KENCY Wedding Helped Popularise Modern GELE Styling In Ghana - Gele Centre CEO

The founder of The Gele Centre, Emanuella Mba Kalo Onyekachi, says the wedding ceremony of Kennedy Osei and Tracy Osei in 2020 played a significant role in introducing many Ghanaians to modern gele styling.

Speaking with Aimee Cherry on Style on 3Music TV, the entrepreneur said her gele business experienced a major breakthrough after providing gele styling and fabrics for bridesmaids at the high-profile wedding, popularly known as Kency.

According to her, many Ghanaians at the time associated gele mainly with brides or Nigerian ceremonies. However, the visibility of the Kency wedding helped expose a wider audience to coordinated gele styles for bridal parties and special occasions.

Emmanuella, who moved from Nigeria to Ghana 11 years ago, said she started her business seven years ago after identifying demand for ready-made gele that women could wear without professional assistance.

She said the early years were challenging because many Ghanaians were unfamiliar with gele styling and often questioned whether the fashion accessory would suit them.

To promote the business, she relied heavily on direct engagement with potential customers, sometimes approaching people in public while wearing her products.

“I had 21 followers. I used to go to the mall wearing the automated gele," she recalled.

The entrepreneur said exposure from the Kency wedding helped increase awareness of her work and attracted new customers to her brand.

Since then, she has worked with a number of public figures, including media personalities and entertainers, while continuing to grow The Gele Centre through customer referrals and social media visibility.

She believes customer service has been one of the key factors behind the company’s growth.

“I think it’s grace and customer service,” she said.

The entrepreneur also revealed plans to expand internationally and create more employment opportunities for young women through the business.

While gele originated as a traditional Yoruba headwrap, she said it has increasingly found acceptance among Ghanaian women for weddings, birthdays, photoshoots and other celebrations