he Aboah sisters – Adwoa, 28, and Kesewa, 26- are two of the biggest names in the modelling
world right now. Between them, they’ve worked
for every big label, from Alexander McQueen to
Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs to Calvin Klein. In 2017,
Adwoa was named model of the year at the Fashion
Awards. Most recently, they both walked the Fendi
couture catwalk in January, without an audience due
to the pandemic, and this month they appear in the
campaign for the latest designer collaboration from
high street giant H&M, this time with Irish fashion designer
Simone Rocha, daughter of designer John Rocha.
The Aboah sisters have both worked with Simone Rocha
before, appearing in her catwalk shows. This latest project sees
the sisters modelling Rocha’s instantly recognisable dresses,
sheer blush pink frills layered over starched white shirting or
spliced with tartan, with pearl clusters dangling from earlobes
and hair. After a year of working from home in leisurewear,
this might be the tonic our wardrobes need (the collection
launches on March 11, with prices from £12.99 for socks up
to £199.99 for a sequined dress; hm.com).
Alongside modelling, Adwoa is an activist and Kesewa an
artist – careers they are as dedicated to as much, if not more
so, as modelling. But right now they are, just like the rest of us,
in lockdown. And on opposite sides of London, speaking to me
from their respective sofas. Adwoa is alone in their family
home and Kesewa is living with two flatmates.
“In the first lockdown I didn’t make anything,” says Kesewa.
“I had a real aversion to work. Everyone else I was speaking
to was having such great moments: ‘Oh, I’ve just never made
so much work,’ and I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me? I’m
not.’ I was working a lot before lockdown, so it freaked me
out a little, and it lasted until September, way past the first
lockdown. I think I just needed the break, and now I have been
FASHION’S COOLEST
DOUBLE ACT
Meet the Aboah sisters
T
Adwoa and Kesewa Aboah are two
of the biggest names in fashion, from
couture catwalks to Vogue covers.
Now they’re fronting this season’s
hottest high street collaboration.
By Charlie Gowans-Eglinton
56 The Times MagazineKesewa wears blouse, £49.99, skirt, £59.99, and shoes, £199.99;
Adwoa wears dress, £119.99, and shoes, £199.99 (all hm.com)working pretty much... not nonstop, but in a really fluid way.”
They were in Scotland when the first lockdown was
announced and spent it there together.
“Because I was locked down with my sister I did so much
exercise,” says Kesewa. “She’s a real gym person. I never looked
so good in my entire life – and then we got out of lockdown
and I went back to my normal routine.”
Adwoa has kept it up, dancing at home, “stomping around
London and going on humongous walks, and I got into jump
rope and then I hurt my knee. I have been on crutches. Coping
mechanisms for me are exercise and speaking to friends. I am
trying to get better at reaching out and not just sitting in my
own bubble.”
It’s that which is at the heart of Gurls Talk, which Adwoa
founded. Adwoa has spoken openly about her own experiences
of addiction, dating back to her teenage years at Millfield
boarding school in Somerset, of rehab and sobriety, of her
suicide attempt in 2014. She set up Gurls Talk not long after.
There are a podcast, events and a website, based around mental
BEN TOMS, GETTY IMAGES health and topics including race, body image and addiction.
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