01 - Background
Richard Ohene Sika is an award-winning fashion educationist, entrepreneur, and the Founder and President of Riohs College of Design, Ghana’s premium fashion institution. The college is located in Accra, Ghana. As a well-respected fashion design instructor, Richard has a resourceful and diplomatic personality. He is also a talented poet and a singer, and, as production manager, Richard hosts the annual “Joie De Vivre” Fashion Show.
Driven by a passion for art, and commitment to excellence, Richard is a self-made man who has excelled in the Ghanaian fashion industry on his own merit. He has been active in the fashion industry as an instructor since 2009, starting out as a teaching assistant, while at Joyce Ababio College (now known as JACCD).
While teaching garment construction, he had the opportunity to train well-known designers in the fashion industry, like Quophi Akotuah, Quame Owusu GH, Nadrey Laurent, Sima Brew and Afrakay.
It was during this time, that he began to observe and consider the possibilities of creating a shorter fashion program that could still equip and produce a professional who could design, draft a pattern, cut fabric and construct a garment.
02- Pacesetter
In 2012, there was no school in Ghana that ran a six-month program in Fashion Design. At the time, many existing schools ran a year-long or 18-month program, and the usual four year degree. Richard had the belief that he could change this phenomenon, impart and train core concepts. Armed with the experience of acting as head of security and approval of quality control in the garment construction classes, Richard invested more than five years as an instructor, before formally starting, what is today The Riohs College of Design.
03 - How It Started ...
The College was formally registered as a fashion design instruction company in 2012, with only three students. With limited resources - about four machines, and a container with a single ceiling fan, hardworking students, and a strict attention to detail, the first classes started. The class grew in batches quickly from 3 to 8, to 17, to 30.
As an accomplished designer and pattern drafter himself, Richard prioritized hands-on knowledge over theory, by compressing garment construction, fabric knowledge, drafting and design into a 6-month course, a training format that has become popular among fashion schools across Ghana. Presently, the college hosts at least 240 students a year, who graduate as fashion professionals skilled in garment construction, technical pattern drafting, creative thinking and illustration. Recently, the college also rebranded, from Riohs Originate, as it was formerly known, to The Riohs College of Design.
04 - A Household Name
Richard is recognised as a strict educator, who has a high standard of quality, in terms of applying international standards to garment construction. As the lead design instructor at Riohs, with a capable team that he personally trained, he has trained and graduated over 1,000 qualified fashion designers from over ten different countries across the world.
These global alumni have gone on to create much loved global brands, such as Sima Brew, Elikem Kumordzie the Tailor, Avonsige, Maud by Dianne, MayasiGh, and Kojo Boadi Ghana. Riohs’ alumni are also working in major production houses across Ghana in leadership positions, especially in the production and creative illustration design departments.
As a result, Riohs has become a leader in high standards. This has created a platform for its alumni to easily access international platforms. Riohs Alumni, like Ajabeng, have even been honored in Vogue. Others have graced International fashion week, London Fashion Week, Denmark Fashion Week, Arise Fashion Week Lagos, Durban Fashion Week, Glitz Fashion Week, Accra Fashion Week, and Mercedes Benz fashion week with their designs.
