Tina Atiemo

This self-taught Fashion Designer is building up quite a name for herself in fashion circles. Tina was recently featured in Vogue Magazine and we thinks she is definitely one to watch. Tina kindly took time out of her busy schedule to tell us about her new line, how she got started and how she likes to burn rubber…

So tell us how you got started - when did you get the designer bug?
I guess it might have started when I was really young. My mother was a seamstress, and I used to hang around her while she sewed the Kaba and Slit, which is the traditional Ghanaian attire for women. I used to make up my own little creations on my dolls at the time, but it wasn’t until in 2000 that I became inspired to become a designer.

Did you undertake any professional training/courses, or are you 100% self taught?
I haven’t had any formal fashion education but I have learned a lot with the role, and have had the opportunity to work with an amazing team of professionals whom I have gained an invaluable amount of knowledge and experience.

When did you get your big break?
I’ve always dreamed of having my own business, and I’ve tried my hand at a few ideas which fell through either in the early or final stages, all whilst still in fulltime employment. I made my breakthrough when I started out with my first company, Tiamo Designs, making exclusive handmade greeting cards and tee-shirts (www.tiamodesigns.com), which then extended into fashion design. All were initially self-funded.

What would you say is your biggest achievement ‘to date’?
I would say my most exciting achievement was seeing my picture and my designs modelled in Japan Vogue magazine. I called Selfridges and ordered 20 more copies, and they weren’t cheap! £11.50 EACH! The biggest is yet to come.

Tell us about your collection ‘New Dawn’
The New Dawn Summer/Summer 10 collection was inspired by the Nina Simone’s anthem ‘Feelin’ Good’ which mirrored the changes we’d experienced with Barack Obama becoming the first black president of the United States of America, my country Ghana setting a fine example for Africa, showing that we are able to have peaceful elections, and also the evolution of my new collection. It was a combination of celebratory moments and I was inspired by elements and shapes of a caterpillar being reborn through the cocoon to become a colourful butterfly, expressions of a new era and new beginnings.
I also worked with silks, crepes and cottons and experimented with coloured cowry shells and satin ribbons. YKK and I collaborated on this collection, which added luxury detail transforming showpieces through creative usage of their functionality. The collection is very much wearable, with clean cuts, well thought-out, very sweet and very classy.

How would you describe the overall essence of your brand, and what sets you apart from other designers?
Tina Atiemo is a luxury designer brand for the elegant, sophisticated and casually glamorous woman, her taste is classy, her look is simple and she’s fun. The Tina Atiemo label has a signature style.

How do you go about selecting local materials & craftsmen?
Some of the ideas, materials and people you choose to work with whether in the UK or Ghana are sometimes by trial and error, as a result you get to meet and work in partnership with someone who shares a similar creative passion, who has an eye for good design, quality and good finish and the right vision for success.

What advice would you give to aspiring designers?
I admit my experience was daunting when I started out, I had no clue whatsoever how I was going to make it happen, but I had the desire to want it to happen. I may have done it all back to front but I still pursued it and the results were rewarding. It sounds so cliché, but the truth is you have to believe in your dream and you can’t go wrong nowadays because there is a wealth of information out there, particularly on the internet to guide you, so go for it.

Tell us a little bit about Tina, is there anything people may be surprised to know about you?
That I used to be a professional backing dancer for US and UK pop and R’n’B artists. Esoteric subjects fascinate me, I love plants and gardens, and I ride a motorbike.

Now you’re of Ghanaian heritage, West African’s typically encourage their children to take up ‘safe’ careers in medicine, law, accounting etc. Were your family supportive of your decision to follow a career in the fashion industry?
There was never any pressure from them but to excel in school. I always used to tell them that I was going to become an Archaeologist so that must have been reassuring, but I only chose that profession because the name was grand. But they knew I had an ambitious nature.

What’s next for Tina?
We’ll be launching the Tina Atiemo website and online boutique in September 2009