Kyrgyz, Tajik firms debut in Paris ethical fashion show with ITC support
With the support of the International Trade Centre (ITC), a group of Kyrgyz and Tajik makers and designers of clothing and artisan goods are for the first time displaying their talents at a top international ethical fashion show in Paris this week.
The prestigious Ethical Fashion Show (EFS), which runs 1-4 September 2011, brings together textile and apparel designers and buyers from all over the world united by a commitment to producing cutting-edge fashion in a socially and environmentally sustainable way.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Kyrgyz and Tajik firms to find new markets and buyers,” said ITC Executive Director Patricia R. Francis. “Ethical fashion offers excellent export prospects for both countries,” she added.
Six companies from the Central Asian states, four from the Kyrgyz Republic and two from Tajikistan, will be present in Paris 1-4 September 2011 to showcase garments and fashion accessories that often draw on the traditions and culture of the old Silk Road.
Kyrgyz firms Ashimbai, Magic Felt, Studio by Vorotnikova and Z&Z offer fashion items ranging from silk women’s wear to felt goods created by using ancient techniques, while the Tajik Haft Paykar and OJSC Suman also boast a variety of goods, including embroidered textiles and handicrafts.
The textile and clothing sector plays an important role in the economies of the two developing, landlocked Central Asian states. In the Kyrgyz Republic it accounts for over seven percent of economic output and employs some 150,000 people, over 70 percent of them women.
Participation in the fair is part of a three-year ITC trade promotion programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the two countries. The programme aims to increase the competitiveness of the textile and clothing sector and boost and diversify exports in a sustainable way.
