Why Ghana keeps failing Fashion: The cost of funding mediocrity

Let me say this plainly: the way creative funding is being handled in this country is really appalling.

For the past two years, I have closely followed the landscape of creative funding in Ghana the announcements, the winners, the PR, and the realities on the ground. And I must say, only a handful of companies actually get it. The rest? A circus. And nowhere is this clearer than in fashion.

Fashion remains the neglected child of Ghana’s creative economy. When it comes to funding, fashion is treated as a side dish, an afterthought, or worse completely invisible. Yet fashion is one of the most visible forms of creativity we interact with daily. And here’s the irony: as long as you are not naked walking about, you are engaging with fashion. So why is it still dismissed as undeserving of serious funding?

Let’s get to the core of the problem. Too many companies and institutions in Ghana approach creative funding as charity. They throw money at projects not because they believe in the economic potential, but because it makes them feel good or look good.

Some fund because it gives them a PR boost. Others fund because it makes them seem aligned with the “creative youth.” And many, frankly, fund without any clear understanding of what they’re supporting. It’s all vibes, photo opportunities, and hashtags little substance, little strategy.

But creativity fashion especially is not charity. It is industry. It is economy. It is culture. If the people holding the purse strings do not shift their mindset, Ghana will keep undermining its own creative economy.

I have lived through this bias. I once applied for funding for the Style Lounge Platform, a project that has supported young and emerging designers in Ghana for eight years, without a single grant or institutional sponsorship.

I presented the facts, the track record, the clear benefits of supporting a platform that nurtures the next generation of fashion entrepreneurs. And do you know what I was told?

“You look like you have everything going on very well, so you don’t need the funding.”

Imagine that. Instead of assessing impact or future potential, the decision was based on optics. Meanwhile, the company in question could have benefitted financially and strategically from being aligned with the project. But no because fashion is still seen as a side hustle, not a serious industry.

Here’s another issue: the panels and juries deciding on funding allocations. Too often, they are made up of people who have little to no understanding of the fashion industry. Yet they sit there, judging applications, handing out funds, and dismissing fashion as irrelevant.

“As long as you are not naked walking about, the fashion industry is as important as any creative industry, and it must be treated as such.”

It’s almost laughable. You are not naked while sitting on that creative panel. You are wearing clothes designed, produced, and marketed within a fashion value chain. And yet, somehow, you still fail to see fashion as important enough for funding? That contradiction alone says everything about how fashion is treated in Ghana.

Fashion employs tailors, stylists, photographers, models, artisans, marketers, retailers, and more. It creates opportunities across design, manufacturing, retail, and exports. It builds cultural diplomacy and soft power. Ghanaian music and film have gained international recognition partly because of how artists present themselves and guess what? That’s fashion.

So when fashion is neglected in funding, it’s not just designers who lose. The entire economy loses. Jobs, trade opportunities, tourism potential all of it is stunted.

Instead of investing in projects with long-term value, many companies choose to fund what feels trendy, emotional, or easy. Funding becomes about emotional traction, not measurable impact.

It is easier to sponsor the loudest influencer than to support the quiet but powerful ecosystem that could generate real returns. It is easier to fund entertainment events that bring quick applause than to build platforms that can create jobs for decades.

And this addiction to mediocrity is why so many creative funding efforts in Ghana have shallow impact. They look good on social media, they trend for a week, and then they fade away leaving nothing sustainable behind.

If Ghana truly wants to grow its creative economy, then companies and institutions must stop treating fashion like a PR prop. The solution is not complicated.

Treat fashion as industry. It is part of trade, part of cultural diplomacy, part of job creation. Stop sidelining it. Hire or consult experts. If you don’t understand fashion, bring in people who do. Design funding schemes with people who can guide you toward actual ROI. Think long-term, not trendy. Funding is not about what makes your company look cool for a week. It is about what builds industries and leaves a legacy. Value impact over optics. The goal is not to be seen funding creatives. The goal is to see results: businesses that grow, jobs that are created, industries that thrive.

Companies that want to align with the creative economy must be bold enough to fund strategically. That means measurable ROI whether financial, cultural, or social. Don’t fund for clout. Don’t fund for headlines. Fund because you see value.

Mediocrity is not cool. And it always comes with a cost and If Ghana is serious about the creative economy, fashion can no longer be treated as an afterthought.