Ghanaian designer Adlah Alelemaato Amankwa Iddisah, designer of Alera, a performance golf wear brand focused on inclusivity and climate-conscious design, seeks to fill a gap in West Africa’s largely import-dominated sports apparel market.
According to Iddisah, Alera was born from her own challenges sourcing appropriate golf wear, particularly as a plus-sized athlete. The line targets underserved consumers who struggle to find comfortable, well-fitting athletic clothing locally. “I’ve always wanted to feel comfortable in the clothes I wear, especially because of my size,” she said. “It’s always been difficult to find apparel that fits well.”
The brand’s name, Alera, combines elements of Iddisah’s name and that of her younger sister, Ramzia Titiaka Amankwa, reflecting its personal origins. But its ambitions extend to a broader market. The brand’s debut collection features men’s shirts and women’s jumpers made with lightweight, breathable materials tailored for the region’s hot and humid conditions.
While Iddisah says her background as a golfer made it easier to identify the right fabrics, design execution presented early hurdles. “I have a very big problem with varying colors,” she said, noting a personal preference for darker tones like navy and black. “Creating a color scheme that wasn’t just to my preference, but spoke to other people at the same time” required a shift in creative mindset.
The introduction of Alera reflects broader shifts in Ghana’s sports and fashion economy, where increasing youth participation and local entrepreneurship are challenging outdated perceptions of golf as an elite pastime. As the sport grows more accessible, demand for locally relevant gear is expected to rise.
“Everyone talks about access to the sport, but what about access to the right gear?” she added.
Alera joins a growing field of Ghanaian fashion startups leveraging personal experiences to build brands with functional appeal. Its entry into performance apparel also underscores an opportunity for import substitution in a market long dominated by global brands.
Iddisah said the goal is not only commercial, but cultural, to ensure that West African athletes and amateurs alike can see themselves represented in the products they wear on and off the course.
According to research by Legend Sports Management (LSM), an average golfer spends about $2,000 a year on apparel. With an estimated 3,000 golfers in the country, Alera is entering into a high potential market.
Madam Eunice Dunyo, Project Manager at Legend Sports Management (LSM), which owns the Alera brand, offered details on the brand’s development and future plans.
She explained that Alera was inspired by growing demand by golfers observed during LSM’s annual golf tournaments.“There was high interest in that,” Dunyo said. “And so, we decided to create a golf clothing line, which is inclusive and as well as indigenous to us.”
She added that Alera is being fully designed and produced in Ghana, in partnership with a local production house capable of printing its own fabric. “Securing the material [is] not so difficult because we are in partnership with the production house, they’re able to print their own material in terms of the fabric to be used, so it makes things a bit easy on us,” she said.
Though still in the early production phase, the team has already begun field testing and accepting custom bulk orders for tournaments. “We’ve done a few of those orders as well,” she noted. “We’re in the second stage of iteration, hoping to fully launch before the end of the year.”
Dunyo manages the fabric development and ensures Alera apparel meets both fashion expectations and golf dress codes. “My job is to ensure that the clothing pieces are fashionable for golfers and at the same time compliant with the game’s dress code. I also oversee the full process from design to production, making sure we are on track with timelines and targets..”
The brand is positioning itself to officially launch before the end of 2025.With Alera set to be locally manufactured, it opens the door to create jobs, contributing significantly to the economy.
