Connect with us

Ameyaw Meets

Rayon Rashid, talented and full of young dreams

Bold, talented and focused poet, blogger and model, Rayon Rashid is certainly a true citizen of Africa although currently based in the UK.  He was born in Liberia to Sierra Leonean and Gambian parents and spent part of his childhood and secondary school days in the Gambia and Sierra Leone. Rayon is passionate about writing […]

Published

on

31709 1375809726690 1575266372 901963 7262962 nBold, talented and focused poet, blogger and model, Rayon Rashid is certainly a true citizen of Africa although currently based in the UK.  He was born in Liberia to Sierra Leonean and Gambian parents and spent part of his childhood and secondary school days in the Gambia and Sierra Leone. Rayon is passionate about writing and sports but with his athletically toned body he couldn’t resist constant appeals from friends to try out modeling.

In March 2010, Rayon was scouted by one Sonia Robinson and there has been no looking back as he has taken to modeling with such intense passion as if he was born to do this.  He is currently signed to three agencies, Models Direct, Cosmic Models and Star Now.

Although very young in the industry, Rayon has already chalked some major successes from commercial modeling to the runway. I caught up with this highly determined model to find out about his ambitions, modeling, writing and more.

Ameyaw Debrah: Who are your role models in the profession?

Honestly for me I was inspired by female models, reason being because of their passion, dedication and determination to become legends in the industry and making people see models in a more respectable way. So my role model would be Tyra Banks, mainly because of her history in modeling, her talk show and her reality series America’s Next Top Model.

Ameyaw Debrah: What type of modeling do you do?

Advertisement

I am a very versatile model, I do Editorial/Printing, Underwear, Runway/Catwalk, Fashion, Commercial and Promotional modeling. I have done almost all types, but I would love to bring something new into the industry, something that would be my signature, something that people would be able to relate to and would remember me by.

Ameyaw Debrah: What have been some of the major jobs you have done?

I have done 3 major jobs abroad. My first one was a shoot in Hungary; it was a commercial for REXONA in which I was the P.A to the main star, South African singer, Lira. I also did another commercial in France promoting the use of condoms and safe sex and finally did a couple of fashion catwalk shows and shoots in Italy (Bologna, Millano).

60004 1508792331172 1575266372 1218877 5920346 nAmeyaw Debrah:  What’s your view on fashion and modeling industry in Africa?

I think it’s almost the same just that there are loads of opportunities in Western World than in Africa, but I love the fact that in Africa there is a raw natural talent, creativity and beauty and nothing can beat that.

Ameyaw Debrah: What’s your worse experience as a model?

Advertisement

My worst was my first abroad job in Italy; I was like the only black person on set which didn’t bother me because I hate the feeling when black people use their colour as an issue.  But at the hotel, whenever it was time for breakfast I felt like all eyes was on me I was trembling while drinking my tea because I felt intimidated. I had to call my manager and ask him to cut my contract short because I couldn’t spend one more night in that hotel, Best Western City Hotel in Bologna.

Ameyaw Debrah: People have bad perceptions about models. What do you have to say to that?

There is always that issue about people misjudging models, for me it’s about the way you carry yourself and if you love what you do, then the opinions of others means less to you.  So it won’t bring you down when you hear negative comments, I just try to ignore them because a clear conscience fears no accusations. Modeling is a profession just like many other jobs; it’s even more difficult because as a model you need to be able to market your product. Even if it is shit you need to make it look good so when people see it they want to buy it. So it’s so sad when people badmouth models because we go through a lot.

Ameyaw Debrah: Are you married how does your family cope with your work?

I am single, not yet married maybe sometime but not now.

Advertisement

Ameyaw Debrah: What are the highlights so far for you?

For me the fact that I have done so much within 6 months is just amazing, I have done movies ( Bulla,  Love and Money) REXONA commercial, Shows in Milan and Shoots in Bologna, and LFW(London fashion week).  It’s just awesome and meeting celebrities is just amazing.

Ameyaw Debrah: What else do you do aside modeling?

I’m a civil engineering student at Greenwich University. I am a student governor and I make sure student complaints and requests are put into consideration by board members during meetings, follow up the progress of their school work, help promote student tutor relationships and assist as a study buddy.

Ameyaw Debrah: What do you write about?

Advertisement

I love poetry, I write about things that inspire and affect me, writing for me is like my daily diary, I write everyday although sometimes I run out of ideas but am inspired by anything.

Ameyaw Debrah: What kind of sports do you do? Any plans to do it professionally?

Athletics and I have no plans to do it professionally.

Ameyaw Debrah: Do you have any other career ambitions?

Yes I love acting, but more so I want to be a household name, I want to be a brand and I want to have my own reality TV show in the future.

Advertisement

Ameyaw Debrah: What have been some of the challenges for you?

My biggest challenges are very personal and don’t think I can talk about it.

Ameyaw Debrah: What’s the fiercest or wildest photo shoot or job you ever did?

A test shoot for Playboy and G.Q

Ameyaw Debrah: What a routine day for you like?

Advertisement

I wake up at 6:30am, pray, then go for my jogging, and come back home, rest but check my mails whiles doing so, pick up my diary and write down all my plans and jobs for the day.

Ameyaw Debrah: What is your training or exercising regiment like?

I jog and do my sit ups.

Ameyaw Debrah: Any special diets or habits to stay in shape?

I make sure I don’t eat late and I drink plenty of water. I also eat a lot of fruits, and try to avoid oily foods. But I still eat MacDonald.

Advertisement

Ameyaw Debrah: What are the trendiest fashion accessories of the moment for you?

I love my skinny jeans, sun glasses, boots from All Saints, and hand bags.

59806 1512304418972 1575266372 1226943 5796918 nAmeyaw Debrah: How would you describe your sense of style?

I think fashion is my lifestyle. I am very adventurous and experimenting.  I love colours and now am into vintage, high street fashion and recently I have been going into my dad’s wardrobe and inventing very expensive looks out of his old clothes.

Ameyaw Debrah: Who is your favourite photographer?

Kardo Ayoub

Advertisement

Ameyaw Debrah: What’s your favourite African food?

Fried Rice.

Ameyaw Debrah: What do you hope to achieve with your career?

I want to become the first black male supermodel from West Africa.i also want to have a reality TV career, a modeling agency in Africa, and a fashion label/brand and more.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Ameyaw Meets

Oprah Winfrey & Blitz Bazawule answer my questions about ‘The Color Purple’

Published

on

Oprah Winfrey & Blitz Bazawule answer my questions about ‘The Color Purple’

In April, I had the opportunity to join a Zoom Q&A session with Oprah Winfrey and Blitz Bazawule, courtesy FilmOne Distribution. The conversation was around the bold remake of ‘The Color Purple’ scheduled for release this Christmas!   (more…)

Continue Reading

Ameyaw Meets

Asari Music highlights new single ‘Like Dat’, balancing college with music and more

Published

on

Asari Music

Week-in week-out I get to interview one of the many faces in showbiz and this week on Ameyaw Meets, Asari Music is the one. She’s a young, upcoming and very talented Ghanaian-American singer – who in case you haven’t heard, is out with the hottest song you might hear all week. (more…)

Continue Reading

People & Lifestyle

I single-handedly popularized Shea Butter in the United States – Margaret Andega

Published

on

shea

According to Margaret Andega, a Kenyan entrepreneur in Atlanta, she was the driving force behind the commercialization of Shea Butter in the US during the late 90s. (more…)

Continue Reading

People & Lifestyle

He went from cooking on Instagram to owning a food truck in Atlanta and more… the story of Quabena’s Kitchen

Published

on

story of Quabena’s Kitchen

The COVID-19 pandemic birthed many opportunities for people all over the globe. For one Ghanaian living in the US, the pandemic reconnected him with his passion which has now become a full-time job.

Quabena’s Kitchen shared with me his story about how he went from cooking for family and friends, to sharing content of his cooking on Instagram page at the height of the pandemic, which has now transformed into a thriving catering business in Atlanta, Georgia.

Quabena’s Kitchen services now include a food truck providing Ghanaian and West African delicacies to Africans and non-Africans alike, with ambitions of a restaurant on the cards!

Watch this exciting story on Ameyaw TV below:

Advertisement

Read Also: The chef behind Fufu Pizza is about to open Afro-Fusion Cafe in Atlanta

 

Continue Reading

Ameyaw Meets

The chef behind Fufu Pizza is about to open Afro-Fusion Cafe in Atlanta

Published

on

IMG 9777

US-based Liberian professional chef, Chauncy Yarngo caught the attention of the world with his amazing creations such as fufu pizza, fufu taco, plantain burgers and more. (more…)

Continue Reading

Fashion

Why Ghanaian-American Jeffrey Ampratwum is the menswear expert to watch in fashion!

Published

on

Jeffrey featured image

At the start of the Victoria era, early 19th century – the English began to tone down the royal style dressing of the French army, namely those adorned in prestigious regalia and heavy embroidery. It was a sign of English nationalism and sparked a new wave of appearance in men. A few decades later, the suit was born and heavily influenced those in Italy and America. The British and the Americans have a rich revolutionary history, of course, and coincidentally the British colonized the African country – Gold Coast – until 1957 when they declared their independence and changed their name to Ghana. 

 

As part of an independent Ghana, a host of individuals began to exercise new freedoms and venture out of the country into new territories. Many Ghanaians set their eyes on American travel and a wave of trail blazers left the country and settled in the infamous New York City. For most, it was an opportunity to plant new seeds in the hopes that their children would be afforded even more opportunities for a prosperous life.

 

One of these children of the diaspora is Bronx-born Jeffrey Ampratwum. The only child to Kate Bampoe and Eugene Asante-Ampratwum Mpere, who met in the Bronx after immigrating from Ghana. The dynamics of having African parents and being raised in a heavily eclectic environment gave rise to Jeffreys style and prose. More importantly, we can honestly say that there are only a handful of Ghanaian-Americans living in the states that can exhibit a special presentation that reflects both their African heritage married with the esthetic of their nationality. We recently caught up with Jeffrey to discuss how his early influences provided him with a framework to now become such a strong force in the menswear industry in fashion.

Advertisement

 

Jeffrey. 

AD: Jeffrey, Ɛte sɛn?

 

Jeff: Haha, Eye.

 

Advertisement

AD: I had to test your Twi really quick! You know most Ghanaians who are born in the states dont have a clue about the language unless its spoken fiercely in the home.

 

Jeff: You are 100% correct with that. Ha. But for me, I was lucky in that my mother took me to Ghana before I even knew how to use words. So, in actuality, Twi was the first language and vocabulary I learned, and in essence, English is my second language. So, Im really decent when it comes to using Twi. Im a cheat code! But keep that quiet. Ha.

  

AD: How much of the remnants of the Ghanaian culture factored into your approach to your style and presentation?

Advertisement

 

Jeff: When I was younger and in school, particularly in the Bronx – it wasnt always your proudest moment to be from Africa or to say your family was African. Part of the silly embarrassment was perhaps from the narratives that were spinning on television. Americans were being indoctrinated with visuals of feed the children” which only highlighted the extreme poverty in a few Africans countries. The images and broadcasts were all the same, for decades. So called philanthropist and humanitarians took camera crews into ravaged areas and televised starving children for us to see here in the states. I believe that had a profound effect on young boys and girls born from African parents.

Jeffrey

However, as for me – I always looked at being dark skinned and being deeply rooted into my African culture as a super power. I liked the idea of being different, even though all the kids in all my classes were also children of immigrants. They just couldnt grasp the concept of it at that time. So, from there, it was showtime. My Uncle, Joseph Ken Mintah – was the pioneer as the first in the family to travel to the states – he had extreme style. My mother also is very detailed with her sense of jewelry and fragrances. I adsorbed it all. 

 

AD: Did you start dressing in traditional African attire? What do you mean exactly?

Advertisement

 

Jeff: Not exactly! But, being an only child really allowed for me to sit deep in thought for long periods of time. Being left-handed allowed for me to be extremely dexterous and detailed. And being raised solely by my mother further allowed me to pay attention to the importance of clothing and accessories – as she dressed herself each morning. It was the ultimate cocktail and I was already drunk with creativity. I started customizing all the clothes I had. By no means were we wealthy, so I had to manage just a few outfits for school.

 

My styling began when I would turn 5 outfits into 15 – so essentially, a 5-day school week became New York Fashion Week for me. I would airbrush my sneakers, turn Old Navy sweaters inside out for a fleece appeal, and cuff my jeans in 4 different ways depending on my footwear. This soon became a bad habit and made me late for school many mornings.

 

Advertisement

AD: You see, if you are late to school in Ghana back then – you might as well have sat by the road to hide from both your mother and headmaster! What was college like for you then?

 

Jeff: Right! Ha. It grew legs during my undergrad. Now all the pretty girls were around, I had more freedom to come and go, and more importantly – I had a stage to showcase my style. I joined a student club in the SEEK Program, and soon became the President and started hosting a string of events based around fashion. 4 years and a bachelors degree later, there were 6 fashion shows and 3 beauty pageants under my belt. Huge successes. I started to doubt my real educational reason for attending college, which was to become a dentist. Fashion was dancing on one shoulder and dentistry on the other. But somehow, I figured out how to still involve the two. My best buddy, Kenny – whom I met at the college on the road to become dentists – made it through. So, I live vicariously through him. And now, coincidentally – together we’ve developed a brand – a service of bespoke mens luxury shoes and women’s handbags, and ready to wear womenswear shoes as well. Named, Kenjeffreys. It is serendipitous because all of the products are sourced and handcrafted in Haiti and infused with Ghanaian culture. As Kenny is from Haiti, we properly employ artisans within the community and focus heavily on our social impact.

Following undergrad, I then began at FIT as student, really just trying to test my styling hand – and to learn more about the industry. While there, I came across extremely talented and knowledgeable fashion professionals that have really guided me. Namely, Sadia Seymour and Joseph DeAcetis. Both wildly experienced, patient and embedded with a wealth of information. Respectfully in womenswear and menswear. You cannot beat that, and I am grateful for it.

Advertisement

 

AD: That is strangely unique and admirable. Talk to us about how all those experiences and inspirations give rise to the Jeffrey or Che we see today and ultimately, where that places you in your field of fashion and menswear.

 

Jeff: Sure. Great point. I have been indoctrinated by the basic principles of creativity as an adolescent – with respect to clothing. That is extremely hard to shake. Innately, styling was my ultimate form of communication, seeing that I was a shy introvert. So now, I still revert back to those same feelings…. the feeling of home, warmth, memories, great food and innocent fun. My approach now is exactly the same in the sense that when I am dressing, styling or designing for someone – I am taking into account their entire repertoire and holding a mirror in front of them which reflects the items that they love most. It is a skill that perhaps only empaths are only able to exhibit.

 

Advertisement

Having the ability to read into thoughts and connecting with the motivating spirits that drives people – is a gift. I ran the New York City marathon three times, and the 2nd time I ran it in a tuxedo! It was my ultimate homage and pledging of allegiance to fashion. Ha.

WhatsApp Image 2022 05 18 at 2.20.33 PM

I also believe my extensive traveling experience has aided to the arsenal. Recent trips to Ghana always resets a creative instinct with me, as I look around and arrive back to a place of self-awareness. It feels right. My cousin Harry knows where to be to capture the real essence of the land. And, coincidentally enough, I am often back and forth to the UK as well. Savile row in London, England -as you know – is a menswear connoisseurs Disney Land. It is the traditional hub for the world’s best tailored-bespoke suits. Naples and Florence are a close second. However, sartorially, the British have etched their names in the fine-art making of the suit. I do though spend most of my time in Brighton, UK. Its where my love is and also like a second home for me. The culture there is infused with various styles and the community is inviting. The Duchess of Brighton-Hove, Lady Donna and her amazing friends will assure that you have a great time! 

 

AB: Finally, talk to us about your styling approach with respect to specific talent that you work with.

 

Advertisement

Jeff: Definitely. This is perhaps an area you cannot teach. It is learned with years of experience and even reading the room wrong most times. I tell my fashion students often that they have to continue shooting airballs at the basket. Get out the miss shots, now – and properly learn your subjects. For example, if I am styling a celebrity for the red carpet – several nuances are to be considered before arriving at a dress or a tuxedo. Such as, what stages in life is your talent currently in, how body conscious are they and what are they most nostalgic about. These (and some of my other secrets that I cannot give away) are the pillars to nailing great style, image and presentation.

WhatsApp Image 2022 05 18 at 2.20.33 PM 1 

If I am shooting for a magazine in a studio – its party time. If you are not dancing as a model or grooving as a photographer, you are are in the wrong business, per say! Haha. With me, you are very liable to hear everyone from Bob Marley, James Brown, MJ, and Jay-Z to Queen, Lady Gaga, Biggie, Nas and Beyonce all on the same playlist. I say that to say: I enjoy what I do in fashion, and I will always represent the joys of that. I believe that is what makes me an enigma in this industry. Always professional however, but make it subjective and inject areas of your creativity wherever you can. Particularly in menswear – I keep a very intimate and close pulse on traditional, casual and street styles of these sub genres – and study them gravely like the science they are. That all still comes from sitting deep in thought as I did
Continue Reading

Trending