People Say I'm Crazy For Choosing Fashion -Eric Faakye

Young fashion designer Eric Faakye has said his decision to enter the fashion designing business in Ghana has not gone down well with his friends and a section of Ghanaians.

Eric said his critics could not come to terms with the fact that after studying business in the university for four years, he decided to go into fashion.

'Their challenge is when they hear the word you want to 'sew' or you are a 'tailor' [sic]. The kind of perception we have about 'sewing' is the problem. They say I went to school for four years as an Accounting student and now I want to sew and it sounds weird to them. Some people tell me I am confused because I don't know what I want in life,' Eric told NEWSONE

According to him, 'when I went to Joyce Abebio School to learn fashion, nobody knew of it in my house; not even my mum and my dad. It was when I was about to graduate that I gave them an invite for the programme. It was when they came that they realised that I came to Joyce Abebio School to learn fashion designing.'

'You know how parents are: 'you went to the university for four years and want to sew, how?' It is a matter of time. But now they have been able to adjust,' he added.

Eric Faakye is currently one of Ghana's rising designers with great prospects. He owns Kofi Faakyi Tailoring (KFT) and has had a number of his collections on runway events by Exopa Modelling Agency.

From Akwatia in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Eric, aside fashion, works at  the financial department of African Support Network.

He started elementary school in Accra at De Youngsters at Kokomlemle and then moved to Star of the East Preparatory School at Taifa. Later, he enrolled at the Akwatia Presbyterian Senior High School, then to Valley View University in 2008 where he read Business Administration.

His love for fashion made him to join Joyce Abebio School to learn fashion designing.

'Now I am at GIMPA reading a postgraduate course there. So at the moment, I am schooling, working and designing at the same time,' he said.

'Fashion designing is a lucrative job. We shouldn't look down on it because there is more to it. It is not just about sitting behind your sewing machine, you cut and you sew and give to the customer. It entails a lot. If you want to be a fashion designer, please get up and go for it. It is a very lucrative job,' he added.

BY Francis Addo (Twitter: @fdee50
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