Making a big impression
Bhutanese textiles are a best seller at trade fair in Paris.
"We will be ready for the orders! After all the hard work put in and the support we received we will make sure to deliver the orders, no matter what it takes,” says Kezang, product manager at Sabah Bhoutan.
Table linen created by this company, and inspired by designs of Bhutanese traditional dress, was a hit at the Maison & Objet trade fair, held in Paris this September.
Sabah Bhoutan attended the fair as one of 20 textile companies, designers, cooperatives and associations, representing more than 200, mostly female, weavers along the production chain.
The Maison&Objet fair is the world’s leading reference for the design, decoration and lifestyle community. Held twice a year in Paris, the trade fair serves as an effective platform to bring together designers and buyers from all over the world to create profitable connections.
"It is a collection that touches the soul", exclaimed one customer. Many spoke of the Bhutanese products as unusual, unique and rich with impeccable craftsmanship.
With just half of the planned exhibitors present, European buyers still made it a point to attend. Among the visitors to the stand, more than 100 buyers expressed their interest in the collection and more than 20 of them placed an order directly, reaching most of the project's beneficiaries. Linkages between buyers and brands were also developed at the show to ensure a lasting business relationship.
Furthermore, with guidance from the team of international experts and the Agency for Promotion of Indigenous Crafts, delegates actively participated and promoted their products on Instagram with 1340 new followers.
Named "Happiness a Way of Living", the handicraft textile collection was developed by artisans, trained and coached under the EU-Bhutan Trade Support Project, and contributed to the Brand Bhutan initiative of the Royal Government of Bhutan.
Funded by the EU, the project focuses on providing local handicraft producers with the required business skills, knowledge of market demands, export quality management, and best practices in sustainable production.
It also aims to diversify Bhutan’s exports by improving the national trade and investment regulatory framework and increasing exports of horticultural products and textile handicrafts.
The collective brand Bhutan Textiles will reiterate its participation to Maison&Objet trade show, from January 20 to 24 2022.