6 interesting facts about the Ghanaian fashion designer who caught Rihanna’s attention

Papa Oppong Bediako is in focus, following the buzz he garnered on social media after American singer, Rihanna, publicly announced her admiration for him.

Based in the United States, New York, the fast-rising Ghanaian designer has illustrated for countless local and international brands and dabbled in art direction and creative direction.

Recently, he made history by becoming one of the first recipients of the inaugural Fashion Trust U.S. Awards.

This was the development that caught the ‘Umbrella’ hitmaker’s attention on social media.

You might know Papa Oppong as the man who caught Rihanna’s fancy, but here are other things you probably do not know about the ‘young emerging’ fashion designer as shared on his website.

1. He graduated from Radford University, Accra, Ghana

Born and bred in Ghana, Papa Oppong Bediako graduated from the Radford University in Accra.

In his graduation project entitled ‘Celebration of Art’, he blurred the lines between art and fashion in the African context, collaborating with Ghanaian artists in which garments were perceived as canvases.

With an education background in visual arts and textiles, Oppong focused on storytelling through these fields to make his creations.

After school, his works caught the attention of many established professionals, thereby connecting his African-inspired illustrations to a global audience.

2. He was featured on CNN as an emerging talent in 2015

In 2015, Papa Oppong was featured in a CNN documentary.

“His level of creativity is one that even surpasses that of some seasoned designers. He pushes the boundaries of design through mixing art with fashion,” parts of a CNN feature about the 31-year-old designer read.

3. In 2015, he landed recognition on the Forbes List

In 2015, Papa Oppong was featured in Forbes as one of the top 15 young African creatives, rebranding Africa.

This exposure landed him an internship in Washington, DC as part of Macy's Fashion Incubator program which promotes emerging designers, where he mastered his skills.

His collection ‘A Celebration of Makola’ was showcased in one of Macy’s store windows.

4. He has collaborated with major fashion brands such as MAC, Swarovski, and so on

Oppong build a strong online presence and with the determination to shape his work into a global brand, he attracted more collaborations with some major fashion brands.

He has worked with moguls such as MAC cosmetics, Swarovski, and the National Museum of African Arts.

5. He is one of Deborah Vanessa’s stylists

In an interview with ‘Bella Naija’ sometime in 2020, Papa Oppong disclosed that he had been styling Ghanaian singer cum socialite, Sister Derby, for a while now.

This was when he was asked about the number of Ghanaian celebrities he had worked with.

“Deborah Vanessa. Love her! She’s such a fun woman to work with and it also helps that she’s super fit and always so well-groomed. It’s always easy working with her. She’s also very sweet and has a great personality and this is important to me because I feed off of people’s energy.”

6. He has been acknowledged by a number of Hollywood stars

The likes of Rihanna, Kelly Rowland, and Lana Del Ray have applauded the young designer for his talent.

As a big fan of Rihanna, it was such a huge point in his career when she followed him on Instagram in 2016.

The American singer has since been commenting on his works and achievements on Twitter.

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