Fashion in Ghana has a long history intertwined with sustainability and resourcefulness. The Obroni Wawu October (OWO) event, held on October 29 2023 in Accra, showcased this rich tradition. This unique fashion show featured collections from five emerging designers. They transformed textile waste into stunning garments, blending traditional artistry with contemporary design.
OWO went beyond a typical runway show. It served as a celebration of Ghana’s upcycling ecosystem. While upcycling has become a trendy buzzword in the global fashion industry, in Ghana, it represents a lived reality.
“Ghanaians have always had sentimental value for fashion and textiles,” explains Sammy Oteng, senior community engagement manager at The Or Foundation and lead organizer of the event. “These young designers, the work they are doing, it is not because of what is happening now in the fashion industry or what is trendy. It’s something that has been part of our cultural fabric for the longest time. “These young designers are continuing traditions by their forefathers or ancestors long ago.”
Kantamanto: A community
The show featured collections from designers who sourced their materials from Kantamanto, a sprawling market in Accra. Kantamanto has long been a vital hub for the city. It’s not just for secondhand clothing but also for various other services.
“Kantamanto is an ecosystem. Here’s the sentence rewritten in active voice:
“At Kantamanto, you can buy clothes, get a haircut, purchase food, get your nails done, and even find a shower space.”There’s so many things you can do at Kantamanto,” says Oteng.
However, the role of Kantamanto is facing challenges. The rise of online shopping platforms and a global focus on the environmental impact of fast fashion. It threatens to diminish the importance of this vital community hub.
A Circular Fashion Model in Action
OWO aimed to highlight the circular fashion practices already happening within Kantamanto. Endless streams of secondhand clothing arrive at Ghana’s ports. They will be requiring significant manual labor to be sorted, transported, and prepared for sale. This intricate process, often overlooked, is crucial for making circular fashion a reality.
“All of those things are not part of the daily conversation in Kantamanto — it’s there in practice and in reality, but it’s not spoken. It’s like the flip side of what happens in the Global North, where all the words are spoken and all the ideas are intellectually there and true, but then the reality or the manifestation of the ideas is not really there,” says Liz Ricketts, co-founder of The Or Foundation.
A Blueprint for the Future of Fashion
OWO offers a powerful model for other fashion shows to emulate. By centering upcycled designs and collaborating closely with the communities that make them possible. OWO demonstrates a truly sustainable approach to the fashion industry.
“For me, OWO represents that alternative world where it’s not just rhetoric, but where sustainability is truly a culture,” says Ricketts. In an Instagram post, she emphasized that “OWO is a model for how fashion can de-centre everything that is not sustainable. Because more than what was said or explained, the value of OWO is really in what can go unsaid because it is felt.”
By showcasing the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Ghanaian designers and highlighting the vital role of communities like Kantamanto, OWO offers a valuable blueprint for a more sustainable and equitable future for the global fashion industry.
Ghana is the home of fashion and is home for veterans like Edward Enniful. He was one of the first black Vogue editor.
