Jeanne Akua Afriyie Williams
Jeanne Akua Afriyie Williams is the lead creative director of the Afrocentric Chic brand, OJeanne. She is organized, self-motivated, and well-balanced; the key characteristics of a mompreneur, a term for women who set up and run businesses while caring for a child.
Jeanne has two daughters and a son, an integral part of her brand. Maternity and entrepreneurship's combined opportunities and challenges make Jeanne tenacious and diligent as a fashion business owner.
OJ, as Jeanne is endearingly called, founded OJeanne in 2004. The vision was to create top-quality and affordable menswear for all occasions in a market with little to offer men's fashion. The OJeanne objective eventually expanded to include a women's line, which is now the top line for the brand. Today, the OJeanne collection creates one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories, which are modestly priced.
While the OJeanne brand was born due to the gap in distinctive African-styled men's wear, OJ has always been a fashion enthusiast. Her mother's couture pieces made her fall in love with African fabrics. OJ is a global citizen, thanks to her father's diplomatic career.
She was born in Congo Brazzaville and originally from Ghana. She has established a successful career in Virginia, U.S.A. All these influences are visible in how her collection blends patterns, colors, and seasonal trends to create resplendent Contemporary Pret-a-porter clothing.
OJ holds a Pattern Design and Dressmaking certificate from Ranche House College, Harare, Zimbabwe. She has also worked as a fashion show production assistant and fashion design tutor. Her older brother was a quintessential fine artist, music producer, and songwriter, and her youngest sister, a scientist, is a full-time jeweler and DJ in Tema, Ghana.
OJ’s proudest moment came when she met the distinguished Ghanaian designer, late Kofi Ansah, in 2004, and he called her his little genius. This moment motivated her to pursue her passion further. OJ has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design with honors from The Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia. In 2002, Andre Leon Talley, Vogue Editor at large, recommended that she model her designs in her senior show. OJ was also the senior backstage dresser for the Badgley Mischka Capsule Fashion Show 2001 and Savannah College of Art and Design Senior Fashion Shows, May 2000 and 2001.
She started her career in 2003 as a print model in Los Angeles. OJ worked at the Decadestwo consignment store in Los Angeles, California, from 2002 to 2003, as a visual merchandiser, sales executive, and styling assistant. She had the opportunity to have worked directly with celebrities and stylists for the Oscars, Academy Awards, and TV Shows.
While OJeanne is a commercial brand, the sense of community and ethical fairness is not lost. OJ’s social responsibility has remained targeted towards underprivileged women. These women have been receiving training and informal education into various creative sectors under the WOMEN EVERYWHERE PROJECTS, founded as a CSR project of OJeanne in 2012. As a woman-led business, OJeanne seeks substantial economic power and poverty alleviation for women. Beneficiaries of this initiative have received tools to help them create a better future for themselves and their communities.
Jeanne Akua Afriyie Williams is not only a designer; she has expertise in fashion business administration, fashion campaign conceptualization, marketing and production, and fashion start-up incubator services.