I was thirsty for success

Philomena tells her exotic story

From the start, she produced African wear for her neighbourhood. Today, Philomena creates her own fashion brands. Ama Amankwah Baafi reports

From the ancient town of Odumase Krobo in the Eastern Region to the fashion arena, Ms Philomena Doe has always had the most important ingredient for success – passion. Coupled with determination and a worldview of how the world of fashion must look like, Philomena creates some of the most exotic ready-to-wear designer dresses and shirts, and each collection of ‘Classical Style Designs’ comes as a complete surprise.

Her adorably designs are found in the everyday batik, tie and dye, exquisite sandals, beads and Africa designed lace materials. In 2010, Classical Style Designs’ recorded a turnover of about US$200,000.

GRAPHIC BUSINESS met Ms Philomena Doe in her Adentan workshop, she said “I didn’t have that strong educational background, but I aimed to be somebody in future and was focused that I want to become a fashion designer”.

While doing hairdressing, she studied dressmaking from her mother who she was determined to take after. She began sewing with hand sewing machine and later added the making of tie & dye.

Currently, Classical Style Designs, establishment in 1997 has 12 members of staff, including marketing personnel. It also has about 10 industrial sewing machines for the workshop.

This organised front, which many small and medium-scale enterprises have lacked in the country, has catapulted Classical Style onto the international stage, as the company has been given the opportunity to showcase at various exhibitions in Africa, the United States and Europe.

To Philomena, fairs are often avenues to market her brands and not only to sell. Her hope is to get enormous public buy-in and belief in her work so as to enable her to grow bigger.

“For now, products from Ghana have received approvals across the sub-region including countries such as Nigeria and Cotonou and Benin because we have quality products. What is left is the exposure,” Ms Doe said.

She, however, commended the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and other stakeholders for doing their best to support players in the creative industry, though more remained undone.

Her business and efforts have not gone unnoticed. At a fair in Cotonou in December 2004 dubbed, “Innov Sidi”, Classical Style Designs was awarded the best designer, an experience she described as “wonderful in such a great environment. It made me feel like a protagonist of the fashion exhibition”.

She explained that her “products stand out because of the quality of materials used. Out of innovation at times I do add designs and dyes to materials I use, to make them look different or add beauty to it”.

She said her major challenge was the cost of freighting to clients abroad and appealed for a quota to be given to small entrepreneurs like hers.

“Also getting access to funds to expand our businesses is difficult. If you are doing something and you get a push, you climb fast. Because of lack of funds we are forced to wait for part payment from clients who give us orders before we meet demands,” she lamented.

To promote the fashion and creative sector in general, she said there had to be a critical mass of influential and wealthy people that could assist young designers with talent.

Nonetheless, Philomena said being in the fashion arena for the past 15 years had been a blessing. Classical Style Designs has a vision to be one of the finest fashion designers in the world.

A mother of five, Ms Doe is a member of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Trade Fair Exhibitors Association.  GB

Ms Doe is on clasicalstyle@yahoo.com