Taking A Walk In Her Shoes

"Taking on [Ghanaian] culture ... and adapting it to
the British way of living
is also what being Ghanaian and British
means to me"

In the penultimate part of this interview with Amma, the founder of Sarf’O, we explore her journey into the fashion industry. Her candid responses highlight the opportunities and challenges of being a young entrepreneur in a highly competitive industry, and the importance of persistence and self-belief. We also delve into Amma’s Ghanaian-British heritage, and its influence on both her designs and her desire to be successful.

And so the conversation continues …

Journey Into Fashion

 

---

Yaaya:

We’re now keen to explore your journey into fashion. You studied Media Production at De Montfort University, which we're sure is creative and hands-on like the world of fashion design. Did your degree influence your decision to start Sarf’O?

Amma O:

Not really. I’ve always loved fashion. When I was young, I told my mum that I wanted to be a fashion designer. When I was saying it, I was saying it for the fun of it. I didn’t know that it was actually going to become a reality. I’ve always loved fashion. This passion, and the fact that I love shoes, made me think “why not put these two things together and make something out of it”. Studying media production also helped me a lot, as although you are using the camera to see things from the outside, you are the one that sets up the story, and creates it. Designing bespoke shoes is what I create for people to wear. So I am the creator and somebody will wear my products.I also take my own product pictures, so again it’s what I want people to see that I put forward.

Yaaya:

So you are combining the skills you learnt at university, and your design skills?

Amma O:

Definitely. It’s very important to use all of your skills in your business.

Yaaya:

You started Sarf’O when you left university. At that point in time did you treat Sarf’O as a business, or was it something you just simply enjoyed doing?

Amma O:

It was actually a hobby (Laughs). I designed something for myself for my birthday, and everyone saw it and was like “wow, that’s very good.” I designed something for my sister’s friend for her birthday, which was a hit with the people at the party. My sister was one of the first people who really encouraged me to take Sarf’O seriously. She started to do this when her friend wore what I made for her, and everyone at the party liked it. I got orders to make shoes for people from there. Afterwards I thought, “hold on a minute, I can make money out of this. I’m sitting here unemployed, but I could be busy.This is something that I can start eating from. This is a business right here.” That’s how I got into it, but in the beginning it was definitely a hobby. I didn’t think it would be the way it is now. I’m quite grateful for that actually.

Yaaya:

As a young person, setting up a business is a wonderful achievement that demonstrates drive, commitment and an entrepreneurial flair. Was it ever one of your goals to set up a business?

Amma O:

Yes. This is one of a few businesses that I’ve thought of setting up, and that I had planned in my head. My head hurts everyday when I wake up (Laughs). There are so many things that I want to set up. I actually enjoy working for myself, and I think that is my goal in life to be an entrepreneur, work for myself, and do what I want to do, and not be told what to do all the time. That’s why I feel like starting now [will help] train myself to handle bigger things in the future.

Yaaya:

With business comes challenges and opportunities. What challenges and opportunities have you faced with Sarf’O so far?

Amma O:

Challenges. Sometimes you can get stuck. If you are on your own, if you haven’t got partners or other people that you work with, you can get really stuck. You always have to think of out of the box and develop new skills.

I’m now starting to learn how to sell myself a little bit more, especially when it comes to marketing. When I used to give out my business cards, I felt like I was bothering people, but now I realise that they actually they don’t mind, and I don’t think about it like that anymore, because its my business, and I have to make sure people know about it. These are difficult things that I’m tackling at the moment. Trying to sell yourself is a very hard thing to do when you are on your own. Sometimes you get stuck, you just think “what more can I do here?” You feel like you have to be more active, but at the same time you can [feel] unsure about how to move forward. You always have to be one step ahead. You can’t always just sit and wait. That’s another thing that I’m learning.

It is very difficult, but it's also very satisfying when you have achieved something. Like when I did the fashion show. I was really proud of myself. I felt that if I put my mind to it, Sarf’O can be bigger than it is now. So that’s the challenges and the opportunities.

You also get to meet great people in the industry, people that will encourage and support you, and you also meet people that are negative. It’s either you take it on, and don’t take it personal so you can improve, or you give up altogether. When you also see your competitors work it is hard, because when you see what other people are doing you think “why didn’t I think about that?” But actually your customer base is not the same as theirs. They [customers] like you for what you do, and they like another designer for what they do. We are all different.

Yaaya:

Speaking of customer base. What’s your customer base?

Amma O:

All kinds of people, but because my designs are African influenced, most of the time it’s mainly African people that are into my designs. Although I’m trying to reach all kinds of people. I mainly cater for young men and women. My shoes are mostly heels and platforms. My shoes are mainly for young, career women, who can rock heels!

Yaaya:

What’s your process for making shoes?

Amma O:

I’m not very good at drawing but I have a little book (Laughs). It’s so funny! I draw really silly drawings in there, and I annotate them. Although the designs are in my head, I put them on paper. So when it comes to designing: I open my book, and I know what I want to create, and what I want the shoes to look like. I always go straight into the designing. I don’t make a prototype because when I visualise it, to me, it’s already made. I just need to see it physically. That’s how I do it.

African Fashion and her Social Identity

 

---

Yaaya:

Your designs reflect a fusion of African textiles and contemporary European fashion trends. Would you say that this is a reflection of your British- Ghanaian heritage?

Amma O:

Yes, because I grew up in Ghana, and I grew up here as well. I feel like African print or textiles, is very beautiful. I don’t know how you see it, but the shapes and the geometry is just beautiful. When you put it [African textiles] on suede shoes or men’s shoes, or even when you apply a bit of Kente, it just brings it to life. Sometimes I think “why don’t they sell things like this in the shops, or on the high street?” When I finish making shoes, I start thinking about how am I going to get them in Topshop or Zara. Going back home and being here, definitely influences my work.

Yaaya:

What does being British and Ghanaian mean to you?

Amma O:

(Laughs)That’s a very interesting question, and I don’t even know how to answer it. Being Ghanaian is being cultured, knowing where you came from, not forgetting, and being grateful for what you have now. It’s the grateful part,which is also what being British means to me. I’m grateful because I’m here [in Britain],but that doesn’t mean that I’ve forgotten what it was like back there [Ghana]. I had the opportunity to live there, meet my family and grow up with them a little bit, and see the culture. That’s my drive in life - to make it and do well, so I can go back and show them [family in Ghana] that they shouldn’t be disappointed in me. Taking on the [Ghanaian] culture and bringing it here, and just adapting it to the British way of living is also what being Ghanaian and British means to me.

Yaaya:

What are your favourite African textiles and why?

Amma O:

That’s a very good question. As I’ve said earlier, I like the word ‘unique.’ I’m into patterns and geometry. If the pattern stands out, and the colours are bold and rich, that’s what I’m attracted to. I don’t have a specific African fabric that I like, as I don’t look at that. I just look at the colours, the boldness, and mixed patterns. That’s what attracts me to African fabric. I think Vlisco is very nice. They are just outstanding! They think outside of the box, and I would love to approach them one day and say: “give me some cloth, and lets work together!” They sell cloth and make clothes but I haven’t seen them make bags or shoes yet. That’s something I will try and get into later on, you know, just approaching people with ideas like that. Their fabrics are just amazing! When I went to Ghana I saw this shop, that had designed a corset type of dress with Vlisco, and I was like “oh wow this is amazing!” So I’m all about patterns and colours.

Yaaya:

Would you describe Sarf’O as an ‘African Fashion’ label?

Amma O:

The name itself is African. It’s of Ghanaian heritage. I’m not going to leave that behind, as it’s where I started, and how I do things. Although in the future I’m thinking of making different kinds of shoes, I’m still not going to leave the African influence out of it, as African fashion needs to be better exposed and be on the catwalks of London Fashion Week! I can see some of our tribal prints in Topshop, and I’m sure the designers were not necessarily thinking of Africa when they designed certain clothes. However when you look at the patterns and the colours, it reflects the types of clothes we [Africans] wear and sew. So you just think to yourself, “come on we can make it out here as well!” Only recently one of my friends sent me a picture of a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, and he’s made a pair of canvas loafers out of tie and dye fabric, and I thought “this is crazy!” African print and fabric is everywhere, so I’m definitely not going to leave that out of my designs.

Yaaya:

Over the last couple of years, there has been a surge of African inspired designs in the shops of high street retailers. Why do you think this is?

Amma O:

It’s Africa! Our influence is now coming to light. In fact, everything that we are about is now coming to light. We want to be heard now, and it’s our time. Now is the time we have to spread the word about our fashion. I wasn’t proud to wear African fabric clothes until recently. I mean you are a young person. In 2005 would you wear African clothes? You wouldn’t, because you did not find it attractive. We were not encouraged to wear our own clothes, so now that it’s in fashion, even the Europeans themselves are like “wow these people have great stuff!” That’s why they are trying to fuse it into their dresses or shoes. African fashion is going to go a long way, and I can’t wait!

Yaaya:

Do you think the popularity of African designs and textiles has done any good in the way the world perceives Africa and Africans?

Amma O:

Yes. Fashion speaks to people. When other people see the creativity that comes out of Africa, or from British born Africans, and see how we value our African heritage and fuse it with European clothing, I’m sure they appreciate what they see. It’s brilliant that information is out there about what we wear and the talent of African designers, as it’s a great way to think about Africa.

Look out for Part 3 of Amma’s interview, where we discuss social invisibility and representations of black women in the fashion industry. The interview will conclude with what mentorship means to her, and her aspirations for Sarf’O.

Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Images courtesy of Amma Osei (Sarf’O).