Stakeholders discuss business of fashion

Bridgetown, August 15, 2014.- There were no sewing machines or designs at the Hilton yesterday, as a number of local and regional stakeholders put down the tools of their trade to discuss the multibillion-dollar fashion industry and how they can further tap into the market.

The Seminar on the Apparel Industry and Economic Development in the Caribbean: Efficient Planning and Allocation of Resources was organised by the Permanent Secretariat of the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA), with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and collaboration of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation.

One of the objectives is to provide the fashion design sector of Barbados and CARICOM in particular, training institutions specialised in fashion and fashion design, business development agencies, the manufacturing sector and the financial sector, with the elements to develop the fashion design industry in the Caribbean from the experiences of the most important European and American couture houses.

Participants will also be exposed to developing proposals that encourage the business, financial and academic sectors to increase business strategies from the existing international experiences and activities proposed in the seminar.

The seminar, which ends today, featured a presentation from Consultant Avis Charles, of Avis Charles Associates, who presented on the Economics of Fashion: Value, Employment and Game Changer. The consultant, who has four decades of experience, pointed to the major fashion houses and the brands in London, Paris, Milan, New York as well as the game changers in Brazil and Africa, both of which have carved out manufacturing and trade niches, and are trend sources and innovative respectively.

Also featured was Claudine Rousseau, Senior Lecturer at the London College of Fashion. The seminar will also focus on education, training and mentoring; the business of fashion; the importance of value chains and the value of manufacturing as employment and income generator; and capacity building.