Ghanaian millinery and clutch designer, Velma Owusu Bempah, has managed to rise above odds and grab some positive attention to her business in a fashion industry where attention is only given to cloth designers.
The UK-trained millinery and clutch designer is one of the country’s best. She is the designer behind the clutch used by Samira Bawumia to complete her beautiful outfit and headpiece during the ‘Ghana 60 years On’ parade on March 6.
She told NEWS-ONE in an exclusive interview over the weekend that it is a great opportunity for her to design for the vice president’s wife.
According to her, it always feels special when such high-profile personalities in the society approach her for business.
“It makes us feel special because before people of that nature come to you, they know, I mean they look out for you. So making a choice to come for you, then they know they are coming for a good quality stuff,” she said.
An unparalleled figure in Ghana’s fashion scene, Velma Owusu Bempah is a distinguished milliner and women’s clutch and jewellerry designer for over a decade.
She is unique and known for her effortless take on glamour.
The CEO of Velma’s Millinery & Accessories has built a thriving and successful business, operating from Sarah’s Fabrics building in the heart of Osu, Accra, where she offers her clients impeccable hats or fascinators and the best of accessories for women.
She is respected for her comprehensive style, exceptional taste and expertise accessible to her growing audience.
As a young Bsc Marketing graduate from the University of Ghana Business School in 2004, Velma was inspired by her mother, Sarah Crossland, to go after her passion to become one of the world’s celebrated bags, jewellery and millinery designers.
In 2005, she then enrolled at the Central St Martin’s School of Arts& Designs, an affiliate of London School of Arts, where she took courses in millinery, bag designing and communication.
Having completed, she returned to Ghana to establish what is now known as the Velma’s Millinery & Accessories in 2006.
She has so far endeared herself as a trusted curator of style and image to her many celebrity clients and high-profile personalities.
“Every Ghanaian or African woman deserves to stand out on their own and be unique…my thing is every woman that comes to me should stand out,” she said is the inspiration behind every work she does.
“I do a lot of sourcing; I mean putting raw materials together and all that. For just a piece, I need to do a whole lot of collections. When a client gets a clutch from me, I can’t do the same thing for another person,” the mother of two beautiful daughters added.
On top of her tall clients list are Anita Erskine, Sandra Ankobiah, Juliet Ibrahim, Shirley Frimpong- Manso, Joselyn Dumas, among others.
Aside designing a clutch for Samira Bawumia, she also has clients in South Africa, UK, Ivory Coast and other countries.
Velma collaborates with other respected fashion designers, including her sister Ophelia Crossland by designing millinery or fascinators, clutches or bags and jewelleries to complement their collections.
Her first clutch collection was called Ankara collection and then she followed with Royal collection, which were made of kente. She also did metallic and semi-precious stone collections. She most often designs clutch bags and she is unique at it in different shapes; be it box, oval or envelope shapes.
She will be releasing her latest collection at the 2017 edition of ‘Rythms On Da Runway’ fashion event.
“I don’t repeat clutches or bags. Unless someone stresses me to do something similar,” she revealed, adding her products are affordable, depending on what a client wants.
“Velma’s Millinery & Accessories is a shop that when you enter you can come for something. It is a shop that is not so expensive that one can’t afford. Everything in our shop is unique even if it’s the cheapest,” she stated.
With her vast expertise in designing, Velma remains an inspiration to a department of Ghana’s fashion industry that is yet to win more media attention.
Source: Daily Guide
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the attention posed on this vice president's wife is beyond comprehension...she is NOT the FIRST LADY of Ghana...Talk abt Mrs. Rebecca A (FIRST LADY) of Ghana...she's the one that deserves more and more media coverage...the presidency is not for fashion...geeeeeeesh
Peace fm can you please verify your stories before subjecting the world to it. This is clearly mis selling and false advertisement. Your title gives the impression that she designed the whole outfit. Infact, your whole article is about an item that is not even featured in your picture. Please give HatboxCo and Pistis their credit. Your article should have been about the 2nd lady's fashion and the geniuses that made it happen.
So Velma if a person who isnt popular or rich comes to you, you dont feel special. Aren't they patronizing and paying for your services too. Hmm. And peacefm have you been paid to do an article only on the clutch which was hardly noticed????. I thought you would even talk about the dress and fascinator which were more catchy
This is a very deceitful article. it makes it seem that the entire ensemble was put together by velma. please give the appropriate credit where it is due. the dress was designed by award winning Ghanaian duo Sumaya and Kabutey of PISTIS ghana and the show stopping fascinator which has become and overnight sensation was designed by Abena Duffuor of Hatboxco. check out their works on instagram. pistisgh and hatboxco give credit where credit is due!
I will rather spend my money on someone else, this designer and her sister are the most arrogant people who have no respect for the common person. I like humble people regardless your status in life, because you never know where your help may come from.
kip it up..hope to visit ur shop soon
I saw the headline and thought she designed the whole outfit including accessories. So she designed only the clutch bag, who then designed the Hatinator and the outfit? Talk about those designers too. Smh
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yaak. feel what?