The recent Fashion Night at the Ashanti Festival 2025 in Kumasi showcased local designers and artisans, reinforcing the importance of cultural heritage in the fashion industry.
A recent Fashion Night event, held as part of the Ashanti Festival 2025, showcased local talents and emphasized indigenous craftsmanship in the fashion industry. This vibrant gathering took place at Rattray Park in Kumasi, Ghana, bringing together an array of designers and entrepreneurs from across the Ashanti Region.
The initiative was led by Dr. Frank Amoakohene, the Ashanti Regional Minister, who expressed the festival’s aim to provide a platform for individuals whose talents are often overshadowed and underexposed. The event featured a diverse array of artisans, including Kente weavers, bead designers, bespoke tailors, shoemakers, and hat creators, effectively transforming the park into a bustling marketplace reflecting the region’s rich cultural heritage.
Among the participating businesses was Baffoe Polo, a fashion house founded in 2020 that specializes in African prints and seeks to narrate the African story through fashion. Nana Kojo Bobie Ansah, the Head of Sales for the brand, highlighted the significance of the event for emerging fashion brands. “It has been a successful program in all. We’ve made a few sales and educated a lot of people about our brand and what we’re into. We hope the Ashanti Festival becomes something we do every six months,” he stated.
Enock Oteng Amponsah, a patron who purchased clothing from Baffoe Polo, praised the brand’s creativity, noting, “Their clothes are catchy and their designs are unique. If it [Ashanti Festival] continues, more people in the supply chain will get job opportunities.”
Kente Vogue was another prominent participant, with its Creative Lead, Afia Nyame, drawing inspiration from her mother’s legacy of selling Kente pieces. “Growing up, I saw my mum sell Kente pieces, she carried them on her head to cater for us. I took it from her and now sell it on social media and in a shop,” she shared. Afia acknowledged the event’s success in elevating her brand’s visibility, indicating that it reduced the need for traditional hawking methods to reach potential customers.
Among the festival attendees was Yaa Yeboah Kamah, who commended Kente Vogue’s pricing structure. “Their prices are very low and very nice. You won’t have them on the market, but when I came here, I saw different kinds of Kente which made me patronize them,” she remarked, echoing sentiments of support for making the festival an annual event.
The high turnout and positive engagement between vendors and buyers at the Ashanti Festival 2025 signaled a pivotal moment for fashion entrepreneurs in the region. The event intertwined cultural heritage with innovation and community empowerment, underscoring the potential of local creativity within the fashion landscape.
Source: Noah Wire Services
