BITTER & HONEY OF GHANA FASHION AWARDS

Outstanding, hardwork and creativity were awarded, honored and celebrated at just ended Ghana fashion awards.

The glitz and glamour event created an avenue for fashionmanias to interact with their favorite’s designers and network with friends.

The second edition of the awards sees a great improvement compared to the first as more categories were added such as Ghana’s celebrity fashion icon and others.

Ten designers along with a celebrity went home with the ultimate crystal award, Kudos to the organizers for the well down job.

The Venue

The event took place at The Event Plaice inside Ghana int’l trade fair which wasn’t a bad choice considering the level of sponsorship. The lighting, stage and banquet setting was perfect and I must commend the effort of the organizers in that area. I wouldn’t want to talk about the sound problem during the event because I was at the venue earlier in the morning for my behind the scene shoot and the sound was working fine…Even human being break down talkless of machine. Lol

 Attendance

The attendance were quite impressive as 90% of the seats were occupied BUT I notice that, almost 70% of the nominees were not in attendance and 40% of those that won were absent as well.

In an interview with the organizers, I was told some of them later came after the show has ended. They thought the 6pm stated in the invitation is going to be our normal “Ghana time” (2 hours ahead of scheduled time).

Awards, Presentations & The winners

This is the area which I was so much interested on because I was so anxious that I can’t wait to see who will be going home with what. So, I gave much attention to every the details.

At first, I felt that the organizers couldn’t print awards as the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd categories presented was just the award box without bringing out the crystal from box until the 5^th presentation before it was corrected…Uhmmm. Click here to viewthe full list of the winners

Best designer of the year suppose to be presented last being the biggest of the awards but I was surprised when Ghana’s Celebrity fashion icon award was given much priority as the biggest.

In as much that, I will agree with the judges for most of the category winners BUT not on this three; --

-          Best Designer of the year

-          Emerging Designer of the year

-          Contribution to fashion communication and media. 

I know whatever I say or write now may not bring back the awards or be considered by the organizers or anybody but I will enjoy my freedom of speech.

In order to get clarification on my different opinion on who should win those categories, I decided to interview the organizers and the head judge during the week that’s why my review is coming late.

I wanted to get the criteria or yardstick used to select the winner because I believe Duaba Serwa and Mina Evans stand a better chance of winning Designer of the year. Considering the vibrancy and colorful of their collection for the year in review and the numbers of shows they participated not to talk of their featured in both local and international magazine, fashion blogs and caliber of clients they got.

 House of Eccentric which was the winner in the other hand has done well for himself too because I remember he showcased at Fashion Night Out Ghana and Glitz Africa Fashion Week within the year and also empowered and mentored young designers but I think either of the two I mentioned above deserves to win NOT because of their big name internationally but quality of their work.

The same goes to emerging designer of the year award, Ophelia Croosland Designs for the year wasn’t bad but I think Ameyo & Love April stands tall in this category.

 I wrote an article about Contribution to fashion communication and media category before the event Click here to read.

In my opinion, I would have preferred making AGOO Magazine the title sponsor of this category being one of the major sponsor of the event than nominating. I have no problem with the nomination because I believe they deserve to be in the group due to their numerous contributions to fashion BUT don’t see then winning the award.

FashionistaGh in that category has done exceptionally well in the year in review. They attended almost all the events that took place in the year in review (fashion show, exhibition and even some photoshoot). Currently they have 140 video on youtube, over 500,000 video views and 740 subscribers adding to their blog and about 10,000 fans on facebook compared to AGOO Magazine (the winner) that published quarterly i.e four times in a year (Not sure if they published up to 100,000 copies quarterly) with less than 300 fans on facebook and website not functioning for sometimes now.

Mrs Florence Toffa, organizer of Ghana fashion awards told FashionmaniaGh when asked for the criteria that, the judges who were led by the renowned designer Kofi Ansah selected the winners after the designers being nominated by the public. While Kofi Ansah told FashionmaniaGh during phone interview that He was very busy during that period that he can’t really say much on it as the selection was done by the other members of the panel. “Whatever the organizers told you about the selection is the right thing” said Kofi Ansah. I tried to get in contact with the other members of the panel but find it difficult because the organizers didn’t published the judges’ name. I manage to get some names unofficially but couldn’t get in touch with them as at the time of this article.   

Peoples View

I talk to few people after the show to get their opinion; a lady said she was not surprised because the head judge mentors Patrick Asante, creative designer of House of Eccentric who won the overall award (Designer of the year). Another person said the winner of the emerging designer award (Ophelia Crossland) was a graduate student of a key member of the judges’ panel while some said AGOO Magazine was given the award because they are potential sponsor of the event. Diverse opinion

The whole experience was like honey and bitter. It was sweet like honey for me because I had the opportunity to mingle and network with some of my favorite designers and friends but bitter story for some because they believed they have work so hard during the year in review and they deserve to be rewarded.

Conclusion

Ghana fashion awards has come to stay and it’s a good initiate which we must all gives our support in other to reward, honored and celebrate our designers and those contributing to the growth of the industry.

Recommendations

The organizers should publish the names of the judges for us next time ahead of the event so that we will know who and who is selecting who.

The criteria for selecting the winner should be well spell out.

Opportunity should be given to the public to vote for some categories if not all.

Also the opening and closing period for next year nomination should be well publicize as many complain that they weren’t aware when the nomination took place.