Connect with us

Fashion

Turning passion into business …the story of Rosemary Ekuban of Banrose House of Creatives

• Rosemary Ekuban

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement

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

Advertisement

Fashion

Haircut making waves in the fashion world

In recent times both young and older women are seen ‘rocking’ short hairs contrary to the olden days, where hair cut was relatively asso­ciated with men.

It is a known fact that women are gradually moving away from permed hair, wigs, braids which they use to beautify themselves.

According to oral history, when Ewe older women kept short hair, they were mostly re­ferred to a ‘Daavi’ which literary means sister because the hair cut makes them look younger.

Haircuts among women dates back to the 1980s, as Akan traditional queens were mostly seen in low haircuts with black thick dye known as ‘dansinkran’ which had been in existence for decades.

A beautiful lady looking stunning in haircut
A beautiful lady looking stunning in haircut

Most young girls who attended government Senior High Schools (SHS) dream of braiding their hair after completion with some refusing to cut their hair in their final term in school but unfortunately the trend has changed with them hoping to style their haircuts with colourful dyes and curls.

Cutting of hair by women do not come easy. Some had to cut for various reasons including health, profession (enlisting in the security service), fashion, breakup or traumatic experi­ences, hair loss, weak tips.

In this 21st century, women are in compe­tition with men when it comes to haircut as barbers now say most of their clients that troop to the salon for haircuts are young and older women.

Advertisement

In an interview with The Spectator, Kofi Mensah, a barber at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle), explained that, most haircut lovers especially women love to have their hair trimmed because of personal style. They prefer to express themselves through different haircut styles.

“Some women prefer haircut because it reflects their personality. They express themselves through different haircut styles whether they are calm, happy or moody,” he stated.

Speaking to some haircut lovers, Ms Shine emphasised that she loves to have her hair trimmed because as compared to braiding, barbering one’s hair saves lot of money and time.

“Having my hair trimmed helps me to get ready for work early without wasting time on styling and detangling my hair,” she said.

Another haircut lover, Ms Mabel, also said she loves to trim her hair as it makes her look much younger and beautiful.

“Haircut boosts my self-esteem and make me look more attractive, young and beauti­ful.”

Advertisement

Haircuts are still making waves in the fash­ion world and has come to stay.

 By Mercy Adjeley Sowah

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Fashion

Check skirts and trousers perfect outfit for work

Check skirts and trousers are a versatile and stylish option for office wear, offering a re­freshing alternative to solid-coloured pants.

Check skirts and trousers are now getting a modern makeover in the fashion world offering a loving, relaxed and comfortable vibe.

Popular checked trousers styles include subtle checks, classic plaid, and modern grid designs.

Subtle checks feature small, muted patterns ideal for formal meetings, while classic plaid offers traditional Scottish-inspired designs for a timeless look.

Advertisement

Modern grid patterns make a bold statement with geometric designs.

For fabric and colour options, a wool or cotton blends is the best option for comfort and dura­bility.

Earthy tones such as brown, gray, navy, and beige are suitable for most office settings, while bold colours like burgundy, blue, and green can add a pop of personality.

By incorporating check skirts and trousers into one’s office wardrobe, one adds visual interest and personality to their outfits while maintaining professionalism.

Advertisement

 By Elizabeth Agyeibea Ackon

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending