• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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A decade of glitz in Ghana

A decade of glitz in Ghana

As the first Sub- Saharan African country to gain independence, Ghana has continued to reinforce its position as a continental leader in several ways. In 2019, Ghana hosted the Year of Return, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first recorded arrival of enslaved people from Africa to the United States.

The importance placed on this milestone, paired with Ghana’s open-door policy for all people of African descent, set the world’s focus on Africa’s black star, as this African pilgrimage attracted the globe’s most prominent personalities of colour.

The Year of Return was the opportunity that Ghana needed to show the world that although Ghanaians may not make the most noise on the continent, the globally competitive developments in every local industry speak for themselves when given a chance to do so.

The glitz and glam of the media and fashion industry is no exception to this, as women like Claudia Lumor have demonstrated for over a decade. As the pioneer of Ghana’s most prominent fashion week and the mavin at the helm of one of the nation’s most widely celebrated magazines, Claudia is playing her part to ensure that excellence is synonymous with brand Ghana.

An Economics and Law graduate from Kwame Nkrumah University, Claudia decided to permanently relocate to Ghana in 2010 after having spent a significant part of her life in the UK. “Everything has been done in London. What kind of impact can you make?” is the thinking that convinced her that home was best for her and her family.

After a career in banking powered with the sentiment that returning home would help her find her calling, Claudia launched Glitz Africa in 2012.

Glitz Africa is a high-end celebrity, lifestyle and fashion brand which highlights the life of the contemporary African, and was the first venture of this nature in Ghana at the time.

The brand has both expanded and evolved to now include Glitz Africa Magazine, Glitz Africa Fashion Week, Glitz Style Awards, Ghana Women of the Year Honours and She Summit, to name but a few.

What started as a pipe dream for a young career woman, has now become a force to be reckoned within the Ghanaian media space as Glitz Africa has been responsible for the creation of several local industries and birthed numerous creative businesses. She reflects that most people tried to discourage her from embarking on this journey, but her vision is to change the African narrative to one about “opportunity, diversity and growth”. Her work impacts these goals directly as she “loves discovering and collaborating with young and hungry creatives especially in the fashion industry so that together, Ghana’s history-in-the-making in the fashion world would continue to be written with passion and hope for better.”

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Claudia navigated her way from convincing businesses and advertisers that spending money on a magazine in Ghana would be viable, to also showcasing local success stories in order to inspire and motivate young people within Ghana that their dreams are valid within their boarders as that is her personal testimony.

Today, she is recognized as a Ghana Tourism Ambassador for Fashion Development, and a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador. Prominent politicians, artists, celebrities from across Africa have been featured on the magazine’s covers over the years, as more people became aware of the importance of the platform.

However, anyone who has had the pleasure of working with Claudia or watching her in action can testify to the fact that the growth of the Glitz brand is a direct result of her hands on approach, and consistent desire to arm herself with the knowledge required to get to each new stage.

This year Claudia Lumor and Glitz Africa celebrate 10 years of excellence, not just as an established brand, but as a channel that set a new standard for what fashion, media and publishing means for one of Africa’s most influential nations.

For Claudia and her team, African Excellence is about having a dream, committing to it against all odds and not allowing anything to stop you from executing it. Th end result is clear.