Gbekembe [pronounced bek-em-bee] is adapted from the word Gbekebii [pronounced bek-eh-bee] which means “children” in the Ga language. Ga is spoken in southeastern Ghana, in and around the capital Accra, where Gbekembe dresses are made. Our dresses are hand sewn by experienced seamstresses – entrepreneurial women – that we partner with to produce each line. They take our designs and add their own signature touches making each Gbekembe dress a one of a kind unique piece of clothing that your girl will be able to enjoy for years to come. We use 100% cotton, traditional fabrics (Javanese “Dutch” wax, batiks etc.) that are made in Ghana and we adhere to high quality standards, making every effort to counter the emerging culture of “disposable” clothing. Our mission is to design and craft dresses that grow with your girl and offer versatile options for all-season wear in each collection so that no matter what your family’s lifestyle demands, this dress is a fit.

After years of traveling back and forth between the US and Ghana trying to figure out a way to, in the words of my Uncle Laryeafio, “come and do something,” Gbekembe was born in fall 2011. It is the product of my nostalgia for the pretty flowing dresses that my mother made for my older sister and me as little girls; my vision of translating memories of the everyday fancy that Ghanaian women in their traditional “kaba and slit” dress exude as they move through the market into easy and accessible designs for girls; and my passion for creating jobs and improving the lives of Ghanaian families.

This season our dresses come from workshops in Dansoman, Osu and Victoria Borg in Accra. We hope you enjoy and come again!

Gbekembe founder,
Florence Amerley Adu