We had the good fortune of connecting with Eddie Oppong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eddie, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
An important lesson my business/career has taught me is that there’s truly no time that success must happen. Its timing is different for us all, and comes in its own ways. We mustn’t look left and right when on our journey of excelling in our crafts and passion. But stay focused on the road ahead, allowing its lessons, moments, and guidance to lead us.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I am a creative of many sorts, in detail I am a designer, creative director, and poet. As a designer I’ve aligned my gift of story telling, and embedding it into every collection I design. The journey getting here was not the easiest, but it took patience, and determination. I’ve designed nearly 8 sneaker projects in the span of 3 years. Overcoming challenges was not the easiest, during my first two projects I dealt with anxiety and it was by far the hardest time of my life to date. Creating in that moment was hard but also it was an escape for me to remind myself that I am okay, and that anxiety can not overcome me.
Lessons I’ve learned along the way on this creative journey is to be open to help, do not shut out ideas from those close to you, and even when there’s a delay, it’s for the better. Making the project even more sharp.
One thing I’d like the world to know about my story is that though I’ve been a dialysis patient for nearly a decade, I’ve made it my mission to not let it stop me. I’ve made it my goal to be an inspiration for someone lacking motivation, knowing that life has its moments that break us down . But even when we feel defeated and beat, we still have the strength to keep going and keep fighting. Also wanting to inspire those dealing with health issues,  being a sense of example, that nothing can stop you from what you put your mind to.
I am not a dialysis patient that designs. I am a designer who is on dialysis.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If a best friend of mine was visiting, I would first and foremost make sure we enjoyed a nice breakfast at YOLK, my favorite spot. A few must see places in Chicago would be Cherry Mountains Art Gallery located in Wicker, MCA located downtown, and of course The Promontory in Hyde Park for some drinks and great music. A few of my favorite spots for lunch/dinner would have to be Au Chavel, Soule, Phlavz, and of course Ghanaian Cuisine Mukase.

In my personal view, I think museums, art galleries, and streetwear stores are the most interesting and exciting places to visit. These are places you can not spot some of the city’s most fashionable people but creative individuals who share a common interest. Allowing you to spark conversations and make new friends. These are locations where you can easily share similar interests with strangers and bond over an art piece, or a piece of clothing. Effortlessly.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
For my shoutout, I give credit to some very influential people in my life. Starting off with my cousins Robert Nuamah, Matthew Brooks & Desmond Owusu, they have been instrumental in supporting and motivating me through my every endeavor. Their brutal honesty comes as a great addition to completing projects and surpassing my expectations. In addition, a great big shoutout goes out to my family from Fat Tiger Workshop (Rello, Vic, Joe, & AZ) and their continued support and input, being also creatives with exceptional experience, perspective, and vision. These people have helped shape my creativity as a designer and added to the growth and knowledge I stand here with today, so thank you. Love these people dearly!

Website: www.EddieOppong.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/eddie_oppong

Twitter: twitter.com/kopongspeaks

Other: Brand Site – www.yewokrom.com Poetry Site – www.KPSPKS.com

Image Credits
All images shot by Jeremy Osei

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