Franklin Maduka's Fenz Fashion expands to Ghana
Ever since Franklin Izuchukwu Maduka stormed the fashion scene, the name Fenz Fashion has been making waves both at his home in Nigeria and in Ghana where he has extended his tentacles.
Born and raised in Lagos but hails from Abia State, all in Nigeria, the Founder/Creative Director of Fenz Fashion Limited is the only child of his mother who died while he was in his final year at the university.
According to Franklin Maduka, fashion runs in the family. In fact, he took his passion for fashion from his late mother who was a fashion designer.
“My late mother was a fashion designer. In fact, the majority of my extended family members are all into various fashion businesses. I was born into the home of fashion but growing up as a child/teenager, I never loved the job because of the stress and sacrifices involved. But somewhere along the line, I found my unwavering passion for fashion design. This passion was birthed because of me wanting to look good and make others look good and feel confident in themselves,” he said.
Explaining what and who he looks up to for inspiration, the fashion designer said, “I get my inspiration from many things, but the most significant ones are majorly on the simplest things. I love nature a lot, so I look mostly to nature (the beautiful sound of the sea breeze and the sound of trees and leaves rustling). I also have a couple of people that I admire their works and how far they have strived, established and invented into the fine finishing of their jobs. They include Mai Atafo, Jason Porshe, Christy Brown, Taryor Gabriels and Seyi Vodi. The list goes on, but these are my top picks within the local fashion space. Internationally, I look up to Versace, Dior, Giorgio Armani, Off-White and Fendi, and a few more others.”
Franklin Maduka proudly revealed what makes Fenz Fashion standout amongst other fashion brands. “One thing we can brag about is our services; we make sure we understand our clients' needs from the beginning until the final order has been delivered. Our customers are our family; we don’t compromise on our fabrics or designs. For us as a brand, simplicity is the key word. We believe in simplicity because it says a lot about who we are and what we stand for. ‘Simplicity Meets Luxury’ that’s our tagline. We keep our designs simple, classy and elegant,” he declared.
The creative designer who declared that he would not be caught wearing “anything that is not my style, something below standards”, further defined what fashion and style is.
He stated: “For me, fashion and style is more of a personal thing. How you loved to be seen and remembered even when you’re not in the room plays a major role in defining your style and fashion preference. Fashion is who you are, what makes you confident without conforming to any rules, whilst style is understanding different dynamics and knowing how to show up, that is who you are and will be known for.”
Whilst admitting that some clients can be very difficult to deal with, the fashion designer quipped, “First of all, I don’t believe in the term ‘stubborn client’. You need to understand that every client has his or her dynamics. I deal with all my clients differently. One secret that has worked for me over the years in running my fashion company is ‘communication’. No matter what the case may be with the client, I always put in quality effort in understanding their standpoint and communicating my thoughts in a professional and friendly manner to them. This strategy has helped me in dealing with certain clients.”
When asked about the challenges he faces as a fashion entrepreneur in Ghana, Maduka said: “There are lots of challenges. There are limited opportunities or access to funding for fashion businesses in Ghana. Dealing with local artisans is another kind of stress on its own. Sourcing for fabrics and design accessories can be quite a challenge for us here. Finally, collaboration amongst Ghanaian creatives is appalling, because just a few creatives are ready to go down that lane with you, thereby making it difficult for us to cut down the cost of collective production and other productions that put the business on the map.”
The fashionista recalled his most memorable experience to be when he showcased his first collection during his early days on the runway and everybody went gaga over the designs.
“I could see the smiles on the faces of everyone including my team. That was the most priceless moment for me because that really defined my entire journey. I was filled with the joy of how far I have come as a person and the pain of not having my mom watch me rise. The unpleasant experience is dealing with the burden of growing my company everyday, even on days that I can’t explain how I feel. I still must keep going.”
On what Ghanaian fashion designers can do to influence Ghanaians to look inward and adopt African fabrics, Maduka made a suggestion: “I think it should rather be Ghanaians trusting and adopting African fabrics more. Already, some Ghanaian designers are creating incredible designs with local fabrics and trust me; they are stunning. More collections need to be created, designs that the average Ghanaian can feel a connection with. These fabrics tell a huge story of our culture and how we evolved as a race. There are beautiful fabrics out there, like Tye and Dye, Kente, Ghanaian smock, and Ghana Textile Print (GTP). So, I urge Ghanaians to take advantage of this moment, embrace our locally made prints and rock them with pride.”
The rave-of-the-moment creative designer also has a word of advice for up-and-coming fashion designers hoping to make it big in the industry. “Believe in yourself and never give up. Respect people’s opinions and time. Don’t get up in the nest of over-confidence. There is a thin line between being over-confident and failure. Don’t get consumed. Finally, never stop creating and using your energy correctly. Don’t be afraid to take risks, you either fail or succeed, but in the end, you’ll learn a thing or more,” he counselled.
For the affable CEO of Fenz Fashion, it has been a dynamic and rollercoaster fashion journey so far. “My fashion journey has been a rollercoaster one but in all, a dynamic journey. I wouldn't say that I have made the right choices, but I have learned from every decision that I made. I’ve had my worst and best days, but in all, I have enjoyed the processes that I had to go through at every point of my life running this fashion business in Ghana.
“In the next five to 10 years, I want my brand to be amongst the big players in fashion, with global recognition. I want to create more jobs for young fashion enthusiasts. I want to participate in international fashion runway shows, collaborate more, expand my brand’s network, and establish my fashion academy into a bigger and renowned space.”