Fashion has always been part of the fabric of digital creator Dorcas Quarshie’s life. From sewing her own wardrobe as a small girl in her native country to developing her own lifestyle brand, the Togo, West Africa native’s passion for fashion and style was always destined to be a significant part of her journey.
It was her journey to the United States in 2004 that began to give way to the possibility of Dorcas being able to realize her dream of becoming a fashion stylist. Then, in 2020, a global pandemic occurred and what started as Dorcas posting her daily attire on social media became Style Pashion—a lifestyle brand, which embodies attainable luxury for style, beauty, home decor and more.
“I love sharing all my home decor finds because I love everything with style, from fashion to home decor,” Dorcas told THE BLOCK. “I noticed that people also love my home decor and that I’d be able to find things that are luxurious, but yet still affordable.”
It’s always the little things, like the little tea glass or maybe fresh flowers, that can give you that luxury without spending tons of money. I share everything that I love very much, whether it’s a meal that I made, a little decor find or fashion finds, what’s trending or what I’m loving.
Dorcas Quarshie
One click on Style Pashion’s website transports you into Dorcas’ world that offers everything from fashion, beauty and home decor inspiration to mom life, lifestyle and shopping tips. Her Instagram serves as an extension of the website, offering curated posts that hone in on similar topics with an additional visual appeal.
While the brand shares Dorcas’ interest about an array of topics, at its core, it’s about empowering and inspiring women to live an attainable luxurious lifestyle that’s predicated on the notion that luxury is what you make it, she told us. Whether you have a little or a lot, living a life of luxury can be as simple—or grand—as each person would like for it to be.
For her, the start of the creative process is simple—it all begins with one item. A bag, a shoe or one piece that stands out becomes the foundation and focal point for the overall look. Everything from accessories to each piece of clothing is complementary to the one item. Also, think trendy and timeless because being able to wear an item more than once is key.
“Let’s say it’s a colorful shoe, then I want that to be the attention-grabber,” she explained. “So, everything else around the shoe will be a little bit more muted, yet stylish and complement each other.”
As for home decor, it’s all about neutrals, which is something she didn’t have to compromise even with being a mom to small children. It’s about the peace and joy that each item brings when it comes to home decor.
An important aspect that remains at the forefront of the brand is authenticity. Online, each post is intentionally curated with an aim to inspire followers with her creativity and empower them to create their own version from whatever they glean, but Dorcas is also adamant about transparency. Through Instagram stories, her followers get an inside look into her daily life as a businesswoman, wife and mom of two, which means there are times when things are not so put together.
What I’m showing is something to inspire you or how to style something, it doesn’t mean I live that life 24/7. Sharing that makes [people] kind of relate to me a little bit. You can still share where you’re from without pretending to be something you’re not. That’s very important to me.
Dorcas Quarshie
At first glance, you might get the impression that Dorcas’ lifestyle is all glitz and glam. There have been obstacles along the way, however. Fully committing to launching a business and going at it full time near the start of a global pandemic brings its own sets of challenges, she explained. While doing so, she was faced with yet another reality—learning how to support a young child who is navigating a learning difference.
It was learning how to juggle multiple responsibilities while keeping family as a top priority.
“When you start, the beginning is the hardest part because you have to do everything you can, it’s a one man show,” she said. “I’m the photographer, I’m the creator, I’m the editor. I do everything myself because I don’t have the funds to be able to hire someone. And at the same time, I have a daughter who needs me.”
Creating brand awareness also presented a challenge. Like most new, small business owners, Dorcas invested a significant portion of her savings into developing Style Pashion’s website, maintaining it, photo shoots and posting on social media. The financial sacrifice didn’t immediately pay off.
“At the time, nobody knew me, right? So, no one really wants to pay me what I’m really worth in order for me to sustain that lifestyle,” she said. “You have to be patient. It’s just also believing in myself and believing that what I’m doing will actually become something.”
Dorcas’ drive stems from witnessing her mom’s sacrifice and hard work in Togo.
“I want to make her proud and I want to show her all the sacrifices she made for me, it’s still worth it.”
When you come to America, you can be anything that you want to be. You worked hard in Togo where there was pretty much nothing. Now, I’m in a country where I really can be anything that I want to be. I’m like I can’t stop.
Dorcas Quarshie
To connect with Dorcas, follow her on Instagram and visit her website.
