Being a female sneakerhead in Accra: meet Lily Pokuah
Over the past two years I have seen a massive growth in sneaker consumption in Accra. Where first I only mingled over sneakers with fellow snobs at cozy sneaker talks (Allen – it’s time to organize another one!) I now see young kids from all walks of life on sneakers in different settings. Most of the sneakers are knock offs - because where in Accra can you buy an affordable, new, real Nike? Sneakers -both fake and real- are being celebrated and worn with style and sass. Because the sneaker community in Accra is pretty male-dominated I made it a personal goal to meet fellow female sneaker lovers. I looked around and I asked male (sneaker) friends if they knew any female sneakerfreaker. Both Kay B and Travis (shoutout to you guys!) mentioned Lily. A female-sneakerhead from Ghana that lives in the States. I checked out her Instagram and fell in love with her style and her collection. Enough reason to trace her down and chat about sneakers over a glass of wine in Accra.
Lily Pokuah
She sounds like a proper New Yorker but don’t get it twisted; Lily Pokuah is born in New Jersey but spend her childhood in between both Ghana and the States. She’s now based in New York but is in Accra a lot as well. Lily runs her own vintage store thriftedbylp and is a big fan of sneakers and (secondhand) streetwear. She loves to get her secondhand items and props for styling in the States, because styling in Ghana isn’t easy “because finding the props and items is difficult”. Access to items is difficult, which also counts for sneakers.
How she fell in love with sneakers
“sneakers are comfortable, and they make me feel like myself”. Lily started wearing sneakers because of – don’t even ask – a guy she was dating. Like many of us, she wanted them as a couple to look cute together so she decided to dress more like him “I started wearing big t-shirts and large trousers too. And - I loved my style! I fell like my true self in them”. With that new style came the sneakers. The first shoe she bought from her self-made money were black Timberlands and black Converse “with a high top”. Her colleagues at the retail store Forever 21 noticed her style and gave her good feedback. They were asking where she got her items from. “I bought everything in thrift stores and they told me they couldn’t find any dope items in those shops.” Lily told people around her that loved her style that she could help them in finding dope secondhand items; her managers encouraged her to do more with it. Soon a business was born.
It wasn’t an easy road
When Lily started to wear more streetwear and sneakers the replies weren’t always nice. “People think I’m a lesbian because of the way I dress”. Even her own brothers asked if she’s into girls because of the change in dress. “it’s really interesting, I experience it here in Ghana but also in America. I don’t know why people think that your dressing shows who you are. I just like to dress like this!” Though she likes to be comfortable, Lily challenges herself this time around to dress more feminine too and experiment with the other side of herself. “But my main goal is to be comfortable. But the experiment is nice, I get to know a different side of me”.
That’s exactly what she wants to do for other girls in Ghana: find their true self style wise. “There aren’t a lot of girls in Ghana that dress like me. Before, in 2018, when I came here when I wore a baggy pants and a bandana top. I hadn’t seen any girl in Ghana with it. My friend told me that I probably didn’t want to wear that because women outside would judge me. I didn’t care”. In clubs Lily was the only girl now wearing heels but entering with a sneaker and baggy pants. “I was me. I don’t care, I don’t try to be uncomfortable. I feel like now, people expect me to have that style”. Sneakers are part of her comfortable style.
Thrifted by LP
Thrifted by LP is now an online store where Lily sells secondhand items she thrifts in the US. “Whenever I come to Ghana I bring selected items for clients here”. The ultimate goal is cover style from head to toe. Lily wants to open a grooming-shop where girls can come in to buy her clothes ánd do their nails and hair. “Those concepts don’t exist here in Accra and I’m sure it will help a lot of girls in finding their true self style wise.”
Pictures by: Laboomz.
