Designers Ozwald Boateng & Nana Boateng: Coincidence, not Cousins

Inset; established menswear designer, Ozwald Boateng.
Above; upcoming menswear designer, Nana Boateng.

I just got word from Tim Quale, the PR representative for Savile Row, London-based menswear designer Ozwald Boateng and his company, Bespoke Couture, Ltd., that contrary to popular belief there is no familial connection between Mr. Boateng and upcoming Ghanian designer Nana Boateng.

Mr. Quale has stated in an email to Au Courant that, "The two designers are not related and have never actually met each other. I am not sure how the information originated, but I can confirm there is no relation between the two designers."

If you recall, I posted a feature on both designers sometime ago, including the info that the two were cousins; I corroborated that tidbit with various reputable online/personal sources before publishing. Just do a random search on the web for 'Ozwald & Nana Boateng' and you'll get numerous sites - some dodgy, others more professional - that list the two menswear designers as 'first-cousins.' A tad strange, no?

So I felt duly compelled to give an update on this.

Furthermore, the question of the origin of the 'relation tale' popped into mind. Maybe some folks just assumed the two designers were related because of their common surnames. Maybe it was just a long-standing PR snafu that was never straightened out until now; you know what they say about untruths. After sometime, it becomes more and more believable.

Or maybe, one designer played up the common surname or went along with the misinformation, in order to benefit from a career boost through association with the other designer. Maybe. Maybe not. In any regard, it's nice to have that matter cleared up. So there you go!

PS. Many thanks to Tim Quale on behalf of Ozwald Boateng/Bespoke Couture Ltd. for contacting me and straightening this out!

LMN Harris


NB Images courtesy The Satorialist and Bond Mag