Home News Business Abbeyleix designer the winner of €4,000 Fuelling Ambition competition

Abbeyleix designer the winner of €4,000 Fuelling Ambition competition

One of Alison McEvoy's designs, as modelled by her daughter Annie

Young Laois fashion designer Alison McEvoy won a prize package worth €4,000 at the Fuelling Ambition Roadshow held in the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel on Tuesday night

Nineteen female entrepreneurs applied to take part in an Elevator Pitch competition and five were shortlisted from this group to make an elevator pitch at the roadshow.

Alison, who is the owner of the AAMcEvoy fashion brand, overcame huge competition to be named as the overall winner. Her prize fund, worth €4,000, includes attendance at Enterprise Ireland’s Excel at Export Selling training programme, annual membership of Network Ireland, a leadership training programme with the Entrepreneurs Academy and 10 mentoring sessions with Enterprise Ireland’s mentors.

AAMcEvoy is an Irish made brand of contemporary, organic, baby clothing. All products are made using organic cotton which reduces baby’s exposure to pesticides.

Over 80 local business women attended the event on Monday night in Portlaoise. Former government minister Mary O’Rourke was the guest speaker and there was also contributions from Laois businesswomen Helen Gee from G’s Jams and Maryrose Simpson from MyLadybug.

Last night’s win is the latest success for AAMcEvoy since the brand was established. CWB Magazine has recently described AAMcEvoy as a “brand to watch” – a huge endorsement of this exciting Laois startup business  while she was also among the winners in the Laois category of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur award.

SEE ALSO – Abbeyleix designer tipped as one to watch in the UK