We thought you would like to hear from Beatrice "Bee" Arthur, a top fashion designer of Ghanaian and Russian heritage.  We think she is one of a kind. She possesses an enormous talent, as well as a great personality, and a huge smile. Bee won the highly coveted KORA FASHION AWARD in Sun City, South Africa in 2001.

UZURI:
How did you feel after winning the KORA FASHION AWARD in Sun City, South Africa?

Bee:
Oh wow, it felt surreal!  It was totally exhilarating and humbling; if you consider that I had no formal training in fashion.  I was overwhelmed to have been chosen

as the best designer amongst some of the most talented designers the African continent proudly has to offer. I knew that after this accolade, this endorsement, my career as a fashion designer was about to take off in grand style.  When I was preparing my collection for KORA, I bore in mind importance of matching hats & bags to accessorize my garments. This made me stand out from the other designers, and the judges found my collection to be original, funky and marketable.   


UZURI:
How did you go about making fashion a career choice?


Bee:
It was purely by chance. I never really planned to make this my vocation. I hold a BA degree in Sociology and Spanish Philology, but Fashion was always a hobby to me. I had a habit of adorning all clothes I bought with sequins, buttons, lace, zippers to make them look "couture"!  After university, I worked with the

Ghana Tourist Board for a year and realized that fashion was more my cup of tea. I listened to my heart and the following year, I was named the best designer at the Kora Fashion Awards 2001 (Smile)

UZURI:
When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?

Bee:
I realized that my surname has ART in it (Arthur) and my hobby could actually earn me money! Originally, my intention was to get a job with the UN after university. I speak 5 languages so Foreign Affairs were also a possibility. But I changed my mind because when I realized that fashion was more fulfilling to me.

UZURI:
Did you have any formal fashion education that helped prepare you for working in the industry?

Bee:
Apart from the sewing and embroidery classes I took in Odessa as a teenager, I have no formal fashion education. I learnt all the technicalities on the job as the years went by.  

UZURI:
We love your skill in the art of collage the mixing of fabrics and textures. How would you define your style?

Bee:
B'EXOTIQ by Bee Arthur style of clothing and accessories blends    modern urban chic with afro centric glam. The cuts are mostly western-style but the embroidery and painting is often quite elaborate and dramatic and depicts ethnic motifs. I love vibrant colors. Hence, the clothes make loud statements and are definitely for people who do not want to blend in with the crowd. People often call my clothes "creative”. I design for both sexes, and I target different crowds, so I also have a more classic   line of clothing.

UZURI:
Where do you get your design inspiration?

Bee:
From everything! Insects, flowers, fruits, alphabets, African art, hand-woven cloths, paintings... Inspiration can come from unexpected things at much
unexpected times. Anything can serve as a source of inspiration for the artwork I decorate my garments with. But the cuts are influenced by what is fashionable on the catwalks of New York, Paris Milan and London. That is why my style is Afro cosmopolitan glam.

UZURI:
Describe the general process you go through to design and realize a piece of clothing.

Bee:
I make sketches of outfits I would like to sew. Then I get some different fabrics and see which I think is suitable for the style. Sometimes it’s the reverse Process- I get the fabrics then decide what to do! The next steps are classical:
1) Outfit is cut; 2) embroidery is done; 3) garment is stitched together; 4) Outfit is tried on and fitted and irregularities, if any, are corrected.5) all finishing touches are made, 6) final fittings and inspection is carried out.7) Outfit is ready to leave workshop.   All extra embellishments like sequins and hand painting are then done by me. This I usually do at home in front of my TV or listening to music.

UZURI:
What is the most difficult aspect of running your own label i.e. design, production, sales, finance, and advertising?

Bee:
Definitely, Production is the most challenging aspect. It requires close monitoring.  This can be quite daunting during periods when pressure is high.
I would prefer to dedicate my time to the artistic aspect of my job:  conceive ideas, scout for fabrics and haberdashery. But I have to monitor workshop and sales activities, in addition to administration n pr activities. My assistant is quite experienced but I can't leave all to her without Interfering.

UZURI:
What was personally important and appealing to you about this career choice?

Bee:
I love art. I love making people look their best, irrespective of figure, shape or color.    The recognition and limelight that comes with success are extra benefits for the ego of the designer. The true reward is to have people love the fruit of your soul whiles making them look and feel good about themselves at the same time.


UZURI:
We know that you’re planning a lot of activity in the near future please can you give UZURI some of the info:

Bee:
Yes, I have been a busy bee lately, and I plan to get into more activities that are not only lucrative but are socially beneficial. I want to apply some of sociology I

learnt in school to my work. "Fashion for the sake of Fashion is no more in fashion".  I want to get more involved in projects that would alleviate poverty in underprivileged communities. But I also plan to do 2 more shows before the year ends, one in Ghana and one in the USA.

UZURI:
Also we heard that you have been doing many things in aid of Charity we love to know about that

Bee:
I have been involved in a local charity against battered women and children as well as one that seeks to combat illiteracy amongst children. I was involved in a project that aimed to take young prostitutes off the streets by empowering them with knowledge and skills that can provide them with a long term   income generating trade.

UZURI:
What do you wish people would understand about working in the fashion industry


Bee:
Its gratifying if you have talent, if find your niche and if you are dedicated. It’s definitely glamorous, but it’s a lot of hard work! For as long as human beings will need to cover their bodies, the industry will exist!
To Africans, I will say that Africa must improve the quality of her products in general and of fashion in particular so that we can export on a competitive level to the Western countries. We need to be more competitive in terms of finishing and appeal of our clothing. Our garments must look like those made in Italy! Smile

UZURI:
Thank you Bee We love our busy Bee   

Bee:
Thank you too and
I wish your magazine the very best.

Model: Hadja BARRY
Make-UP: Gauthier Joseph
Accesssories: Faby Sancerni
Photo - Herve Dunoyer www.hervedunoyer.com

For more information: www.bq.awuraba.com