{"id":14854,"date":"2020-11-24T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-24T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lokkohouse.com\/?p=14854"},"modified":"2023-12-16T11:04:21","modified_gmt":"2023-12-16T11:04:21","slug":"a-conversation-with-naana-orleans-amissah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lokkohouse.com\/a-conversation-with-naana-orleans-amissah\/","title":{"rendered":"IG live: Conversation with found, ART"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Our very own Stefania Manfreda was a guest on \ud835\ude5b\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude59, \ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude4f<\/a>, a multi-disciplinary creative arts platform that spotlights Continental and Diasporan African artists. Hosted by Naana Orleans-Amissah, a Business Coach, Brand Communications Strategist and founder of \ud835\ude5b\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude59, \ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude4f, the conversation was very insightful to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Naana Orleans-Amissah
Business Coach, Brand Communications Strategist and founder of \ud835\ude5b\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude59, \ud835\ude3c\ud835\ude4d\ud835\ude4f<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Founder, entrepreneur and creative director, \ud835\udde6\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddee \ud835\udde0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddee<\/a> runs Lokko house<\/a> – a concept space in Osu, the heart of Accra.

A gathering space for the creative output of the talents of the country\u2019s creative renaissance, it offers lifestyle, luxury, fashion and wellness products and art, along with a healthy dose of the capital\u2019s energy and friendliness.

From economics, to pattern cutting and sewing in Italy, to working in construction and then becoming a business owner, Stefania has lived the many incarnations of a soul in search of her creative outlets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Stefania Manfreda
Founder, entrepreneur and creative director of Lokko House<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n


\ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddfc\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf1, \ud835\uddd4\ud835\udde5\ud835\udde7: \ud835\udde6\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddee\ud835\ude00\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddfb \ud835\udfee, \ud835\uddd8\ud835\uddfd\ud835\uddf6\ud835\ude00\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddf2 \ud835\udff4
\ud835\ude44\ud835\ude5b \ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69\u2019\ud835\ude68 \ud835\ude63\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude56\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude59, \ud835\ude44\u2019\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude61 \ud835\ude62\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude60\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69<\/a>

Here are some takeaways from the conversation from Naana’s Point of view.

Industrial designer, art director and owner of concept store Lokko House, \ud835\udde6\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddee \ud835\udde0\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddee, left us with questions to ponder … \ud835\ude04\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddee\ud835\ude01 \ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddff \ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddfc\ud835\ude04 \ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddfc \ud835\ude04\ud835\uddf2 \ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf2 \ud835\uddda\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddfb \ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddf2\ud835\ude00\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddf4\ud835\uddfb?

She believes Ghana\u2019s design expression is still in its infancy. Interestingly, she also shares with us that despite its marketing now, Italy\u2019s faculty of design and its trajectory is relatively new – an output of its architectural, engineering and fine art legacies.

Her candid revelations about being \ud835\ude56 \ud835\ude5c\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude59 \ud835\ude5c\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude61 and the subsequent crisis of confidence that followed the \u2018sensible\u2019 choice to study economics when her heart was in graphic design, is honest and touching. As is her relief at finding her creative home \u2014 an industrial design degree in Milan. She also reveals a pattern about missing what\u2019s not there when you move away, and \ud835\ude68\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude5c \ud835\ude6c\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d \ud835\ude63\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude6c \ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude6e\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude68 when you return.

This, her willingness to challenge and address her own limited knowledge of Ghana; her awareness of her initial tunnel vision and fixation with the U.K. and the US as the reference points of the world; her inability to equate design to Ghana; and the former habit of referencing outside Ghana\u2019s creative heritage makes for an interesting conversation about her \ud835\ude6c\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude60\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude5c \ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude65.

Stefania is a seasoned entrepreneur \u2014 she has seen two businesses fail and now runs multiple creative venues. As a proponent of \ud835\ude58\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude6b\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude65\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude68\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude65 her advice and my favourite of her statements is \ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69\u2019\ud835\ude68 \ud835\ude63\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude68\ud835\ude64 \ud835\ude68\ud835\ude58\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude6e, \ud835\ude6e\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude6a\u2019\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude61 \ud835\ude5c\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude57\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude58\ud835\ude60 \ud835\ude64\ud835\ude63 \ud835\ude6e\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude67 \ud835\ude5b\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude69. I especially appreciate the duality of the truth when she says this freeing oneself from fear goes right alongside the crying that failure summons! \ud83d\ude02

My impression of Stefania is as a community creative midwife of sorts \u2014 \ud835\ude44 \ud835\ude61\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude6b\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude68\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude5c \ud835\ude65\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude65\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude5a\u2019\ud835\ude68 \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude57\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude5c \ud835\ude58\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude6b\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude59, she says of grooming the generations coming up.

She spotlights the new creative generation as \ud835\ude62\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude5b\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude68\ud835\ude68, \ud835\ude6c\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d \ud835\ude56 \ud835\ude57\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude5c\ud835\ude5c\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude67 \ud835\ude58\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude65\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude58\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude6e \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude64 \ud835\ude59\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude62 \ud835\ude56\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude59 \ud835\ude62\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude60\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude68\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude59\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude62\ud835\ude68 \ud835\ude58\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude62\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude5a. She talks of the \ud835\ude5b\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude6d\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude57\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude6e \ud835\ude56\ud835\ude63\ud835\ude59 \ud835\ude58\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude68 and how \ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude62\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude63 Ghana is and how the connective powers and scale of technology have supported its creative renaissance. She says \ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude69\u2019\ud835\ude68 \ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude63 \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude64\ud835\ude68\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude68\ud835\ude65\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude58\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude68 \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude6b\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude63\u2019\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude6e\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude57\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude63 \ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude5c\ud835\ude6a\ud835\ude61\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude59 \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude69 \ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5d\ud835\ude5a \ud835\ude58\ud835\ude67\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude56\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude6b\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude68 \ud835\ude68\ud835\ude69\ud835\ude5a\ud835\ude65 \ud835\ude5e\ud835\ude63.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A post shared by Naana Orleans-Amissah (@noa_vtf)<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>