The BRICS+ Fashion Summit business program features more than 200 speakers from all over the world. They are fashion industry professionals who set the trends for its development in their relevant regions. We asked some of them to size up the Summit’s impact on BRICS+ emerging markets, to talk about fashion development trends in their countries and the contribution made by the textile and garment industry to their national economies.
Bhutan is a mountainous land. Many of its people live in the Himalayas, roaming the country with their herds of sheep and yaks. The country used to provide them with livestock and equipment to mass-produce yarn but it did not provide them with a sales market for their products. Our mission is to create just such a market. Bhutan’s fashion industry is still young but we have a strong potential for growth. Our unique textiles are handmade from organic materials and dyes, which could resonate with niche luxury brands. These textiles have a cultural and historical value, which certainly makes them stand out from commercial textiles. With support from the EU, we are already selling our products in Europe. Instead of promoting specific brands about which the world knows little so far, we are working with the global Made in Bhutan brand.
Our primary challenges are lack of trained tailors and the gap between market demand and workers’ skills. In an effort to deal with these problems, we established the Fashion Institute of Technology. Since March 2018, we have successfully trained over a thousand students and are now seeking good jobs for them, building ties with potential employers.
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit has provided developing economies with a platform for showcasing the accomplishments of their textile and fashion industries. With their unique skillset, emerging markets could have a tremendous impact on fashion. In turn, development of fashion will boost the economies of both emerging and mature markets. Yet, the expansion of fashion has its downsides, which means we must pursue a responsible development strategy.
