The Mirror's Health , Lifestyle and Fashion
Bentifi's Tattle: An eye on mSimps
“This is good,” she eventually manages to utter amid munching. An entrepreneur, who in the last couple of years since initiating into her bespoke accessories and footwear business, has been in the limelight for her peculiar designs and finish of her ethnic print clutch purses, bags and slippers, Mabel Simpson, the lady behind the mSimps, one of Ghana’s trendiest urban design brands, found time out of her very busy schedule to join me for dinner, and is loving the starters I am serving her.
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Adding onto her portfolio of work by launching an online retail shop on at the web at msimpsgh.com, from where one can purchase her products, Mabel has been major busy doing a myriad of things including finishing new collections for shows as well as stocking her shop, tucked away off Oxford Street in Osu, Accra.
She has been invited to participate in many shows and exhibitions, both locally and international and Mabel, who says is now almost a household name for quality, isn't taking all the success in her stride. She works hard.
Visibly delighted on seeing the main dish of grilled grouper laid astride a bed of ‘Nkontomire Abom’ doused in a ginger and garlic laden coconut oil, with mash yam, she immediately tucked into the grub, slowly cutting and tossing morsels into her mouth, all the while nodding approvingly at my cooking. Having been so busy lately, she admitted she has not had the time or inclination to enjoy any real homemade food, so what she is having tonight, she intends to enjoy.
I was equally fascinated by her story. After school, where she studied communication design with a major in graphics at the College of Art at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, she got a job at Multimedia Broadcasting’s Hitz FM as an assistant producer, and presenter for a five-minute daily sports show. She then joined Arcon, a marketing communications firm as an account executive, and mainly dreaming up concepts for TV and radio for clients. But, her first love, the craft in her fingers kept pulling at her, and she begun making her handcrafted bags for friends after they kept admiring the ones she was using. She took the bold decision then to go out on her own, and resigned from Arcon to step into the world of business.
After several shorts courses and programmes on how to run a business and entrepreneurship, she assembled some artisans, tailors who sew the fabrics she cut together to make the many different bags, wallets, purses and many other accessories she made. Being a little late in the evening, I gave her small portions so as to ensure Mabel would finish everything on her plate, and indeed she does, cleaning it with a last bit of the mash yam on the fork, as she scrapes the final tad of the nkontomire with her knife onto it.
I am pleased she has enjoyed the grub, and downs some ‘Nude’, my special blend of selected fresh fruits and vegetables juice. The lemon dashed fish, she says, has just the right crisp texture on the outside, and a soft fleshy inside.
As I listen to her talk, I observed from her account of the challenges she faces that they are the perennial ones that plague many business including, and in particular, start ups like hers. Human resource being the primary issues she faces, besides access to finance, or its high cost.
This means she often has to do the work of all the other departments, so she wears the hat of the accountant, marketing, sales and PR at varying times. I bite into another of the fish, and the subtle hint of the kpakpo pepper I brushed it with, hit me!
This was a few while ago though, and I have since not cooked, but I know that when I dig into it, the herbs and spices I use certainly brings the life out in any protein serve! And next Saturday, I am going to be taking over the kitchens at the Theiahouse Coffee Shop, tucked away behind the Canadian Independent School at Airport Residential Area.
An evening which will see a trunk display by stylish traditional clothes maker, Larry Jay showcasing some of his stuff which you could even acquire as Christmas gifts, I will be servibg some grills, and blending some spirits and herbs for a full Ghanaian dining experience.
Why don't you join us. Come find PaJohn's, or Theia on social media and get the lowdown. I look forward to an seeing you!