Hemma creates fresh, elegant collections using authentic hand-woven Kente, a textile rich in African royal tradition. Kente began to flourish in West Africa in the 17th century and still remains prominent representing social prestige, luxury, and cultural sophistication. Each garment is uniquely handmade from intricately hand-woven Kente imported from Ghana. By incorporating the same techniques used to dress Ghanaian nobility for centuries, Hemma allows each client to exude royalty. By investing in quality pieces that last a lifetime, the lives of Ghanaian school children are also impacted. A percentage of all proceeds will be donated to a West African middle school where the designers instructed classes.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Behind the Scenes of The First Annual Ghana Parade

The First Annual Ghana Parade was all about making it work for Hemma. The parade took place at Crotona Park in the Bronx, NY. We booked several great models, created a Hemma banner, and instead of a conventional float, decided to use a convertible. Although we planned every aspect of the event, it became clear the day of the parade that it would be all about making it work!

The morning of the parade, we realized that the convertible we requested for our float was sold out. We continually phoned every car rental company in New York City only to find that the only car available without a top was a pick-up truck! We were still frantically calling companies and floatless two hours before the event when a friend generously extended their zip car rental service.

With one hour to spare, we rushed to the rental location in Brooklyn and drove the convertible to the parade line-up in the Bronx. We met the models at the site, and quickly began prepping them for the march. We were one model short! My friend who was assisting us during the parade graciously decided to be one of the models.

At the parade, we got a chance to meet one of the chiefs of Ghana. We also had an impromptu photoshoot in the park while waiting to present our clothing on stage. By the end of the parade, we were exhausted and extremely thankful to all of the friends who helped us to make the parade a Hemma success!

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