Fashion Focus with Sheelah!

I had an interview with Talented Sheela Garbrah (Tinky) of She by Bena. She shared with me her passion, inspiration, Glitz Africa fashion week and more.

Who is Sheila? And how did your passion for fashion come about.

Sheila is a 29 year old fun loving woman who is passionate about fashion and designing.

My passion for fashion started when I was in secondary school. I found myself always sketching clothes and designing. I loved to design my own clothes for seamstresses when my mum took us to have dresses made.

How many collections do you have? And which is your favorite.

I have two collections so far, working on my third.The Skittles collection is currently my favorite 

What designs in your latest collection are you most happy with?

I actually love every piece in my Skittles collection and receiving such positive feedback makes me happy that people loved them as much as I do.

What was your first fashion inspiration? Has that changed?

My first fashion inspiration? Hmmm… I'll say I had a good eye for beautiful dresses from a young age. I always loved watching well dressed women and would come home and draw their dresses. Lol

You were a part of glitz Africa fashion week last year ,was that your first major show? And how was your experience?

Yes Glitz was actually my first fashion show. It was a beautiful experience to be able to showcase my pieces and have people appreciate my work.

Tell us all about your participation at the Durban fashion fair.

The Durban Fashion Fair was extremely exciting because that was actually my first time taking part in a fashion show outside Ghana. It was very well organized and I loved every bit of the experience.

Do you have plans of collaborating and working with other designers?

I have not thought about that yet but there are a lot of talented designers out there. If the need arises I would be open to collaborating for a cause.

You’ve styled celebs like Sandra Ankobiah and Joselyn Dumas, how would you describe your working experience with them?

Most of the celebs I have styled have actually been very nice people with amazing personalities. I loved styling Joselyn and Sandra. They are both easy going and down to earth which makes designing for them easier.

What other local brands do you like?

I've always admired Christie Brown. Aisha has been one of my inspirations since I started and its nice to see a young lady like herself working hard and so successful at what She does. I like Duaba Serwa and Pistis as well.

Are you designing full time?

Yes I am designing full time

What advice would you give to young ladies who would want to go into fashion design?

I will say to young aspiring designers that the sky is the limit. With hard work and perseverance anything is attainable. Prayer helps a lot too :)

What are your general thoughts on the fashion landscape in Ghana?

I think the fashion landscape in Ghana is good so far and has a lot of potential to be even better. There's a lot of talent out there.