Ghanaian fashion designer and CEO of Le Bon Collections, Bridget Osei Nyarko, is a designer of good reputation and with many enviable records, including designing for Ghana’s First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Her designs are most sought after by fashionistas, especially mature women.
Her collections take one on a creative journey and are not only inspired by things around her but also borne out of her own creativity. Mixing vintage styles with current cultural obsessions is one of her major strengths on the Ghanaian runway.
She told NEWS-ONE in an exclusive interview that several years ago, she was called a ‘crazy’ woman because of her decision to start a fashion career in Ghana.
Bridget who graduated from the Middlesex University in the UK with a degree in Marketing gave up her fine and paying job in a UK marketing firm to come to Ghana to pursue fashion.
That left many of her friends to think she was crazy. But she said she hasn’t regretted because she is currently enjoying that ‘crazy’ entrepreneurial decision she took.
“People were like are you crazy? Because I mean I just had my British passport and people asked what, is she going to do in Ghana after going through all this hassle. But I thought there was a lot to do here.”
“People also thought why would I spend all this money to educate myself abroad and come back and say I am going to fashion school. They thought I was crazy, ” the fashion designer narrated.
“I like to encourage young designers that hard work pays. With hard work and determination they will get there. They should be focused. Some of us never believed we will get here but we are here because of hard work and by the grace of God. Pray as well,” she added.
Bridget is happy today fashion designing is considered one of the lucrative and glamorous career options in Ghana and encouraged government to devote some interest to the industry.
“Before people used to look down on people that they are dump and they are not intelligent and that’s when they would say you should go to fashion school or go and learn how to sew. But I think it’s different now. Government should pay attention to the industry,” she disclosed.
From a small corner in her home with just two clients who believed in her designs, Bridget Osei Nyarko has gone through all odds and five years on, she now owns one of the best fashion outlets, which is Le Bon Collections.
Located at Dzorwulu opposite the Mediferm Hospital, not far from Sid Theatre, Le Bon Collections is not just being celebrated as one of the favourite and finest female clothing lines, but it also makes clothing with an exceptional taste.
She established the fashion brand in 2012 when she came out of Joyce Ababio College of Creative Designs.
Her first professional job for a friend who is always particular about her outfit and looks gave her the motivation to establish her own brand.
It wasn’t an easy task for her but she had to learn a lot on her own. She went the extra mile to hire a professional tailor to work with her and understudy him to learn more about fashion designing in addition to what she had learnt in school.
“It is not easy. The journey has been very tough. I mean it is not a thing you just get up and do. Especially working with people, they frustrate you a lot. I am a perfectionist when it comes to finishing. I want things perfectly done.
“..If you want to be a good designer, go to fashion school and after fashion school there is a lot that you need to learn. May be you have to be attached to somebody and understudy the person,” she said.
“People pass by Le Bon Collections and they see our cloths and fall in love with us. Sometimes people come in and they see our things and they feel they are designs that we have imported from outside. They don’t know we make them here because of the good finishing we do,” she recounted her success story.
Le Bon Collections are predominantly silk and soft fabrics and also have special stones in them. The brand is also known for its bespoke services. Bridget combines pattern drafting and free-hand-cutting techniques in making the designs to suit her comprehensive style.
“All of our clothes we have stones in them. The stone is like our signature so we put a little bit in everything we do. But some people don’t like it so we just ignore it when a client doesn’t like it. Apart from that we put stone in every design we do.”
Le Bon is not just affordable but also has different levels of clienteles. One of its most celebrated clients is Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
“Considering the efforts we put in our clothes especially with the stones, I think our collections are affordable. We want to satisfy our clients and not really about the money though we need money. When we make clothes for clients who are happy, to me it is a big achievement. Most of our clients are mature women because our focus is like do a shift-silhouette- not very fitted- because the grown up women usually don’t like the fitting stuff.”
Le Bon Collections has been one of the influential fashion brands on Ghana’s runways. The most recent events it showcased at were the ‘Rhythms On Da Runway’ and another by the American Embassy in Accra.
“Our target is to expand beyond the shores of Ghana and enter European market after we are done with Africa,” Bridget indicated.
Bridget left the shores of Ghana 1999 to the UK to read Marketing at the Middlesex University after she completed St Louis Secondary School.
She believes fashion is her calling, hence after working in the UK for two years in a marketing firm, she moved to Ghana, where she also did ticketing before finally going to fashion school.
“Fashion was a childhood dream and I prayed about it. I am a spiritual person so I said to myself let me pray about it and see where I stand. I just decided to do marketing but it is something that is helping me with my business now,” she said.
Bridget looks up to Joyce Ababio as her role model because she is a big influence on her.
Source: Daily Guide
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Massa; you have a business employing 150 people and you have the ***barred word*** guts ; arrogance and time to discourage somebody attempting to find her way through the fashion maze ; PLEASE DON'T BULL >>>>S ;Ghanaians because -NA LIE OOOOOO!!!!! ; please STOP your toxic F*LAT-U*L*E**NCE and stop enviness and your 'JESUS' ***barred word*** besides just like the Bible ; Koran and the Torah ; the points raised on the forum are just opnions on the forum you do not have to read or accept them ; and for some ediotic fulls taking forum opinions as an arena for construction english grammatics ;how pathetic and a loser ; we are not writing an english examination besides the english make grammatical errors when they write -DONKEYS !"!!!!!
Usually, I don't exert my precious energy on petty pathetic individuals like u who clearly displays fuuooolishness, ign..orance, uncouthness and tactlessness and wear them like badges of honour. Reiterating, you're not worth my time cos u have a lot of time on your uuuuseless hands hence this fuckery u are here spewing. And did u say someone is on government's benefits? 😂 child, bye... a clap at u. I've got BUSINESSES back home employing over a hundred and fifty people. So get your sorry ***barred word*** together and get a life. I'm not the type to brag cos I'm tuned and humble enough to understand that, it's the blessings of God that makes one rich and besides, what is it that I have that God didn't give me? Catch that tea since u so thick in the head. All I did was expressed my opinion just like everyone else but u took it upon yourself to address me in a 'not so cool' way, I decided to return the much deserved favour. I've said my piece and if u don't like it, tough. Shove your baseless unwanted opinions where the sun don't shine and stop laying on your back to support your lifestyle wai. Bye... the joke is on u. Don't bother replying cos I don't intend giving u anymore of my expensive time. I've got businesses to attend to small minded moron. Any insult and derogatory comments from u is directed back at you in Jesus name, amen. Have a nice day.
Amanfuo, those busily telling others to read people's comments carefully before they jump to conclusions should take their own advice and spell proof and most Importantly, construct better sentences and meaningful ones so people can actually read and understand what it is they're yapping on about. Y'abr3 ni br)fo b)ni wai. Br)fo so 3y3 by force?
Sometimes ; people should take their time and read and understand opinions on the forum rather that rattle on about things they do not understand ;for me; why people just cannot read simple opinions bits me ; somebody attempts to better her herself in life here in Ghana and you have self annoited uless people living abroad unemployed taking unemployment benefits ; if you know more about fashion why do you not come to Ghana and set up a fashion business instead of sitting on your perculiar back side and think by criticising people it will change anything or crush somebody's ambitions besides I cannot understand why Ghanaians just hate each another ; afterall you should ask yourself what have you achieved yourself by way of setting up a succesful business that gives the authorithy to criticise other people besides this is not NDC/NPP politics and fashion is a subjective subject and only holds in the eyes of the beholder not mediocre fashion pundits and lame dock comments ; people can say what they want -Madam Osei Nyarko-TOASO AND GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!; if you want to do something come to Ghana a set up a business stop your QUACK :QUACK :QUACK !!!!!!!
So now, one can't express their views as a human being more so a Ghanaian, without someone reading a lot of political meanings and connotations to it? Eeeeiiiii? What has become of us? Have we allow politics to divide us this much? This myopic way of thinking is what gives these duplicitous of politicians the power to take us for phuuuuls. Until we change this ridiculous mindsets of ours, I'm afraid to say we going no where fast. This fashion issue to had turned into npp ndc. C'mon guyz, we better than this. And Oh @Tony the bull, as u rightly said in your opening statement, u are indeed missing the point. Class, vintage or whatever has nothing or little to do with the kind of styles she's been making for the First Lady. I live in the U.K and a lover of vintage clothes myself. I have beautiful vintage dresses and picks that flatter my body shape. But the kind of "vintage" styles she's making for her isn't flattering. At all. This is the point some are making. No one is hating or jealous of nobody let's be clear. Loving vintage doesn't mean sew her hideous styles that does nothing to figure but rather accentuates her flaws.
How can she get to the top or even to the level of vogue if she her faults cannot be pointed out to her without people thinking political. Please let us get serious as a nation. Everything should not be about NDC and NPP. All we are saying is that she need to improve upon her skills. who told you vogue designers do not have people analyzing their designs? how come when people were praising Samira B.'s designer, no one came out with this NPP/NDC stuff? but we always sing people's praise because they belong to a certain political party? please let us breath.
Massa; I think I am missing something here ; WHAT IS THE FUSS ABOUT !!!!!!did people critising this entrepreneur designer read the article before pumping out their toxic politico/fashion flatulence/opinions ; the lady stated clearly her srategic aim is for a certain strata of design clients this a good marketing trend which is 'the middle' age clients group ; she stated clearly her stated interest which are 'mixing vintage designs and cultural mix design' ; she has clearly defined her market which is the key to any business success besides the target group which is mainly of middle age women has a hugh base in Ghana taday ; this strata has have reasonable incomes ; are married or unmarried with good incomes probably A or B group in Ghanaian terms ; are mainly entrepreneurs with huge incomes in Ghana today; occupy top executive positions; today Auntie Becky falls in that category and has good connections and contacts in that strata besides most do not like trendy fashions butsimple and decent fashion designs in society; I wish I could get in touch with the lady to help her market her designs to the target group.; I think people should STOP exihibiting their mediocre minds on smoebody attempting to be a good entrpreneur ; today Edward Enniful a Ghanaian is the head of Vogue magazine in the UK ; lets us all promote our own because we are GOOD as Ghanaians designers ; PEOPLE should stop this petty ENVINESS in our society.
@RUBY MAHAMA, YOU TOO CAN TALK. EIIIIIIIII
You have a long way to go.Consult Samira and Lordina designers for more creativity
This is Adwoa. Just to settle your ***barred word***, I'm more NPP that no Nana Addo himself. It's the truth I told! If you are the seamstress pretending to be ruby mahama, then sew styles that flatter our first lady! So far, Samira's seamstress is on point and on fleek. You could take a cue from there.