Well-known fabric manufacturing outfit, Vlisco, is once again giving young fashion designers an opportunity to take off with their dreams through the Vlisco Fashion Dream Fund contest.

The competition was initiated last year as part of the Vlisco Women’s Month campaign. It required young fashion designers in six countries to write proposals on how they intended to build their brands in the coming years.

Entrants were also to convince the orgainsers on why they should be financially assisted to realise their dreams.

Vlisco has offered the chance again this year and it is inviting fashion talents from Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Congo DR and Ivory Coast to pitch their fashion business plans online and get a chance to win some prizes.

At the launch of the 2014 Vlisco Women’s Month campaign recently at the Accra Mall, Rudolf van Gompel, the Executive Retail Director of the Vlisco Group, said the top three winners of the pitch will get $2,500 funding plus the chance to attend fashion training programmes in the Netherlands.

At the local level, the top three pitchers in Ghana will each get a sewing machine plus Gh¢300. “Young fashion designers who are nationals or residents in the six countries mentioned earlier qualify for the pitch,” the Vlisco official said.

He said the pitch is opened till Sunday, March 23 and that a jury of eminent persons will choose the winners who will be announced at a ceremony in Accra on April 5.

Ghana did well in the 2013 contest. From the over 100 proposals received, designers Kyerewa Atta–Krah of April Rust and Sheila Garbrah of She by Bena Creations, emerged overall winner and second runner-up, respectively.

More information about the Vlisco contest is available at www.dream.vlisco.com