Posts
"Having a
mentor
... is one of the most
important things ever,
and if there is a way we can
get connected
to different types of
mentors,
then I think we will all be
successful young black women ..."
In the final part of our interview with Amma, we begin with a discussion on social invisibility and the representations of black women in the fashion industry. We then speak in depth about the importance of mentors, where Amma reveals how important a business mentor will be for the growth and success of Sarf’O, as well he own development as an entrepreneur. Our vivacious conversation ends with her detailing her achievements and hopes for Sarf’O in the future.
And so the conversation continues …
Social Invisibility
Yaaya:
One of the issues that we are very passionate about at Yaaya, is bringing
more attention to the social invisibility of black women in Europe. Have you ever heard of the term social
invisibility before?
Amma O:
Not really. I haven’t heard of that term. What comes to mind is the creating an
awareness of a certain culture or society, or certain group of people. That’s what comes to mind when I
think of social visibility.
Yaaya:
No, social invisibility.
Amma O:
Oh I see! Ok so something that is hidden, Yaaya is trying to bring it to light?
I think we touched on that earlier, you know, allowing black women to have a say and a platform to shout out
loud, and I think that’s what social invisibility means to me. It’s like you are not there, there is nothing
there for you, but all of a sudden... it’s almost like freedom. Someone has opened the door for you to be
heard. That’s what that means to me I think.
Yaaya:
Do black female designers get enough mainstream attention or global
opportunities to showcase their work?
Amma O:
I think you can get it [media attention], and it is out there, but you have to
struggle before you can get it. You need to to invest time and money to get that exposure. So it is out
there, but before you can get to it you must struggle.
Yaaya:
Why do you think this is?
Amma O:
That’s a very good question actually.Because African fashion is not on the high
street, a lot of Europeans are not used to African fashion, or do not know about it, hence it is very
difficult to convince them that this it is great. That’s why it’s difficult, and why it’s a struggle for
people to accept it.
Yaaya:
What do you think could be done to address this issue?
Amma O:
People shouldn’t give up. We should just keep going and keep pushing.
We need to let the world hear what we’ve got to say, what we do, and show our creativity. At the end of the
day the world is full of creative things, so why are we not allowed to show what we can do? I don’t have a
specific solution, but things like blogging about African fashion and creativity, allows people to find out
what we do. Exposure online, Facebook and going to London Fashion week are all things we can do. It’s hard,
but we will achieve what we want in the end.
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Support Networks, Role Models And Mentoring
Yaaya:
As a young person starting out in the fashion industry, we would imagine
networks of support, and guidance from a mentor in the industry is invaluable. Do you have a mentor, or a
network of support you can tap into to seek advice and encouragement?
Amma O:
No I don’t, and it’s such a shame. It’s something that I’ve recently been
sitting down and thinking about, as I don’t have a background in business. I’ve always had the passion to be
an entrepreneur, and own my own businesses, but that doesn’t mean I have all the skills and qualities
required. Having a mentor, somebody that I can speak to about certain problems and issues are very important
when you are starting your own business. When your head gets crowded, you need somebody to help you group
your thoughts, and steer you in the right direction. That’s why it’s very important. Going to places to
network like fashion shows, exhibitions, fashion events, or even just normal professional settings, where a
lot of professional people are about also helps. Having a mentor is an important thing, and if you don’t
have one, its very hard.
Yaaya:
Do you have any plans to try and reach out and find a mentor?
Amma O:
Definitely! I’ve been going to seminars about setting up your own business, and
places where you can find mentors, but I’ve noticed that they are always in a rush! They don’t give you that
much time. I’ve learnt a little bit from some of the people I’ve met, and I try to seek help here and there.
Some of my family members give me books to read about business, so I’m starting to read those books. I know
people who are starting out as well, and I go to them when I am struggling. I am definitely looking for some
sort of mentor to assist me, and I’m going to keep searching until I find one! (Laughs)
Yaaya:
What designers do you currently look up to and why?
Amma O:
Within African fashion?
Yaaya:
Generally.
Amma O:
Because I’m into shoes, I look at people like Vivienne Westwood or Giuseppe
Zanotti. I look at Jeffrey Campbell’s collection a lot as well. I know he [Jeffrey Campbell] is everywhere,
and he is famous and popular, but the way that he thinks about designing shoes is amazing! There are some
semi-popular designers who are quite underground, but known amongst the celebrities that I look up to. I do
research on different types of shoe-makers and designers as well. These are people that inspire me alot from
time to time. If I’m struggling with designing something, I go on the net, look around, and see what’s in,
and think "how am I going to infuse my 'African-ness' with this style?" (Laughs)
Yaaya:
If you had the opportunity to reach out to any of the designers you
mentioned, and ask them to be your mentor, would you?
Amma O:
Hell yes! Definitely, because they came from somewhere, and they’ve got to
where they are now. That’s the question that I would like to ask them. “You started from somewhere, how did
you get to where you are now?” because that’s the journey that I’m on. I would like to know the sort of
things they went through to get to where they are now. I would like to ask for their advice, and see how
they can assist me. Maybe we could all work together as well (Laughs).
Yaaya:
How important do you think mentoring is, especially to black girls and women?
Amma O:
We [black girls and women] are not always encouraged to set up our own
businesses or become entrepenuers. You would be lucky if you have parents that encourage you to start your
own business! I think when you have that mindset, the mindset of standing on your own feet, it’s
important to have someone, like a business person, to help you out.
Recently my mum was telling me to get a job and save up, which is a good thing. You should get a job and save up, but I’ve always heard this saying that a wage is to live on but a salary is for a lifetime. I think I’ve messed the saying up! (Laughs) But essentially if you have your own business, you can push yourself. You have the vision, and you know what you want out of it. No one will ask you about your money, or how you spend it either. Having a mentor when you are starting up a business is one of the most important things ever, and if there is a way we can get connected to different types of mentors, then I think we will all be successful young black women. Not everyone is about a 9-to-5 job.
Recently my mum was telling me to get a job and save up, which is a good thing. You should get a job and save up, but I’ve always heard this saying that a wage is to live on but a salary is for a lifetime. I think I’ve messed the saying up! (Laughs) But essentially if you have your own business, you can push yourself. You have the vision, and you know what you want out of it. No one will ask you about your money, or how you spend it either. Having a mentor when you are starting up a business is one of the most important things ever, and if there is a way we can get connected to different types of mentors, then I think we will all be successful young black women. Not everyone is about a 9-to-5 job.
Yaaya:
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own fashion
label?
Amma O:
We are all doing it, but my question is “what makes you stand out?” What makes
you stand out, is what you should use to keep doing what you do. That’s my advice.
Yaaya:
Short and sweet!
Achievements And The Future
Yaaya:
What is your proudest moment to date so far in your career?
Amma O:
I just think when I’ve worked hard, and you see the fruits of your labour. To
me that’s an achievement.
Yaaya:
Can you think of a specific example?
Amma O:
Recently I completed a fashion show, and it was really stressful. Once
everything was on stage, and people were seeing my work and clapping for me, I just thought “this is
amazing,” and this is what it is all about. You struggle and it’s going to be hard, but once people
appreciate and respect what you do, I think in a sense you have achieved something because you are making an
impact. When I walked on the stage nobody would have thought that it is little ol’ me that has designed all
of these things. I’ve probably inspired somebody to go ahead and do what they want to do. I also feel like I
inspire my friends, family and younger sister, and that’s an achievement in itself. You have to come into
the world and impact other people’s lives before you leave.
Yaaya:
What key milestones do you have for Sarf’O over the next year?
Amma O:
Lots! I’ve got quite a few things I would like to achieve for Sarf’O. We are
still working on our website, so that is something that I’m hoping to complete by the end of this year. I
want to get our products out there, and create more awareness about us [Sarf’O], and what we do. I would
also like to get our products into shops as I said earlier, and approach shops like Selfridges, because they
sell African designs. I’d also like to approach shops like Topshop, Zara and places like that.
Yaaya:
What are some of your future projects that you are most excited about, and that our readers should
look out for?
Amma O:
They should just look forward to more of our creative designs. We are going to
start doing other fashion shows and exhibitions.Next year we are planning to be at African Fashion Week. We
will hopefully be doing the exhibition not the showcase. That’s something that we are looking into at the
moment. They [Yaaya readers] should basically watch this space, and we will have more stuff out there for
them to look forward to. We are not going to disappoint them!
And So The Conversation Ends … For Now :)
Yaaya:
So Amma, what we'd now like to do is ask you to complete the following sentences.
Setting up my own business has been a learning curve because ...
Setting up my own business has been a learning curve because ...
Amma O:
There have been a lot of challenges on the way, and looking at competition can
put you off, but you need to stand firm.
Yaaya:
Designing makes me feel ...
Amma O:
Haap-ppyyyy! Very happy. And then when I see people wear my designs ... (Sighs) That’s how I feel. Put that in there! (Laughs)
Yaaya:
One of my ambitions is to ...
Amma O:
Be an entrepreneur.
Yaaya:
Yaaya to me represents ...
Amma O:
A great place for young African women to be heard!
Yaaya:
Brilliant ... Thank you Amma!
This post concludes the final part of our interview with Amma Osei. Find out more about Sarf’O via Twitter at @Sarfo_World and Facebook at SarfO.World.
Catch-up on the earlier parts of our conversation:
Part 1: Amma Osei, Capturing The ‘Boga’ Style
Part 2: Taking A Walk In Her Shoes
Image Source | These images do not belong to Yaaya. Images courtesy of Amma Osei (Sarf'O).
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