KWASI WIAFE

V. What are your thoughts on the Burberry campaign with Adwoah Aboah shot in Accra, Ghana? Is this a step forward for the African fashion industry? Or is it just an opportunistic stunt for the brand to check off being diverse?

I think she did well to bring everything home and also the fact that she was able to tell a bit of the Ghanaian story through it. Although, I expected more in terms of collaborating with more of the locals. There’s so much talent out here and personally I feel she could have given some of the stylist ,models and photographers the chance to collaborate with her team .

VI. Who or what is your style inspiration? What are your go-to magazines or sites for inspiration?

I try to constantly inspire myself and be creative with my style as much as possible but great personalities like Dapper Dan, the Ashanti King ( Otumfuor Osei Tutu II),Joshua Kissi of street Etiquette, Travis Scott ,Will Smith and Pharrell Williams are just a few of the people I draw inspiration from.

I also allow my environment to inspire me most of the time because Ghanaians have so much style and I see that every day on the streets. Pinterest is a good place to go for some inspiration as well.

VII. Would you say styling is just clothes and make-up? Or is there more to it than that?

I believe style is telling ones story through clothing ,it’s an art we live every day. It has to do with everything from, clothes, hair ,make-up, shoes, bags etc. All these are put together to form a great painting/visual of ones’ style .

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Meet Nana Kwasi Wiafe, Ghanaian Fashion stylist, visualist and creative director.

Kwasi talks to AFE about his on-going journey as a stylist and a creative ,in Ghana, having worked with the likes of Netflix star, Michaela Coel and featured on Vogue magazine as well as BET International.

Kwasi holds his cultural roots close to him and this is visibly recognized in his work, thus resulting in a classic modern twist of the Ghanaian heritage.

I. Who is Thou Art Kwasi? What is your name, your style and go-to social media platform?

Thouartkwasi is high fashion styling brand founded by Nana Kwasi Wiafe.

The name simply translates to ‘ THE ART OF KWASI.’

The brand seeks to create high end fashion editorial ensembles and esthetics that reflects the stories of individuals and brands. I like to tell my stories in different ways as to not limit myself to just one style category. My style cuts across different categories, such as; Street, Classic ,Vintage, Afrocentric, and Avant-garde.

My go to social platform is normally Instagram because it’s a big community that allows you to share your work with lots of people all over the world.

II. Describe the Ghanaian creative scene, especially the fashion scene? Is it thriving or do you think there is still room for improvement?

The Ghanaian creative and fashion scene is a thriving one that is doing really well.

There are so many young talented designers, stylist, photographers ,models ,make up /hairstylist that are popping-up every day on the creative map.

We have notable fashion weeks, such as, the Glitz African fashion week ,Ghana fashion and design week and the list goes on. These fashion events are annually putting together fashion shows that are of high standards and matches the quality of shows everywhere in the world, hence creating the platform for both local and international fashion brands to showcase their work.

Admittedly, this wasn’t the case a few years ago so it’s very exciting. Even with all the challenges we have, there’s always room for improvement and things can only get better.

III. Any educational background in the fashion sector or is it more of a passion come career?

I’m more of a business student so all this came out of the passion and the love I have for fashion and also the influence it had on me growing up.

I wanted to show people my style so I learned more about it myself and also from working with other fashion creatives.

IV. What is it like working as a stylist and being your own model? Is it harder or easier to express your visual message?

Working as a stylist and being your own model can be quite difficult sometimes. You can easily get overwhelmed if you’re not focused and have things properly planned. You’re constantly switching between two different moods (a model & a stylist) but am able to find a good balance to make it work.