Papa Oppong Bediako was born on the 11th of March, 1992 in Accra, Ghana. He began his primary education at Alpha Beta Montessori in Dansoman, Accra but soon after moved to Queensland International School in Sakumonno when his family relocated to the Spintex Road in Accra in 1999. Papa discovered his love for fashion at a very early age in life. He would get into so much trouble at home for drawing on the walls and in school for drawing on the back of his homework books. Growing up, Papa Oppong loved watching his mom and aunt dress up. He was fascinated by textile prints and colors. Observing the process of dressing up, Papa found himself drawing a lot of fashion figures and fashion-inspired art.

 

Papa studied Visual Art at Achimota Senior High School, majoring in textiles, jewelry and literature; a combo which Papa thought ideal for a future in fashion. After senior high school, he then moved on to study BA Fashion Design at Radford University College in East Legon, Ghana. Although very young, Papa Oppong has firmly planted his feet into the African fashion industry. He has been featured in a number of both local and international publications including the UK’s fashion illustration magazine: DASH Magazine (2012) and Ghana’s fashion and lifestyle magazine: Dream Magazine (2014) and Fashion Illustration Africa (2016). In August of 2016, after a year-long fashion internship with The DC Fashion Foundation and Macy's in Washington, D.C., Papa Oppong received an honorary fashion award from Fest Africa USA for his outstanding achievements and contributions to the African community.

 

Named one of the top creatives rebranding Africa by Forbes Magazine, Papa was most recently an in-house designer at Studio 189, an ethical fashion label owned by fashion guru Abrima Erwiah and Hollywood actress Rosario Dawson.

 

Papa's passion for One Garment One Child is deeply rooted in his experience as a child with malaria. The young designer, who always wanted to create clothing that tells a story, is creating revolutionary garments that tell the story of strength, healing and happiness. Papa's approach to his extraordinary talents aims to impact lives around the world one garment at a time.