The Creative Director of the fashion brand, Rekana, Sharon Ojong, is identifying herself as the afro-modernist of our time. In this encounter with Vanessa Obioha, she
speaks on the need for the fashion industry to be more inclusive.
Earlier this year, fashion designer and creative director of Rekana, Sharon Ojong took a different approach in launching her afro-modernist collection, Rekana’s Rainy Resort 2022.
The collection which tells a story of contemporary black culture is tethered to a self-produced fashion film titled ‘Children of God’.
The clip, slightly over 10 minutes, tells the story of a distressed afro-modern man running away from his past towards the church where he meets a diverse group. The film is sprinkled with messages of inclusion and diversity. For instance, the priest is a woman, breaking the traditional Catholic church culture that reserves the role for the male gender. The soundtrack also is in Ibibio language while the cast is dressed in sunshine-yellow adire sets. All 12 pieces of the Rainy Resort collection convey a message of God as our help and refuge irrespective of our differences.
“The new collection was inspired by love, inclusion in the church, and our transition into more ethical-sustainable clothing made with eco-friendly, hand-woven, hand-dyed fabrics, with low-impact materials for our tie-dye process. It took me seven months to put these all together, the collection and the film,” she said in a recent encounter.
To be sure, Ojong has paid her due by climbing through the rungs of the fashion and media industry from being an intern at FAB Magazine, working alongside industry giants like actors Ramsey Nouah and Rita Dominic to launching her brand, Rekana.
However, her rise to her current position was not a linear path. The designer has donned many different professional togas. She was part of the reality television show KokoMasion hosted by Nigerian megastar Oladapo Oyebanjo, better known as D’banj. At one point, she launched Deevas, a PR consulting firm before forging ahead to work with highly reputable firms like Spice Fashion, and Glam Africa. She often describes herself as being a ‘creative griffin.’
In the fashion world, she is setting herself apart with her take on Afro-Modernism.
“Afro-modernism is what sets me apart from other fashion creatives,” said Ojong in a recent encounter. “I wanted to tell our story with a new approach to defining our visual identity. My designs are inspired by Nigerian culture, timeless traditional elements in history, old patterns, and personal stories combined with inspiration from the modern world.”
Explaining further, she described the idea of afro-modernism as “a belief in clothes that celebrate self-expression, inclusivity, and the old meeting the new. We source inspiration from old patterns, timeless African styles in history, and then combine them with inspiration from the modern world.”
That inclusivity, she added, is gradually disappearing from various spheres of life, the church particularly. This, she said, informed her decision to use the church to drive the narrative of inclusion.
“Using the church to tell our story of inclusion was very intentional. The church should be open to all, to come as they are. But most churches have been disappointing with their lack of inclusion, making conscious and deliberate efforts or awareness that address social injustice.”
Giving her stance on the conservativeness of the church towards fashion nuances, she said that “as far as God is concerned, all things are possible. I don’t also believe God cares about what you are wearing if it’s cool or expensive, or not. God is all about love, and love lives inside of us.”
Citing focus, determination and consistency as key elements to her rise in the fashion industry, she, however, notes that inclusivity through collaborations is the key to unlocking more potential of the growing fashion industry to compete fairly against big international names that thrive on well established enabling structures and systems.
“Although the fashion industry is the most inclusive industry in terms of personalities and a variety of creatives in Nigeria, we still have a long way to go. The Nigerian fashion industry is susceptible to cliques that make inclusion difficult. It is built around a group of friends working together and sometimes working against each other to give access to themselves.
“In a growing economy that craves and needs diversity, this makes it hard for the underrepresented to get started in fashion and have access to equitable resources. I am optimistic about change within the fashion community and believe if inclusion is done right, the return on investment is significant. We need more sustainable production and manufacturing methods.”
Perhaps what inspired her gutsy approach to become a trailblazer in afro-modernism in fashion can be traced to her strong passion for fashion from an early age. She had always been experimental in her projections. Her ability to understand various human-to-human relations irrespective of age, creed, or race, has been the greatest vehicle for conveying her ideas.
“I loved visiting my grandmother for a few days, sitting in the dark, telling stories and going to her farm,” she recounted.
A storyteller in her own right, Ojong’s approach to fashion goes beyond style and appearance. For her, it’s a platform to initiate growth through arty expressions shaped by a potpourri of occurrences.
“We are very much passionate about the need for creativity, expressiveness, and vocalness in what you wear and this is all that Rekana is about. Empowering real people, with real stories to live freely and be the true you without limitation, a true afro-modernist,” she concluded.
