CEO of Joyce Ababio College of Creative Design reveals what birthed her school

Internationally acclaimed fashion designer and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Joyce Ababio College of Creative Design, Joyce Ababio has shared on Y 107.9 FM how her fashion school was established.
According to her, after returning to the country from the US, she was asked by a friend who was also into the trade to join her at a fashion show which was due in a few weeks and taking up that opportunity was what gained her recognition in Ghana.
In an interview on the Y Leaderboard Series on the Myd Morning Radio Show with host, Rev Erskine, she said, “I had one (1) month to prepare for my first fashion show. I sewed thirteen (13) wedding gowns and eleven (11) cocktail dresses.”
She revealed that after the showcasing of her clothes, she received a standing ovation from the audience and “the name (Joyce Ababio) was picked up and that was all.”
“After the show, everyone was looking for Joyce Ababio and they couldn’t find me because I had no shop but my husband told me to put a signboard in front of our house,” she recalled.
Joyce Ababio noted that after she employed other people and started sewing commercially, she realized that every staff who walked into her place had to be trained by her.
Coupled with this problem, she noted that the primary reason for establishing her school was to also change the mindset of the ordinary Ghanaian about sewing and fashion design in general.
“People in Ghana have the mindset that people in the industry are dropouts,” and she believes that perception should change.
The renowned fashion designer started her Creative Design school with five (5) students who were brought to her by their parents. “The parents wanted their kids to continue to the tertiary institutions and here were the kids who also wanted to study fashion design.”
She motioned that after a year, the parents came to see their wards doing so well and became proud of their achievements.
Joyce went on to mention that her school is accepting of every student. “We admit everybody and anybody whether they believe they have the talent or not.”
By: Joel Sanco