The unusually warm Halloween weather in New York City could have been a harbinger of the day’s activities – productive yet entertaining with some of fashion’s burgeoning leaders: architects of the 54 Kingdoms clothing line.
Clad in acid-washed jeans cuffed at the ankles with plaid-patched pockets and suspenders, white buttoned shirt with a red bow tie, Nana Poku, founder and CEO of the clothing brand puts a stamp on his fashion statement. Kwaku Awuah, generally referred to as Quakes, complements his business partner with a very opposite style but one distinctly evident of their stark yet merging personalities. He sports a black shirt from the brand’s Genesis collection, matching black Levi’s jeans, also cuffed at his ankles, a traditional necklace from their upcoming jewelry collection and a neatly polished shoe that smirks “I know my way around fashion.”
But these Connecticut-based Ghanaian natives and entrepreneurs-cum-fashion inventors are creating more than just style; they present a unique element and energy rarely seen in the industry.
The 2010 Africa Fashion Week, NY witnessed more than a fashion show when models for the brand strutted the runway. The background tempo fused with a lion’s roar certainly demanded attention.
“The 54 Kingdoms history, that is the style we wanted to portray,” clarifies Awuah, President of the clothing line whose name represents all 54 countries in Africa and people residing in the larger Pan-African community or “kingdom.”
“We have a little pep talk before the models begin on the runway,” he adds. “We let them know that every step that you take you demand power with the audience. Every time the rhythm beats to a certain rhythm, you have to command power. Everything about it, just be fierce.”
Fierce indeed.
The big cat has become symbolic of the brand’s presence. Poku elucidates:
“The lion is a dominant act. It has its passive side where from afar, you’re like ‘It’s really nice and cute’ but when you get closer, [you realize] these creatures are really serious about what they are and what they do. I think that really demonstrates 54 Kingdoms because when people look from afar, they’re like, ‘That’s a nice clothing brand’ but if you really look at us underneath a microscope, we have a lot of things going on that make us fierce.”
Awuah adds: “This is 54 Kingdoms, this is something different. We’re treating fashion in a whole different light.”
And Poku interjects: “The way we operate is that we just don’t do fashion shows. We put on performances for the audiences so when you come to a 54 Kingdoms show, don’t expect to just sit there and see the models walk up and down the runway. It really involves all the senses, from the sound waves you hear to all the lights.”
There is something fascinating about observing two young men who grasp one vision: The ferocious thirst for success is conspicuous. But so are the synergy and, in this case, camaraderie between them.
“It’s all about role-playing and mutual respect,” Awuah says of their partnership. “When Nana and I came together to pretty much bring 54 Kingdoms to the forefront, we knew what our strengths were. He’s the genius behind the creative process and that’s something I can never take away from him. Although I have a great amount of knowledge of design creation and what makes sense in terms of fashion, I do not posses what he possesses when he’s behind that material. So at that point, you draw the line.”
Poku also elaborates on building a strong business partnership: “They say if you don’t have images of the future, your memory replays images of the past. You have to know where you’re going so if anybody comes into your path and says, ‘We’re on the same path,’ you can say, ‘That’s true, or I don’t think we’re on the same boat.’ If you know where you want to go, it gets easier to know who you want to bring into your team.”
Awuah, 26, a HIV/STI Researcher at Yale University brings a unique skill to the partnership as marketing executive with a keen eye for entertainment, which he admits drew him to 54 Kingdoms. But this entertainment aficionado makes no apologies for his commitment to health care. As the only child in his family to bypass the business routes taken by the rest of his family, Awuah attributes his passion for scientific research to his curious nature.
“Being in Public Health is something that came naturally because I was always into Science and I wanted to know more about nature and how to cure diseases [as well as] have an idea of [what] the health care system was all about.”
Awuah, a University of Connecticut alum and seemingly more reserved of the duo, further elaborates on his decision to concentrate on HIV/STI research with a focus on education, prevention intervention and health promotion.
“If you’re HIV positive, society doesn’t want anything to do with you. For me what inspires me [about] HIV is the fact [that] every kid grows up and you have some vision that ‘I wish I had a cure for AIDS’ because you hear the tragedy that occurs when we talk about HIV. That’s where I get my inspiration from.”
It is apparent that both of these men are gradually establishing their empires. On August 28, 2010, Poku, 25, began his career as a Computer Electronics and Graphics Technology professor at his alma mater, Central Connecticut State University.
“I’ve always been in the mentoring [or] teaching field,” he remarks. “When I was a student at Central Connecticut State University pursing my bachelor’s, I was part of a summer program that helped pave the way for students that were coming in from high school into college to make the transition easier.” He further adds that as a graduate assistant at Arizona State University, he assisted faculty with his specialty in design as well as substituted for them in their absence.
Do not be fooled, however, by the professor persona. Poku, the more playful one of the pair, from time to time during the interview would attempt to move closer to Awuah but would retreat after a warning glare from his business partner. It is evident from their interactions that these men have natured a genuine friendship. But as with any partnership, though there is need for thorough analysis of each other’s commitment as well as vision, timing is imperative. Their initial effort to connect was unfruitful until fate brought them together at an event, thus creating opportunity for open dialogue between the two about 54 Kingdoms.
“He told me his vision, what he saw for the company in the next four or five years and I thought it was something that was so magnificent, I just wanted to be a part of it,” states Awuah. “So what people see now as the greatest chemistry ever wasn’t so great in the beginning, it just didn’t click. But at least you can look at it from this perspective now and say, ‘These guys, they came from not being too close to being the coolest guys.’”
Poku bursts into laughter at the last statement.