Kofi Ansah (6 July 1951 – 3 May 2014) was a Ghanaian fashion designer. He was considered a pioneer in promoting modern African styles and design on the international stage. He was married to Nicola Ansah and the father of actor
Joey Ansah, Ryan Ansah and Tanoa Sasraku-Ansah.
Early life and education
Ansah was born in 1951 into an artistic family and his interest in art and design. He was encouraged by his father, a photographer and classical musician.
Ansah studied at
Chelsea School of Art
Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London based in London, United Kingdom, and is a leading British art and design institution with an international reputation.
It offers further and higher educat ...
, graduating in 1979 with a first-class honours degree in fashion design and distinction in design technology.
[ Elizabeth Ohene]
"Kofi Ansah: Ghana mourns fashion guru"
BBC News Africa, 30 May 2014.
He initially made his name working on the UK fashion scene as he made headlines on his graduation when he made a beaded top for
Princess Anne
Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...
and later returned to Ghana in 1992,
where he set up and ran the successful design and creative concept company Artdress.
He was the founder and past president of the Federation of African Designers.
[Ernest Dela Aglanu]
"Funeral held for designer Kofi Ansah; body to be cremated"
Joy Online, 30 May 2014. Characteristic of his style was the use of quilting, embroidery and appliqué.
He died at
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is a public teaching hospital located in the Ablekuma South Metropolitan District in Accra, Ghana. It is the only public tertiary hospital in the southern part of the country. It is a teaching hospital affiliate ...
,
["Burial Service For Renowned Ghanaian Fashion Designer Kofi Ansah Held in Accra"]
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, 30 May 2014. aged 62, on 3 May 2014. His funeral was held in the forecourt of State House in
Accra.
Awards and recognitions
Ansah won the prestigious Ghana Quality Awards Diamond Division in October 2003, for clothing and textile with Artdress Ltd, and his company was the winner of the Millennium 2000 African Fashion Awards.
He also designed the anniversary fabric for the Ghana@50 Golden Jubilee Celebration. He designed the costumes for the opening and closing ceremonies of the
2008 African Cup of Nations
The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the MTN Africa Cup of Nations due to the competition's sponsorship by MTN, was the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the biennial football tournament for nations affiliated to the Confederat ...
staged in Ghana,
and in 2009 was the chief designer at the Festival of African Fashion and Arts (FAFA).
He was posthumously honoured in November 2015 at the ETV Ghana Fashion Awards for his "immense contribution to the fashion industry and the prestige of the nation."
"Kofi Ansah honoured in Ghana Fashion Awards 2015"
Ghana News Agency, 28 November 2015.
References
External links
* Elizabeth Ohene
"Kofi Ansah: Ghana mourns fashion guru"
BBC News Africa, 30 May 2014.
"Changing the Face of Ghanaian Fashion"
Business in Africa Pays.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansah, Kofi
1951 births
2014 deaths
Ghanaian fashion designers
African fashion
Alumni of Chelsea College of Arts