Today we’d like to introduce you to Belinda Ampofo.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Ghana, Africa. Came to America at the age of four. My family lived in Tribeca, New York, for the first few years of my life. Being a young child, I still witnessed the culture and fashion in New York. It’s something I’ve always admired and wanted to be a part of. The crime rates were high in our neighborhood so our family packed up and moved to West Orange, New Jersey for a few years. We finally moved to Minnesota, where I lived out the rest of my childhood years. Minnesota is cold and I’ve always felt like the culture there wasn’t where I belonged. I always dreamed of moving back to New York or Los Angeles to become a working actress. After graduating with my bachelors, I moved to California within four months to attend graduate school. I graduated with my masters in business and I really wanted to put my degree to use.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Struggles we’ve faced is getting our brand to be recognized by the masses. Letting people know that we exist. Another struggle was finding the right manufacturer that would provide us with the right material and product. It took a few hiccups but we found an amazing manufacturer.
Please tell us about Daughters of Melanin.
Daughters of melanin was started because I wanted to incorporate my Ghanaian culture with fitness clothes while I worked on my health. There are two designers, myself and my friend and Metha Watson. We are determined to break into the fashion industry with our beautiful African inspired, captivating and luxurious custom print designs. We were inspired to start a fitness line when we became serious about our health. After searching through multitudes of fashionable fitness apparel options, we realized that there is a tremendous lacking in uniqueness and culturally inclusive designs that combined function, beauty, and elegance that spoke for we they truly are; beautiful women of Melanin. Combining our individual knowledge of fashion, talents, and business education, we decided to create our own brand that celebrates our cultures, the legacies of our families, and a perspective vision unique to the market.
The primary line is comprised of pieces that celebrate the curves of women of all shapes and sizes with the right balance of edge, form, and function. Enhanced by sexy symmetry, vibrant colors, and flattering shapes across all body types, the line triggers a sense of identity and confidence, achieving the key element making women look and feel unstoppable while maintaining the focus on improving one’s health. It’s been a hard, long, stressful journey. But one thing I keep reminding myself is that nothing is built overnight. It takes hard work, consistency, and dedication. We may not be as big as gym shark or all these other fitness brands out there yet, because not a lot of people know that our brand exists. But we plan to change that and one day be a huge part of the fitness world.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I would have told myself to take several long, deep breaths. I was having mild anxiety attacks some nights when things weren’t going the way it needed to. Not to compare my brand to anyone else brand.
Pricing:
- Each set is $69.99 but we are having a sale for the spring each set is now $49.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.daughtersofmelanin.com
- Email: daughtersofmelanin@gmail.com
- Instagram: @daughtersofmelanin
Image Credit:
First photo of just myself – kizi photography, all the rest of the photos for my fitness line – tberrypictures
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
