Kelvin “AJ” Darko, the brain that birthed Vanush, has always been obsessed with footwear but his ‘unusual’ feet and ‘high’ demands made it a struggle to get a comfortable shoe. One day, after combing through heaps of shoes and finding none that fits for AJ, a shoe retailer told him that if he wants a perfect shoe, he should make one himself. It was unclear if that statement was made out of jest or frustration but one thing was clear: Kelvin took it to heart and determined that one day, he would make his shoes.

However, the idea began to take shape with the creative impulses he received from studying visual arts in senior high school. There, he committed fervently to this idea and began to work out plans to see it manifest. Kelvin read extensively about the history of bespoke shoemaking and immersed himself in the stories of such exploits across the world from John Lobb to Jimmy Choo; drawing inspiration and building steady momentum for the task he had set for himself.

Beyond these, Kelvin applied for an apprenticeship with one of the pacesetters in the bespoke shoemaking industry in Ghana and Africa. There he submitted himself to learning the tricks of the trade. After this period of understudying, he left for school to pursue a degree in Human Resource Management at the Central University of Ghana.