Aisha Ayensu founded luxury fashion brand Christie Brown in 2008. Based in Accra, she takes inspiration from Ghanaian artisanal techniques, mixed with European mid-century silhouettes. All the pieces are made in Ghana.

Ayensu named the brand after her grandmother who had worked as a seamstress in Ghana. Ayensu’s collections are a testament to the agency of women. In re-imagining power dressing, she re-interprets familiar symbols of femininity – soft fabrics, nipped in waists, full or tight skirts – and with it reclaims a woman’s right to ownership over her body.

This dress comes from Christie Brown’s Autumn/Winter 2019 collection, She is King. For the collection Ayensu created pieces for a woman who has ‘come into her own and taken her rightful place as King over every aspect of her life.’ This is portrayed through the bold silhouette with full skirts which physically occupy space, and the dark colour choice. The gold African-print cloth detailing on the hem accentuates the black mid-section of the dress.