Beatrice “Bee” Arthur, the Ghanaian self-taught designer and eco-feminist, has carved an unconventional path, transforming fabric into a canvas for social critique and environmental advocacy.
Known for her brand B’EXOTIQ, Arthur’s journey from aspiring UN diplomat to international fashion trailblazer underscores her belief in “artivism”—using creativity to confront gender inequality, colonial legacies, and ecological crises.
Arthur first gained global attention in 2001 after clinching the KORA All Africa Fashion Award, a win that propelled her label onto runways from Dakar to Paris. Her designs, however, transcend aesthetics. The 2009 B’EXOTIQ collection, later featured in a Routledge-published academic text, included a vibrant yellow dress photographed at Elmina Castle—a deliberate juxtaposition of beauty and the brutal history of transatlantic slavery. “Fashion isn’t just about wearability; it’s a language to interrogate power,” Arthur said in a recent interview.
Her work consistently bridges art and activism. The HANDS OFF, EYES ONLY collection tackled sexual harassment, while WALLS OF ELMINA (2012), created with photographer Dean Zulich and model Felivian Ayariga, honored enslaved women abused in Ghana’s colonial forts. In 2015, her DUMSOR line—crafted entirely from recycled materials—highlighted energy poverty and consumer waste, critiquing “throwaway culture” exacerbated by global fast fashion.
Arthur’s influence extends beyond design. She advises the International Trade Centre’s Ethical Fashion Initiative, champions Ghanaian textiles as Fashion Domain Leader at the Ghana Culture Forum, and co-leads the Global Fashioning Assembly to combat waste colonialism—the dumping of foreign textiles that undermine local industries. “Africa isn’t a landfill,” she asserted at a 2023 Ashesi University lecture. “Our creativity must drive sustainable economies, not recycle exploitation.”
A polyglot and former press attachée for sculptor Prof. El Anatsui, Arthur also uses her platform to condemn skin bleaching and uplift traditional craftsmanship. On International Women’s Day, she urged young Ghanaian women to “boldly take up space” and embrace their heritage: “We descend from queens and innovators. Our voices can reshape narratives—on runways, in boardrooms, everywhere.”
Analysts note her unique positioning in Africa’s creative economy, where few designers blend academia, activism, and high fashion so seamlessly. “Bee rejects the ‘poor African designer’ trope,” said Cultural critic. “She demands the Global South be seen as a leader, not a charity case.”
As Arthur prepares new installations on decoloniality, her legacy crystallizes: proving fashion can be both a mirror and a hammer—reflecting society’s flaws while forging change.
