Ophelia Akweley Okyere-Darko (born March 16, 1983) (née Crossland) is a Ghanaian fashion designer and the Creative Director of Ophelia Crossland Designs Ltd and Ohemaa Kids. Those Who Inspire Limited named her as part of the 75 'Most Inspiring Ghanaians in the world.

Early life

Ophelia Crossland was born to Ghanaian Archaeologist Prof. Leonard Brighton Crossland and Mrs Sarah Crossland and grew up in Accra with her twin brother and her elder sister Velma Owusu-Bempah. She attended St Mary's Senior High School (Ghana) in

Korle Gonno Korle Gonno is a town in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The town is known for the Saint Mary's Secondary. The school is a second cycle institution. The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is a public teaching hospi ...

, Accra and proceeded to the Vogue Style School of Fashion and Design by

Joyce Ababio Joyce Yeboah Ababio is a Ghanaian fashion designer. She is the founder CEO of JACCD. Early life and education Ababio was born to Stephen W. Yeboah, a politician who served under the Nkrumah government, and Esther Tuyee. She is the fifth chil ...

where she was adjudged best graduating student in 2004.

Career

Ophelia Crossland started her fashion career in 2004 and has made clothes for prominent personalities in Ghana including the former Speaker of Parliament,

Joyce Bamford-Addo Joyce Adeline Bamford-Addo, (born 26 March 1937) is a Ghanaian barrister and judge who served as the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana from 2009 to 2013. She was previously a Supreme Court of Ghana, Justice o ...

, the First Female Chief Justice,

Georgina Theodora Wood Georgina Theodora Wood (née Lutterodt; born 8 June 1947) is a Ghanaian judge and also a former police prosecution officer. She was the Chief Justice of Ghana and the first woman to occupy that position. She retired in 2017 after five decades ...

s, former First Lady

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings (born 17 November 1948) is a Ghanaian politician who was the First Lady of Ghana from 4 June 1979 to 24 September 1979 and from 31 December 1981 to 7 January 2001. Both times under President Jerry John Rawlings. In 2 ...

, Gifty Anti, and

Joselyn Dumas Joselyn Dumas (; born 31 August 1980) is a Ghanaian television host and actress. In 2014 she starred in '' A Northern Affair'', a role that earned her a Ghana Movie Award and an Africa Movie Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Early l ...

. She was named as

Swarovski Swarovski (, ) is an Austrian producer of glass based in Wattens, Austria, and has existed as a family-owned business since its founding in 1895 by Daniel Swarovski. The company is split into three major industry areas: the Swarovski Crystal ...

's West African Ambassador in 2017. Swarovski selected her to represent Ghana at their Fashion Exhibition in Dubai. She also costumed outfits for the cast of

Shirley Frimpong Manso Shirley Frimpong-Manso (born 16 March 1977) is a Ghanaian film director, writer, and producer. She is the founder and CEO of Sparrow Productions, a film, television and advertising production company. She won Best Director at the 6th Africa Mov ...

’s

Love Or Something Like That ''Love or Something Like That'' is a 2014 Ghanaian Nigerian film directed by Shirley Frimpong-Manso. It stars John Dumelo, Joselyn Dumas and OC Ukeje. The film had its London premiere on 28 November 2014 at Odeon Cinema. It received two nominatio ...

in 2014. She was also credited with the making of the gown Ghana's Miss Universe representative wore on the night of the finals in Thailand. In September 2019, Crossland was announced as Africa and Ghana's sole representative at the Global Qipao Invitational Exhibition at the

China National Silk Museum The China National Silk Museum () is a national-level museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. About the Museum The China National Silk Museum (CNSM), near the West Lake, in Hangzhou, is one of the first national-level museums in China and ...

Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The theme for the 2019 exhibition was "Weddings" and she created the Qipao with Ghana's

Kente Kente ( ak, kente or ''nwetoma''; ee, kete; Dagbani: Chinchini) refers to a Ghanaian textile, made of handwoven cloth, strips of silk and cotton. Historically the fabric was worn in a toga-like fashion by royalty among ethnic groups such as the ...

Vogue Italia also featured her charity work with Ghanaian head porters popularly known as

Kayayei Kayayei or Kaya Yei is a Ghanaian term for a female Porter (carrier), porter or bearer. Many of these women have migrated from a rural community to any of Ghana's urban cities in search of work. They generally Head-carrying, carry their burdens on ...

in fashion.

Personal life

She is married to Ghanaian Broadcaster and fashion designer, Kofi Okyere Darko (KOD) and they have two daughters.

Awards

Womenswear designer of the Year at the 2018 Glitz Style Awards She also won the best wardrobe and costume designer for her work with ''Love Or Something Like That'' at the Ghana Movie Awards. Winner of the Swarovski Training Workshop Award and Swarovski Brand Ambassador

References

External links

Official Website

Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crossland, Ophelia Living people 1983 births Ghanaian fashion designers Ghanaian women fashion designers St Mary's Senior High School (Ghana) alumni People from Accra