Ghanian Designer on Vogue Italia

ITs great to see African Designers getting their Shine, I said this once, very soon they're gonna be peakin bigtime on all over..heck they already are!.Ghanaian designer, Phyllis Taylor, Creative of clothing line, Sika is featured on Italian Vogue’s “Vogue Black” website to discuss the success behind the Ghanaian prints womenswear collection which uses wax-print fabrics and batik to incorporate chic looks for a fashion-forward fashionista. The line got plenty of press in the African blogosphere thanks in part to their 1950′s style bow dresses.

The designer Phyllis Taylor brand Sika reinterprets traditional Ghanaian prints and in doing so it has revolutionized the sartorial culture

“In Ghana, the fabrics chosen for a dress varies according to the occasion in which you want to wear,” said Phyllis Taylor, creative director of the London brand Sika . The traditional batik and wax-print classic that used to model a very Western silhouette but come from the native country of his family in West Africa.

“We had a great respect for tissues and choose with care to wear them on occasions or important places . For example, it is customary among Ghanaian women to wear a certain type of cloth to go to church for weddings and another one ‘ another for the funeral , “says the designer. “But my goal was to use the prints in clothes that were suitable for any occasion, and this is unheard of in Ghana. In Ghana, my creations are greeted with laughter, you do not understand , “said Phyllis.

But for every skeptic who receives comment in cities such as Kumasi and Oda, there are many – if not more – praise and looks of ecstatic appreciation of the customers in London and New York , who worship the hyper-feminine dresses and casual at the same time, inspired by the shapes and cuts of 50 to 60 years.

After a background in the music world, Phyllis Sika has launched the project about four years ago, driven by the desire to export a taste for bold colors and fabrics, typical of the Ghanaian culture in the western world . “When I was little, we went to Ghana every summer to work the ropes and watched fascinated and thought it was a pity that this wealth could be seen only sil place,” says the designer. So he enrolled at the London College of Fashion where she studied modeling and packaging, then she returned to Ghana to hire local seamstresses who make the models.

With the growth of the brand – Sika now also produces accessories and home items – also increased the workload for the seamstresses. “ I wanted to give the Ghanaian seamstresses can work on a large scale . The women I work with have been able to gradually move to more spacious homes, buy a new car and expand the business by hiring new staff, “says Phyllis.

Phyllis hopes that one day in Africa to become part of the fashion world and become known for its industry. “Ghana does not boast the same sartorial tradition of countries like Italy or India, but our seamstresses are learning new techniques and realize that the production of many textile companies in Africa could be hijacked . I’m not sure that ‘Africa is not ready yet, but would certainly be a’ good growth opportunities . “ 

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