Mansawear’s Ghanian fashion celebrates 10 years on Rochester’s Park Avenue

Nita Brown has a vision of making Ghanaian clothing part of the American wardrobe and she is doing just that with her store, Mansawear.

Now in its 10th year, the Park Avenue-based boutique offers custom-made clothing that blends Ghanaian and US fashions, focusing on intricate patterns, opulent fabrics, immaculate tailoring and simple designs.

Brown, the store’s owner and designer, said Rochester is an ideal location for Mansawear.

“People don’t realize what a great cosmopolitan place Rochester is,” she said. “People here know what good quality is.”

Brown has always had a passion for fashion.

As a child growing up in Ghana, West Africa, Brown, the daughter of a diplomat, became familiar with Ghanian fabrics from her mother who would regularly have them transformed into pieces for her wardrobe.

Brown completed her secondary schooling in Ghana, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Columbia University and a Master of Business Administration in International Management from Georgetown University.

She was working in corporate finance at Eastman Kodak Co. when a friend suggested she think about opening a clothing store, given her flair for fashion.

The store is named after Brown’s grandmother, Nana Mansa. Mansa means “of three” or “miensa” in Akan or Ashanti Twi, one of the predominant languages in Ghana. It is a birth order name, given to the third consecutive girl born to the same woman.

The clothes Brown designs for the store feature clean and simple silhouettes influenced by her grandmother’s philosophy of simplicity, tradition and her global perspective on life.

The line’s minimalist style complements the bright and bold colors of the fabrics, she added.

Customers have their measurements taken at Mansawear and the clothes are custom made for them in Ghana. There are some off-the-rack items in the store, as well.

The time from order to delivery is about four weeks, Brown said, noting the machine-washable pieces are made to last.

Customers can attest to the high quality of the pieces, Brown said, noting Mansawear has several repeat customers and gets a lot of business through word-of-mouth.

Brown’s vision for the store was to offer one-of-a-kind clothing that provides versatility and flexibility, allowing customers to mix and match their Mansawear piece with existing items in their closets.

She also wants customers to wear the items more than once.

“The clothes are not just for one occasion or one season,” Brown said.

Most of Brown’s customers are women from the Rochester/Buffalo/Syracuse region, but she also has sold her designs to people around the country through Mansawear’s online store. Mansawear also sells jewelry, head wear, socks and men’s fashions.

While Brown wants a location with dedicated parking one day, she has no plans to leave the city area where the store is now located.

“I want to stay and grow in Western New York,” Brown said.

In addition to growing the business, Brown places an emphasis on giving back.

In September, to celebrate the store’s 10th year, Brown held a cocktail benefit at the Country Club of Rochester that raised $7,000 for a mammography machine for the maternal wing of a newly-built medical center in Yabi, Ghana and constructed by the FST Sisters, a Catholic order dedicated to serving the Ghanian poor.

She also donated 200 handmade beanies to the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester in honor of the store’s milestone.

With 10 years of success with Mansawear behind her, Brown plans to continue to spread the word about her business and get more people in her designs.

“My goal is to have a Mansawear outfit in every closet in America,” she said.

[email protected] / (585) 653-4021

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