On Saturday night, the presidential runway in Akosombo, Ghana, became the theater for the Black Star Fashion Week, a showcase of Ghanaian creativity that thickened the air with music, dance, and bright fabrics. The event gathered traditional rulers, government officials, industry leaders, and international partners who came together to celebrate and discuss growth of the local fashion sector and tourism. The audience watched as models walked one by one, revealing collections that reflected the country’s cultural heritage and modern artistic aspirations.
Speakers at the event emphasized the importance of placing Akosombo on the map as a premium tourist destination and positioning Ghana for a higher profile in the global fashion industry. Rex Owusu Marfo, coordinator of the Black Star Experience Secretariat, explained that the city was chosen deliberately: "We have come to Akosombo deliberately. Our vision is simple yet very powerful. We are not in the conventional city hall; instead, we are in this serene, well‑resourced area to showcase the beauty of Ghana beyond our capitals and to position Akosombo as a premium tourist destination," he said.
"We have come to Akosombo deliberately. Our vision is simple yet very powerful. We are not in the conventional city hall; instead, we are in this serene, well‑resourced area to showcase the beauty of Ghana beyond our capitals and to position Akosombo as a premium tourist destination,"
Designer George Tetteh of the Atto Tetteh brand highlighted his inspiration: "A lot of things go into a creative process, but predominantly it is our heritage, our culture, and then also fashion trends and everything that comes together for a creative to make a collection," he said. He urged the government and stakeholders to make a deliberate effort and investment to bring Ghanaian fashion onto the international stage, pointing out that personal initiative had not yet been enough to open global avenues.
"A lot of things go into a creative process, but predominantly it is our heritage, our culture, and then also fashion trends and everything that comes together for a creative to make a collection,"
Another designer, Titus Nartey Doku, known for transforming used clothes into trendy designs, emphasized the need for concerted efforts to help local talent reach foreign buyers. "It’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and then it can be done. We need to go to our own local textile industry," he observed. He added that media exposure, buyers, and government involvement could push designers beyond Ghana’s shores and create a broader market for their work.
"It’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and then it can be done. We need to go to our own local textile industry. We need the media, and we need buyers. We need the government involved in trying to push the designers out there, outside the shores of Ghana,"
The gathering was also an opportunity for industry leaders to discuss how fashion could influence tourism and vice versa. Formal talks unfolded between representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and the fashion sector, with a view to creating collaborative projects that would highlight Ghana’s material culture while creating job opportunities. The presence of international partners reinforced the view that global exposure is not only desirable but attainable with targeted investment.
As the evening concluded, the capital’s most prominent designers would return home with a clearer sense of how to demand better support and how to collaborate with partners to bring their creative visions to a worldwide audience. The resonant message from the runways was unmistakable: Ghana’s fashion is a living extension of its heritage, and its growth is inseparable from the country’s broader economic ambitions and tourism strategy.
