ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGES IN COSTUMES PRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL STRATEGIES IN A RECESSED ECONOMY: A STUDY OF DORCAS OKON’S “FANTASY CONNEXIONS”

The focus of this study was entrepreneurial challenges in costume production and survival strategies in a recessed economy. Dorcas Okon’s “Fantasy Connexions”, a fashion shop run by a graduate of Theatre Arts was used as a case study. The theoretical framework of the study was Peter Drucker’s Market Orientation Theory and mixed methodology of qualitative approach and interview were used to gather its information. Findings show that a recessed economy is a period people only focus on how to survive in which savings and investment are hard. Even as situation goes hard, the need to appear attractive does not diminish, making dressmaking and body accessories a viable adventure and the costume designer relevant indispensable at all time. The challenges of initiative, finance, innovation and investment can bring down the progress of a costume designer, while creativity, investment, innovativeness and currency to design trends and customer demands can elevate costume business to a relevant practice in a recessed economy. The study concludes that the Performing Arts costume designer who dedicates her mind towards entrepreneurship does not have much limitation except her failure to adhere to principles. It recommends that the would-be costume designers should engage in design practices out of box of the academic terrain to buttress their knowledge of the society’s needs and circumstances that bring about change in taste and demand which may affect their career.