Cecil Duddley Mends’ impressive knack for fashion keeps turning heads

Cecil Duddley Mends, Chief Executive of CDM Fashion Couture, has been an established fashion designer for 14 years and his gowns have been worn by renowned personalities including The Gambian President Adama Barrow and President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio.

From Chancellors to Council Chairs, Vice-Chancellors, Pro VCs and Registrars, Cecil's impeccable products adorn various higher learning institutions at congregation and matriculation events, depicting the achievement of attained milestones and reverence of esteemed status.

When the news team visited Cecil's premises in Accra, his dedicated workers were diligently finishing touches on a set of robes to be delivered to a tertiary institution within the Greater Accra Region for a soon to be held event. As he puts it, "integrity is key in the fashion business," and the quality of Cecil's products rivals European and American standards.

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic were felt at the business too, with lower patronage from educational institutions and periodic individual requests of robes for virtual graduation photo sessions.

In a bid to surmount the challenge, Cecil and his team have embraced innovative approaches. He also leads by example with words of wisdom - his advice to stakeholders and consumers is to look within Ghana for talented designers to sew authentic gowns of quality and competitive prices.

Cecil believes his company is committed to meeting and exceeding customer requirements, ensuring a 100% quality target that is adopted all the way through the manufacturing process.

Cecil went on to pursue a degree programme at the University of London, hold positions of increasing responsibility at Zoomlion, Japan Motors, and The Multimedia Group, and become the Chief Executive of CDM Fashion Couture and CDM School of Fashion.

His commitment to the industry was recognized in 2017 when he was awarded the Ghana Peace Award for Best Fashion Designer. He is an inspiration to all fashion designers and entrepreneurs.