VELMA OWUSU -BEMPAH
The Creative Director
Velma Owusu-Bempah is an ingenious Ghanaian creative visionary in the fashion industry celebrated home and abroad for her epochal creations.
Under her eponymous brand, Velma’s Millinery and Accessories, she has rejuvenated the accessories space in the Ghanaian fashion industry by
providing a classic luxury brand that specializes in intricate millinery, accessories and jewelry.
She embodies the sophistication, style and attitude of the 21st fashion forward woman who loves to look and feel classy.
Taking inspiration and cues from her family heritage which has had a long run with fashion and the arts, Velma easily found her purpose as an accessory designer and Milliner and pursued the dream diligently
After obtaining a degree at the University of Ghana Business school in marketing, Velma Owusu-Bempah joined her mother, Sarah Crossland, a fabric merchant in the family business.
Using various fabrics and textiles, she began creating handcrafted accessories which caught the eyes of the elegant clients who fell completely in love with the designs and inspired her to start an accessory brand.
Velma with the blessings of her beloved mother, applied to study Millinery, Bag designing and Communication at the Central St. Martin School of Arts in London, a constituent college of the University of the Arts, London where she trained under some of the world’s most seasoned milliners including Ian Barnett and Chloe Scrivna .
The year 2004 saw Velma begin what has become a stellar career and thriving business from humble beginnings which has earned her an enviable position in the African fashion industry and place in the global market.
The Journey
An expert craftsman, she has successfully experimented and worked with various materials to craft her pieces ranging from Ankara fabrics to other fabrics like leather, plastic raw silks, organza skills, abaca, sinamay, cipro sisal straws, brocade, feathers, crystals, amongst others.
The Velma brand has contributed to some very inspiring fashion collaborations: the triad collaboration of Velma Millinery and Accessories, Ophelia Crossland Designs and
Swarovski West Africa made fashion history during the Glitz African Fashion Show and at the Swarovski Sparkling Contour in Dubai where Velma showcased an elaborate high fashion headpiece made from Swarovski crystals to accessorize an Ophelia Crossland.
Another key milestone that propelled her brand to international heights was the Prince of Wales fashion show and Royal banquet held in honour of Prince Charles and Camilla during the royal visit to Ghana. Velma was tasked to accessorize all the pieces of the various designers on the runway.
A versatile artist, Velma also doubles as a bag and jewelry designer, creating masterpieces up to world standards for the black woman. Velma’s clientele Rolodexx spans women of all walks of life and all over the globe. She has created exclusive pieces for The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Her Excellency Mrs. Rebecca Akuffo Addo, Samira Bawumia, Zynell Zuh, Jackie Appiah, Joselyn Dumas, Senator Florence ita Giwa fashion icon for Nigeria, Nicole Ari Parker and recently Ms. Tina Lawson, mother of pop singer Beyonce Knowles.
In 2018, Velma was selected as one of the milliners worldwide to showcase two strong headpieces at the Great hat exhibition 2018 organized by Xterrace fashion platform London for London Hat week.
Velma is also the principal of Velma’s Millinery Academy, a prestigious fashion institu tion in Accra. It was established in 2018 and offers courses in Millinery and accessory making for prospective students .
The Journey Continues..
In 2019, she was announced as the Most Outstanding Woman at the GO Awards for her outstanding work in Philanthropy and for Humanity.
For Velma, God, family and nature are her inspiration and she believes that her story of greatness has just begun.
cultures, and they welcome new experiences; they are at ease in the world.