PARIS: Pakistan had the singular honour to be one of two countries displaying prêt a porter outfits and garments at the 37th Texworld fashion show in Paris recently.Through the efforts of Ambassador of Pakistan Ghalib Iqbal and the Trade & Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Secretary Rabiya Javeri Agha, an impressive display of clothes were seen on the runway at the prestigious venue of the Messe hall at Texworld. Attended by fashion luminaries, buyers visiting the halls at Texworld and French media, the event was a feather in the cap for Pakistan’s textile and garment industry. While overall trade figures of Pakistan are on the slow decline, Pakistan’s global trade figures for value added and build ups are up by11 percent in value and 6 percent increase in quantity and this is something that TDAP was aiming to further enhance.

The fashion show in Texworld displayed outfits by exhibitors at the fair as well as a segment by students of the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture. The student display was imaginative with a strong bias to the ethnic palette of Pakistan. Imrana of Indus stated that the collection was a result of months long preparation of the students and reflected a wide spectrum of designs, graphics and creative themes. She was appreciative of the efforts of TDAP, especially the Rabiya for her commitment to the world of textile and TDAP’s constant support to young designers. The audience at the show were particularly appreciative of the laser cut coats and trousers made by the students. According to visitors, laser cutting in leather garments is one of the hottest trends, however the delicacy with which the students had worked was especially commendable.

Another exhibitor that made considerable impact at the fashion show was Sarena of the Bareeze group. With a very subtle earth coloured palette, they showed off an array of beautifully embroidered outfits and blouses. They attracted buyer interest and were able to explore a number of orders from prospective buying houses at the event.

Talking about the role of fashion, Iqbal said that Pakistani Fashion Industry has registered a growth of 79 percent recently, which is one of the largest industrial growth rates in the world. Rabya stated that her organisation was seeking aggressive market access to capitalise on the GSP plus status in the European Union. She said that export to EU in readymade garments and hosiery was up by a strong 18.5 percent this year. The fashion industry and fashion and textile schools are playing a strong role in designing and in creating aesthetic connectivity with the European markets, she added. “The fashion show platform at the Texworld is a unique opportunity for Pakistan’s exhibitors to showcase to an audience exclusively comprising buyers and product sourcing agents and was especially relevant to TDAP’s mandate, which is B2B connectivity,” Rabiya added.

The media and PR for the Texworld Paris was handled by Take ll.President of the exhibition Michal Scherppe also spoke on the occasion and welcomed the Pakistan designers and exhibitors.Texworld is one of the many international fairs organised by TDAP as part of its international calendar of events aimed at providing market access to Pakistani exporters. This year a total of 945 companies from 27 different countries are participating in the fair. Some 35 Pakistani companies have also set up stalls in Texworld, which is held twice a year in Paris.