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Kofi "KOD" Okyere Darko (born 13 January 1978) is a
Ghanaian The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Gold Coast (region), Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of ...
broadcaster and
fashion designer Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applied arts, applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has va ...
. He is currently the
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
of the clothing line Nineteen 57, and the founder of the annual fashion and music event Rhythms on Da Runway.


Early life and education

KOD, formerly known as Richard Aidoo, was born on 13 January 1978, in
Winneba Winneba is a town and the capital of Effutu Municipal District in Central Region of South Ghana. Winneba has a population of . Winneba, traditionally known as ''Simpa'', is a historic fishing port in south Ghana, lying on the south coast, ...
, a town in the Central Region of
Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
. His father, James Aidoo, was a retired deputy director of the Ghana Prisons, and his mother, Margaret Aidoo, was one of the founding members of the 31 December Women's Movement. KOD had his
elementary education Primary education is the first stage of formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle schools, de ...
in Winneba and later attended Nifa Secondary School in Adukrom. He then studied at the
Ghana Institute of Journalism The University of Media, Arts and Communication- Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ), formerly the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), is a public university in Ghana. The University is a merger of the erstwhile Ghana Institute of Journalism, the ...
.


Career

Darko's career began as a production assistant for a
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was established by law in 1968 with a triple mandate as a State Broadcaster, Public Service Broadcaster, and a Commercial Broadcaster in Ghana. Headquartered in the capital city, Accra, GBC is funded by g ...
television show. He later joined Radio Gold, then moved to England for work. He has held positions at fashion designers such as Ted Baker and
Paul Smith Paul Smith is the name of: Music * Paul Smith (composer) (1906–1985), American film music composer * Paul Smith (pianist) (1922–2013), Los Angeles jazz pianist * Paul Smith (English singer) (born 1979), vocalist and songwriter of British in ...
, before returning to Ghana to continue working for radios. He has been a
presenter Presenter may refer to: People * News presenter, person who presents news during a news program * Sports commentator, an announcer who presents analysis of a sporting event * Radio personality, presenter or announcer on a radio show * Television ...
, events manager, and
marketing manager Marketing management is the strategic organizational discipline that focuses on the practical application of marketing orientation, techniques and methods inside enterprises and organizations and on the management of marketing resources and a ...
for the EIB Network's LIVE FM, and is currently the host of Starr Drive on Starr FM in
Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...
.


Political appointment

In February 2025, he was appointed the Presidential Advisor on Diaspora Affairs by Ghana's president
John Mahama John Dramani Mahama (; born 29 November 1958) is a Ghanaian politician who has been the 14th president of Ghana since January 2025. A member of the National Democratic Congress (Ghana), National Democratic Congress (NDC), he served as the 12th p ...
.


Personal life

Darko is married to fashion designer Ophelia Crossland. Together they have two daughters.


Honors and awards

* Winner of the 2015 Most Stylish Radio Personality of the Year at Glitz Style Awards * Nominated as the 2016 Male Fashion Celebrity Icon of the Year at the 2016 Ghana Fashion Awards * Winner of the 2017 Man of The Year Style Award (Most Fashionable Man of the Year) at the Exclusive Men of the Year Awards.


See also

*
List of fashion designers This is a list of notable fashion designers sorted by nationality. It includes designers of ''haute couture'' and ready-to-wear. For ''haute couture'' only, see the list of grands couturiers. For footwear designers, see the list of footwear d ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darko, Kofi Okyere Living people 1978 births Ghana Institute of Journalism alumni Ghanaian activists Ghanaian fashion designers Ghanaian journalists Ghanaian male artists Ghanaian radio presenters Ghanaian television presenters People from Central Region (Ghana)