Socks appeal

Socks appeal

Until very recently, men’s socks were mostly monochromatic affairs, but the arrival of the vibrant, Ghanaian-heritage-inspired Chale Socks has injected some much-needed colour.

It’s now possible to express your pride in Ghana’s cultural heritage right down to your feet. The means of this is a range of socks primarily patterned with the timeless and evocative Adinkra symbols of the Ashanti. The Ghanadesigned garments themselves are soft, sturdy and with just the right amount of stretch – they’re made from 78 per cent combed cotton, 17 per cent polyester and three per cent spandex – so are as lovely to wear as to look at.

Welcome to Chale Socks: equal parts fashion item, symbol of national pride and socially responsible enterprise.

The company was set up by designer Kurtis Kudjo in 2015 out of a desire to bring some colour and artistry to the resolutely dowdy world of men’s socks and to promote Ghanaian cultural symbolism.

“We wanted to transform a simple, everyday accessory into bold, African-inspired wearable art,” says Kudjo. “African-inspired accessories were popular at the time, but African-inspired socks were not so common, so we went there.”

Inspiration

Growing up in the kente-weaving town of Agotime-Kpetoe, in the Volta Region, Kudjo frequently observed expert craftsmen producing beautiful yards of kente cloth. It led to an appreciation of African art and craftsmanship. Kudjo brings the colours, careful design process and expert execution he witnessed to the design and production of Chale Socks.

In the company studio in Tema he and his team have designed a range of bold patterned socks that draw on the wisdom-packed Adinkra symbols that relate to the history, beliefs and philosophy of the Ashanti people in Ghana and have decorated ceramics and textiles for centuries.

Among the evocative motifs Kudjo has appropriated in his socks are ‘Sankofa’ – which translates as ‘Go back and get it’ and is symbolised by a bird with its head turned backwards while its feet face forward carrying a precious egg in its mouth – and ‘Gye Nyame’, a symbol representing God’s omnipotence and the deep knowledge that people should not fear anything except God.

“We didn’t just want to create a sock brand that focused on idol patterns,” says Kudjo. “We wanted to utilise our creative ideas to express strong pride in our cultural heritage.”

The debut Chale Socks collection featured seven Adinkra designs and has continued to grow with recent vivid additions including ‘Chaskele’ and ‘Deka’ that playfully combine different Adinkra symbols.

It’s rare for socks to be the stars of catwalk shows but the effervescent Chale Socks range has graced Accra Men’s Fashion Week in 2016, the exclusive African Fashion Festival in New Zealand in 2017 and last year saw the brand appear at the renowned Glitz Fashion Week in Accra where it teamed up with another home-grown company, Mr Pos Clothing, known for its equally vibrant range of ties.

Celebrity customers

The rising renown of Chale Socks has seen the company tailor for the toes of some of the biggest names in Ghana and not just men – they are also proving popular with women.

Celebrities such as the Godfather of Hip Life, Reggie Rockstone, renowned TV personality and fashion designer K.O.D and boxer Joseph Agbeko have featured the socks on their social media pages.

The Chale Socks range is currently retailing in Ghana, Kenya and the United States, widening the fanbase to include radio and TV presenterYinka Bokinni and beauty andfashion bloggers Frédérique Harreland Gary Thompson, all from theUK, as well as two US stars – lifestyleblogger CeCe Olisa and rapperKamaiyah Johnson – who have allbeen seen sporting Chale pieces.

Chale Socks provides one pair of flip-flops to a needy child for every pair of its socks sold

It’s not surprising that Chale’sstatement socks have been a hitwith influencers such as these whohave all chosen to pursue their ownpath in life and create change alongthe way. Anyone who buys a pairof Chale Socks is making a strongfashion statement and also helpingthose less fortunate.

Chale Socks provides one pairof flip-flops – the company namecombines the Ghanaian icebreaker‘chale or ‘buddy’ with ‘chale wote’,the local word for flip-flops or slippers– to a needy child in Ghana forevery pair of its socks sold.

The pledge reflects the desire togive back and to impact lives thatruns deep within the company. Kudjowas affected by the number of childrenhe saw walking barefoot whenhe was growing up.

The idea for Chale Socks tookplace as a movement that would notonly help Kudjo make his mark andmake his living, but also have a positiveimpact on the lives of others.

“In Africa, we find creative waysto survive,” says Kudjo. “We pushthrough, we hustle. Essentially, lifeis art.”

Future plans

The hustling Chale Socks founderpromises much more to come fromthe company with exciting newproduct lines and collaborationsbeing hatched as well as movesto bring the production process–currently carried out by a skilledteam in South Korea – to Africa.Keep your eyes on Chale Socks’social media pages for the latestannouncements.

Need to know

The socks come in sizes US 7 to 13, UK 6.5 to12.5 and EU 40 to 46. To browse the collectionand order socks, visit chalesocks.com Currentlyorders over US$ 50 will entitle the buyer toa free pair of socks. Shipping is free. Orderswithin Ghana will arrive within one workingday while international orders can take one tothree weeks. Email any questions to: hello@chalesocks.com