Cream silk and lace dress
Kofi Ansah · 1979
Ghana and England
Kofi Ansah
- Ghanaian textiles
- Sculptural silhouettes
Kofi Ansah connected Ghanaian textile traditions with an international approach to cutting and dress. Trained at London’s Chelsea School of Art, he built a career in Britain before returning to Ghana in 1992 to establish Artdress.
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Cream silk and lace dress
1979
Two subtly different cream silk stripes distinguish this London-made dress. Quilted sections and a deep lace-edged flounce give structure and movement to the silhouette.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Blue Zone Denim Jacket
Late 1980s
Ansah turns denim into a fitted printed jacket. The museum photograph frames its floral surface, shaped waist and broad cuffs, with only part of the lower garment visible.
Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida; gift of Dr. Christopher Richards
Collection selection
Indigo couture ensemble — left model
Indigo couture, 1997
The generously draped indigo-and-white ensemble on the left carries star and dot patterns across broad lengths of cloth. The archive photograph also includes a second look, which is not counted separately.
© 1997 Eric Don-Arthur / Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Kente wedding dress for Ashley Shaw-Scott Adjaye
Wedding commission, 2014
The long fitted dress worn by Ashley Shaw-Scott Adjaye, on the left, arranges colorful kente panels around the body. Her husband David Adjaye wears a related ensemble in the same wedding photograph.
Robert Fairer, 2014 / © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Wax Print Cocktail Dress
Early 1990s
A fitted burgundy bodice opens into tiered flounces with a contrasting wax-print band, joining close shaping with patterned movement.
Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida; gift of Dr. Christopher RichardsArchive pieces, grouped by date
1 piece1979
1 piece · Season not recorded
About Kofi Ansah
His work combined richly textured fabrics and references from different clothing cultures, while his teaching and mentoring supported younger Ghanaian designers. From carefully tailored dresses to commissioned kente ensembles, Ansah made Ghana central to his design practice and helped expand its presence in international fashion.