Today’s A Journey
through Aesthetic Realms
will be presented
in Ewe and English,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English, Ewe,
French, German,
Hungarian, Indonesian,
Japanese, Korean,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Thai
and Spanish.
Halo, vibrant viewers,
and welcome to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
In today’s program,
we will visit a unique
fashion shop named
Majeed Creations
in the beautiful country
of South Africa
and enjoy some
traditionally-based designs
from Ghanaian couturier,
Mr. Issah Al-Hassan.
My name is
Issah Al-Hassan from
Ghana, but right now
I am in South Africa
as a fashion designer.
I learned my occupation
as a professional
in fashion design
in West Africa, in Nigeria.
Then, I went back
to Ghana.
I decided to move
my profession down
to South Africa, so that
I can show the rest of
the Africans the kind
of talent that I have
in African designs.
I choose to design
African clothes because
I was born in Africa
as an African.
I choose to also be
a servant who is going to
advertise Africa
to the rest of the world.
Being very proud of
his rich culture,
Mr. Al-Hassan
is dressed in traditional
Ghanaian style.
This one I am wearing
here is an open shirt.
But it was mixed,
both South African and
West African material.
You can see how it is by
the sleeve and the collar.
It’s a material
from Ghana that we use.
For Ghanaian tradition,
if you go wherever
in Ghana, you can find
this kind of designs.
It’s a design for Ghana,
Ashanti Kingdom.
They believe that is the
color of their ancestors,
that is the color
you are supposed to use
before you become a
really traditional person
in West Africa.
African women’s
costumes are both
fashionable and practical.
Mr. Al-Hassan
comments on some of
his latest designs
with traditional motifs.
Here is
a South African design.
This dress is mostly
designed here
in South Africa for the
people of South Africa
and the people of Africa.
We design it in this shop,
Majeed Creations.
All this material is from
here in South Africa.
And right here we have
a South African design.
This is a 3-piece: a dress,
a skirt and the slippers,
all made by
Majeed Creations
in this shop.
This is a material called
“sheshwe,”
a South African material,
mixed with gold “diano,”
a South African material
also.
This is a design
with a Sotho hat on it.
Whoever sees this,
you know that it is
a Sotho tradition,
in South Africa.
The hat of a Sotho,
their color is brown and
mixed with gold “diano.”
It is traditional for Sotho
and even some of Zulus
and other traditions.
If you want it
in your tradition, bring a
symbol of your tradition,
then we can put it on it,
so it will be yours.
Mr. Al-Hassan next
shows us dresses that
can be worn by African
women of all ages.
This is a straight dress
with different kinds
of materials
to make a dress.
And the design,
you can see here,
is something similar
to a Chinese collar.
And you can see
with the pleat down.
Most of the ladies can
use it and some people
believe that
this kind of dress is for
elderly persons in Africa,
but not at all.
A lady also can use it,
whenever or wherever
she wants it.
It’s all for both winter
and summer,
you can use it.
Are they
for special occasions?
It’s not
for special occasion.
As an African,
wherever you want to go,
you can wear it.
Dinners, parties, weddings,
wherever, or meetings.
Tell us what inspires
you to make all these
different patterns.
As a human being,
you have different views
and what we like.
Someone likes a dress,
someone likes a 2-piece,
someone likes
open shirts, someone
likes Afro shirt,
so it’s different.
You cannot decide what
you think for yourself
and do it, you must
do something that
will inspire someone to
come into your shop.
From that you are also
advertising Africa.
After these messages, we
will find out more from
Mr. Al-Hassan about
the traditional concepts
behind these
brilliant designs.
Please stay tuned to
Supreme Master
Television.
Radiant viewers,
welcome back to
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television
as we continue our
interview with Ghanaian
fashion designer
Mr. Al-Hassan.
African women
take great pride
in traditional dress styles
reflecting their ancestral
and regional origins.
Their clothing is
handmade and tailored
to individual needs.
Special attention is paid
to selecting the fabrics.
The material,
we use some
from Central Africa,
some from West Africa,
some from East Africa,
and some also
from South Africa here.
You know that
as a fashion designer,
if you collaborate
this kind of design,
this kind of material and
this kind of material, you
can create something that
will represent an African.
You don’t just
choose any material;
you must know that this
material is a material
that represents Africa.
African clothes are
very colorful.
Why is that?
That is the color
of Africa, that is
the color of the tradition,
because you go into
many traditions, you
will see several colors.
Even the color that
you did not expect,
you will see it.
For me, what I think is,
that is what they choose
because wherever
you are going you will
like to wear something
which is going to
attract people.
So you will make sure
that you will find a color
which is good for you
and definitely
is going to be good
for someone else.
So you mix it, you do
something very nice
so that someone
will know that you wear
something beautiful.
That shows the beauty
of an African, and
it really shows that
you are African.
Even back in Ghana,
there are certain clothes,
if you wear it
they know that you are
from this tribe, or
this part of the country.
Like if you go to Volta,
they have their color;
if you come to Ashanti,
they have their color; if
you go to greater Accra,
they have their color,
and I know it’s the same
in South Africa here.
They have
different colors. If
you go to Zulu tradition,
they have their color;
you go to Pedi,
you go to Xhosa,
you get different colors.
The splendid colors
of Mr. Al-Hassan’s
elegant apparel are
a representation of
the natural beauty
of majestic Africa.
He shares with us the
meaning of specific hues.
I have this kind of design
in my hands here.
You can see
it’s so many colors.
We have blue,
we have yellow,
we have green.
The yellow represents
the sun, and the green
represents the planet
and the forests in Africa.
You can see even
the design is flowery.
In Africa here, you can
go to so many places and
you will find flowers.
This design here
represents the sun,
the brighter.
That shows truly Africa,
and you can see
how we design it with
a yellow panel that will
match with the designs
we have here on the neck.
As you can see,
this is really beautiful.
And whoever wears this,
you know that
it is truly African.
You can see it’s very nice.
Whenever a customer
comes in here,
that is the first thing
they will look at.
Why do you think
Africans like to wear
bright colors?
To me as a designer,
I think that is what
Africans believe in and
they are advertising the
kind of people they are,
the kind of continent
they have, because
you cannot be proud
or be smiling when
you are in a dark color.
But definitely, if you wear
something brighter
and beautiful,
you will come out so that
somebody will see you
and then he or she will
also like to do
the same as that.
But if you believe in yourself,
you are very gentle
and very respectable
and you want people
to come closer to you,
you will wear something
brighter, that will show
the kind of person
you are and the kind of
continent you belong to
and the kind of tradition
you have.
Can you please tell us
about Ghanaian clothes
and how it has evolved
over time?
Definitely Ghanaian
designs have developed
for the past years.
It has developed
to the extent that now it
doesn’t matter wherever
you go across the world,
you will get
Ghanaian designs.
People across the world,
not only Africa,
even Europe, Asia,
America, people like it.
Mr. Al-Hassan
also discusses how
the African people’s love
of vibrant colors
demonstrates their true
open-hearted nature.
If you come to Africa,
you will see many colors,
the color that bring
the kind of habit
we have in Africa here.
The colors that
when you see,
you will see the sun.
The color that will
attract you to approach
the kind of person
you are talking to
or the kind of person
who is passing by.
That shows the habit of
a true African, who
like to collaborate
with any kind of person
around the world.
We sincerely thank you,
Mr. Al-Hassan, for your
wonderful introduction
to fabulous African
costumes and designs.
May the colorful
and uplifting traditions
of African garments
be treasured and
bring joy to the lives of
many around the world.
For more information
on Mr. Al-Hassan’s
designs, please contact:
Majeed Creations
Corner of Troy
and Jeppe Street,
Johannesburg
Shop nr 217, 2nd floor
Pan African House
South Africa
Telephone:
+27 73 010 9919 Email:
Delightful viewers,
thank you
joining us today on
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
Up next is
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
after Noteworthy News.
May peace, beauty,
and nobility shine
on every moment
of your life.
Delightful viewers,
thank you
joining us today on
A Journey through
Aesthetic Realms
on Supreme Master
Television.
Up next is
Vegetarianism:
The Noble Way of Living,
after Noteworthy News.
May peace, beauty,
and nobility shine
on every moment
of your life.
“I wish we'd known each other before”
I’d like to introduce
two famous books written by
Supreme Master Ching Hai,
“The Birds in My Life”
and “The Dogs in My Life.”
These two publications
are the best sellers in 400 bookstores
in Formosa and on Amazon.com.
I’d like to recommend these books to you.