Fashionista Richard Brown, popularly known as Osebo (tiger) is a man on a mission.
Noted for his sense of style trading in trendy menswear, Osebo appears determined to promote a new dress sense and is unperturbed at criticisms and shades being thrown at him for being a non-conformist.
He became known as Zaraman, a name coined after his high street fashion outlet Zarashop Ghana (now 247 Boutique), Osebo is currently making the headlines not for retailing top fashion brands like Zara but for promoting effeminate way of dressing — high-waist skirts teamed with blouses, pleated skirts with shirts or blazers, a shirt over a piece of wax print wrapped around his waist, dresses, among others.
It is this new personality that is causing a stir, as his traditional Scottish kilts outfits seems to be giving way to what appears to be eccentric cross-dressing, attracting as many admirers as well as harsh critics on social media.
However, the trendsetter comes across as a determined and confident person as his nickname suggests and would not lose focus or sleep over criticisms of his newfound style.
“I am not moved by the insults because I know what I am about. I want to tell those insulting me to stop wasting their time because I am a focused person and I know where I am heading to,” he told Graphic Showbiz in a recent interview.
According to Osebo, his critics and mockers either do not have a good appreciation of fashion, or do not have the confidence to wear men’s skirts.
“I am not the first person to wear a kilt. Football star Stephen Appiah has won one before and TV personality, Paul Adom-Otchere, and his bestman wore kilts for his wedding, which I saw nothing wrong with. So why would anyone have a problem with mine?” he asked.
Recounting some of the worst comments he has been subjected to, Osebo said one Kumawood actor rained serious insults on him, calling him names and saying all sorts of untruths about him.
“As for the insults they come in their numbers but that is not going to stop me. My name is Osebo (a tiger) meaning I am strong and not easily broken.
"Only God can stop me and I know He would not because I have a clean heart for wearing such clothes,” he said
Wearing such unusual outfits also comes with a lot of challenges for even the Zaraman, who has over 20 years experience running his high street fashion outlet at North Kaneshie in Accra, as he admitted occasionally getting the attention of gay men.
“Anytime, I post a picture on my Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages, I sometimes get comments from gays telling me I have beautiful legs.
"I easily notice them and block them immediately. How can a guy tell another guy he has nice legs and that he wants to be a close friend? I don’t tolerate such comments", he added.
Explaining how all this started, Osebo said he had always thought of doing something crazy to be noticed because fashion itself is madness.
“I see fashion as combining different clothes and creating something unique out of it.
"It becomes madness when you stand out uniquely with the clothes you put on and that is the mark I have created for myself for some time now,” he revealed.
Osebo said he had been wearing skirts for many years but it was only until recently that he caught public attention after posting pictures of himself social media.
“What most people don’t know is that I have been wearing skirts for many years now but social media just made me popular and I can say that a lot of people admire me for what I wear.”
He mostly imports them and he says they cost between GH¢500 and GH¢1,000 but they are in demand now because people have come for them.
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