Essence

A Girlfriend’s Guide to 12 Hours in Accra

When Essence published “A Girlfriend’s Guide to 12 Hours in Accra” in 2017, it did more than create a travel itinerary — it reframed how African cities could be experienced.

In the guide, Elle Lokko wasn’t just a shopping stop; it was the pulse point of a day in Accra. A place where girlfriends gathered, tried on bold cuffs, laughed over boomerangs, and discovered the city through the lens of women-owned creativity.

This was revolutionary. At a time when travel media often reduced African destinations to safari, poverty, or “heritage tours,” Essence insisted on showing Accra as modern, stylish, and unapologetically female-led. Elle Lokko became the shorthand for that narrative shift — a boutique as cultural landmark, proving that contemporary African style deserved a seat in the global lifestyle conversation.

The article captured Elle Lokko’s evolution from a local concept store to a diasporic connector: a place where returning Ghanaians, international travelers, and Accra’s own creative class could meet, shop, and belong.

Looking back, Essence’s joyful portrayal of Elle Lokko wasn’t just travel writing — it was a statement of cultural positioning, placing Accra and Elle Lokko firmly within the global Black imagination.