Journal of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development

Challenges Hampering the Growth of Dress Fashion Design in the Ghana Fashion Industry
Osuanyi Quaicoo Essel, PhD

Abstract
Ghana‘s fashion culture is predominately bespoke. People approach their designers for custom-made dresses and other fashion accessories. This fashion system has its own merits and demerits. This study has the primary objective of ascertaining the major challenges hampering the growth of dress fashion design in the Ghana fashion industry in the perspective of both beneficiary and non-beneficiary fashion designers of the direct social intervention trade policies aimed at promoting fashion development. Narrative inquiry constituted the research design. Twelve (12) fashion designer-respondents, consisting of seven (7) beneficiaries of AGOA and five (5) non-beneficiaries constituted the study sample. Semi-structured interviews enabled the respondents to share their lived experiences in their fashion design careers. It is evident from the study that major challenges hampering the growth of dress fashion design industry in Ghana include influx of smuggled cheap imported dress fashion products from the Asiatic countries, Europe and America; and retailing of dress fashion products by foreigners. Government must, ensure rigorous enforcement of the laws on smuggled goods to protect Ghanaian dress fashion businesses, while the law that proscribes foreigners in engaging in petty trading be observed strictly.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/jsbed.v7n2a1