Following the semi-final competition of the LVMH Prize in Paris, France. The iMullar talks to the Ghanaian-based afro-luxurious brand about early beginnings, sustainability, and the biggest takeaway from the competition.
In 2014, the LVMH Prize- an award for young designers began as a way of rewarding and commending young fashion designers across the world. Since its inception, it has been awarded to over twelve designers in total. On the African continent, names like Maki Oh (Nigeria), Orange Culture (Nigeria), Thebe Magugu (South Africa), Sindiso Khumalo (South Africa), Lukhanyo Mdingi (South Africa), Lagos Space Programme (Nigeria), Tokyo James (Nigeria), Bloke (Nigeria), and Agbobly (Togo) and newcomer Yasmin Mansour (Egypt) have all graced the competition with Magugu becoming the first African designer to win the prize in 2019.
For the first time, David Kusi Boye-Doe of Boyedoe, a Ghanaian afro-luxurious and ethical brand built on sustainability becomes another African designer, and the first from Ghana, to make it to the semi-finalist competition in 2025.
“To be considered part of the semi-finalists for me, it was all joy. I remember I had envisioned and dreamt of it, it was my second time applying”. David recalls to iMullar.
In most African countries, fast fashion and second-hand clothing remain prominent to consumers’ needs, and over the years it has amounted to textile waste that continues to cause environmental degradation. To combat this cause, the Boyedoe brand is one of the many new generations of African designers etched with sustainability and innovation. This feat has now propelled the six-year-old brand into the international fashion scene.
How It All Started.
David grew up in Kumasi, the second-largest city in Ghana; the capital of the Ashanti Region. The city is known for a mix of culture, tradition, and heritage. Here, the Kente fabric originates and will later become the aesthetic for his brand. At an early age, when the designer was accompanying his grandfather to the king’s palace during festivals, he got drawn to the many colours, and his interest in fashion grew, mostly admiring suits.
“I have always been a fan of suits. Even as a child, I was always excited when I saw people wearing suits. I have always been fascinated by Dandyism aesthetics. I didn’t come from a family where any of my members was a tailor or interested in fashion. It was more of following my grandfather to festivals. Here was where my mind began being opened to a lot of colours, and cultures”.
Initially, the designer wanted to be an architect, however, he soon realized the dream was not feasible as he lost his father right after high school. Now left with a single mother, it became a dire need to pursue his interest in fashion. He started sourcing and picking second-hand clothes.
“I would wash and iron them, take them to offices to go and sell. These people were busy in their offices and at some point in doing that, I realized that there were lots of people who needed clothes but couldn’t go out and buy them- so I became a personal shopper”. David recalls.
However, David was soon left unsatisfied with the way people were wearing these clothes. According to him, the people he shopped for lacked how to properly style pieces. And that would further unleash another interest in him. He would soon become a stylist and wardrobe consultant and attest to it being more fun and fulfilling. He worked as a wedding and bridal stylist, curating looks for Bride and Groom, and launched a business called “Grooms on Point”. The emerging designer navigated the city solely during this period and only knew names outside of the continent like Tom Ford, Giorgio Armani, and the Ghanaian-British Oswald Boateng.
Eventually, in 2018, he moved from Kumasi to Accra where he studied fashion design at JACCD_DIA for a year and graduated as one of the most outstanding and creative students.
The Boyedoe Brand.
Boyedoe officially started in 2020, creating striking and colorful silhouettes using the Kente fabric and denim. Pieces are often deconstructed, reconstructed, and upcycled- a way of promoting sustainability. To trace the ethos of the brand, I asked the Creative Director about their relationship with fabric and the significant role it plays in the formation of the brand.
“In the beginning, I was looking at a fabric that has been there for ages and that keeps evolving, a fabric everybody could relate to, and that was Denim. I did a very comprehensive research study on denim fabric and its production and learned that it takes over 10 years before denim decays when thrown away, it’s very environmental”.
“Also Kente is a colourful and vibrant fabric, I wanted to innovate this traditional textile into something that would become globally appealing”. He shares.
Following showings at fashion week in Lagos, and Accra. The brand gradually began threading the international market, featuring in Vogue, and debuting at Portugal Fashion Week alongside multiple showcases at the Tranoi Fashion Show in Paris. Which all came as a result of building an identity.
“When you’re building something, you need to have an identity. That’s one of the important things in designing, being known for something. Then after you’ve established yourself, you can now delve into other parts. Once you gain people’s trust, it becomes easy for people to grow with you and see your next move”. The designer explains.
The Road to LVMH.
At first, David was not going to apply for the LVMH Prize. The Kantamanto market located in Accra, Ghana – West Africa’s largest second-hand market had just burned down, the market served as a source for fabric and catered to most fashion entrepreneurs in the city. Like everyone who lost things during the incident, the designer was still relieving the aftermath of the fire as the deadline for the LVMH competition drew close. This was back in January.
“I didn’t want to apply because of that incident, however, a passionate fashion writer from the UK (Sarah Mower) reached out to me. She knew about my relationship with Kantamanto, and knew I sourced from the market, and was checking up on me to see if I lost anything, good for me I had only lost a few things. She also knew that I had applied for the Prize two years ago and encouraged me not to give up on applying again. There were only two days left for the application to close. So it was that very night that I started that application, and after so much back and forth struggling I finally sent in my application on the day which was the 4th of January”. He recalls.
But amid the devastating incident, Kusi has learned to keep rising no matter the challenges. So far, the brand has always stayed resilient in times of obstacles, like weathering through post-pandemic. While the fire incident might have been a hard blow- all that matters now is coming together to build it back.
During the LVMH semi-finalist show in Paris, Boyedoe showcased among 19 other designers from across the world to a jury and several fashion experts from the likes of creative director and editor, IB Kamara, Jonathan Anderson, Imran Ahmed of BOF, and Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour (a major highlight for the designer).
“I had the chance to meet Anna Wintour virtually during Arise 30 under 30 New Stars back in 2020. But doing the LVMH in Paris, marked the first time I met her in person. She’s so intelligent because she’s been around for a very long time, and knows the business. There’s nothing Anna hasn’t seen.
And I find it interesting for her to come to your stand and still want to know more. It shows her spirit of constantly learning, and to me, that’s one of the respect I give her. She was very interactive when she came to the showroom. A very good moment if I must say.
The moment felt like I was experiencing a dream in reality because I had watched her from afar for many years. It was a full-circle moment”. David tells iMullar.
Amidst meeting the 1% of the 1% of the fashion industry, the designer met new potential business prospects and most importantly learned more about the business side of fashion.
“I remember meeting one of the big men (I think he has been working with Dior and LVMH) for over 40 years, he wasn’t interested in hearing about the story of my brand like most of the experts wanted to. He was more interested in getting my perspective on the business side of my brand”.
“He was like, oh I love your silhouettes, I love your cuts, so let’s talk about business- your annual turnover, how many staff and tailors do you have? It made me realize that while a lot of people emphasize the importance of storytelling, product and scalability also matter. How can you sell the product and how are you selling your brand?
“The LVMH Prize is more about investing in the next generation of designers and also looking at how business-wise these designers are and how they can increase their profit margins. I understood that there’s more to fashion than just creativity and talent.”
Away from the LVMH Prize competition, I asked the creative director what’s next for the brand.
“The goal is to expand the brand’s reach while staying committed to its ethos; investing in ethical production, strengthening partnerships, supporting our local communities, and lastly engaging in sustainable education and training like garment recycling and upcycling programs.”
“I believe collaboration creates community so I will collaborate with sustainability-driven organizations and research new ways to reduce waste and increase efficiency. In addition, growing the brand internationally is very much a long-term goal while we continue to penetrate new markets and maintain responsible production which will reduce carbon footprint.”
Written by Bolaji Akinwande.
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