Fashion graduate Franco-Appiah Baah showcases the power of clothing to present personality

Franco-Appiah Baah’s mum only recently found out that her son had been studying fashion – when she read about one of his shows in the newspaper. Franco-Appiah always knew he wanted to study fashion, or at least something in the creative world, “but since my family wanted me to follow another path I sneaked away” at first studying graphic design. Moving to Liverpool to study a BTEC in fashion (still with his mother none the wiser) a tutor was “always talking about UAL,” Franco recalls having graduated from London College of Fashion, and “how it was one of the best universities in the world, how hard it is to get in, and how one of their best students had made it in,” he says. “That honestly gave me the determination to try and make it happen.”

While growing up, Franco-Appiah’s love for fashion began; “It all started in Italy,” he says. But the inspiration behind his most recent collection came out of the experience of moving to Ghana at the age of two. There he stayed with close family until the age of ten. In the following interview, he speaks of days running in and out of his grandparents’ closets playing dress up with his cousins. Through these formative experiences, he learnt about the freedom of fashion where personas can be created purely from imagination and crucially without judgement. In this way, Franco-Appiah’s practice combines heritage and gender fluidity, primarily culminating in his graduate collection, Still a Man in My Mother’s Closet.

Now living in London post graduation, this young designer full of promise showcases how clothing can not only inform but free the personality of those who wear his clothes.

INT: The title of your collection, Still a Man in My Mother’s Closet, is also such a beautiful sentiment. Can you explain how this title came about and why it feels like it encapsulates the work you’ve created?

FAB: The title developed from a talk I had with my mum. She and others question my gender by the way I dress because I like experimenting with different types of clothing, while still being conservative since I come from a very strong religious background and there are some clothes men are not recommended to wear. During our conversation I told her that I am still a man, no matter what I wear or do, and then I explained how I used to try on her clothes etc. It helped me to get to know myself more, and that's how I got the title for my collection.

INT: Can you tell us about the techniques you’ve used to create this collection?

FAB: I asked my aunt and mum to send me photographs they took in Ghana from when I was a kid, since it is hard for me to remember all the fabric details, embroidery and shape of the garments. I then focused on the silhouettes, colour coordination, fabrics and details rather than prints or creating something over the top, since I wanted to focus more on delivering a message. With this collection I want to take you back into my imagination during those days in Ghana where I did not know what gender was. I want to give you the essence of what my Ghana was, where I was happy with very simple things but today they are considered very rich and valuable in the world of fashion.

It’s also been very challenging to try to create a collection in a pandemic where universities and shops were closed. It was hard, but I got there by organising my time. I had a piece of paper on my wardrobe reminding me what to do and how much time I had to finish a shirt or trouser. My communication has very much improved with production since it was impossible to see them in person and explain what I needed. And bless my aunt Abi in Ghana who really helped me get my accessories and beads shipped here.

The images of Franco’s collection, Still A Man In My Mother’s Closet shown in this article are styled by Seyon Amosu and photographed by Iliana Kanellopoulou, with hair styling by Jaz Hope and make-up by Aimee Louise Twist.