The BoFG: Meet Sammy

Working under his label Otteng, Sammy Antwi Oteng, is an Accra-based designer and researcher. Speaking on the secondhand clothing trade Sammy, says it is both his “ultimate competition” and “an avenue for raw material.” Making space for both to be true is so important. Kantamanto is neither “good” nor “bad.” Such binary thinking oversimplifies the convo and presents life as a series of transactions. But life is not simply transactional and we have seen what happens when the binary rules that govern our economy become the only way we relate to self, others and nature. It’s not looking good. When you are young you learn how stories are constructed. There isn’t good/bad or a problem and a solution. Conflict - yes. Resolution - maybe. Many different characters with diverse intentions, needs, wants and realities that are often in tension - yes. This is why we often say that “nuance humanizes.” Viewing secondhand solely as competition isn’t the full truth and fails to honor the incredible work being done by Sammy and so many emerging designers in Accra to use waste as a resource. Sammy has been upcycling clothing from Kantamanto for almost a decade. He is a Gucci Design Fellowship finalist and has been featured in publications such as i-D, British Vogue, Africa By Design and Emily Stochl ‘s Pre-Loved Podcast, to name a few. We met Sammy through a fellow researcher/designer/educator and friend Berendje Willemina and we are excited to be working with him on continued research. T