of unemployment in the country as almost every youth that complete school wants to stay at home and wait for a white-collar job.

“These jobs are either a few or non-existent so someone sitting down and waiting for a call from a company to come and work will sit forever,” She said.

Rosemary wants the youth to understand that this is an era for entrepreneurship and it was time the youth identify their passion and find a way to turn them into businesses.

“I am sure I’ll still be idling about by now if I decide to be a police officer at all cost. I am doing my own business now because I identi­fied a passion and decided to turn it into a business. That’s why I am not counted among the unemployed,” she stated.

She, therefore, urged the youth to follow their passion and hone their skills in whatever area they found themselves.

She said that “learning a vocation is the best thing anyone can do.”

Challenges

But is not all rosy in the fashion industry; there are a few challenges here and there.

According to the founder of Ban­rose House of Creatives, customers often ignore the suggestions given to them on the styles they want to sew.

Most often customers come in with designs that do not fit their body type and finds it difficult to convince them to change the style.

She said at the end, the designer is blamed when the outfit do not look good on the customer.

Hobbies

Rosemary Ekuban in her spare time would listen to music while sketching or surf the internet to upgrade her knowledge on what is trending in the fashion industry.

She is from a family of seven to­gether with her mother, Ms Priscilla Ayagyiba, and five siblings

By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu