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.
The BRICS+ Fashion Summit showcases the cultural diversity of developing economies and allows them to share their heritage, creativity and innovation, fostering mutual understanding and respect. Additionally, the forum encourages collaboration among designers, manufacturers and fashion brands, helping participants from developing countries explore new markets, build up business partnerships and connect with the wider BRICS+ network.
The textile and garment industries contribute 17% of North Macedonia’s GDP and account for 14% of the country’s exports. They make one of the most mature and diversified branches of the economy, providing jobs for a third of all those employed in the country’s manufacturing industry. One reason for this is that North Macedonia has a relatively cheap qualified workforce. As of December 2020, the average monthly salary in North Macedonia was equivalent to 686 euros, compared to 533 euros in the textile industry and 420 euros in the garment industry. Many global fashion brands have staged their manufacturing assets in our country.
Weaving and embroidery are our traditional crafts. The country is home to 300+ fashion designers. Many of them draw inspiration precisely from the country’s heritage and create handicraft pieces featuring traditional ethnic elements. Some prominent young local brands include x.naash, Jovana Filipovic and Rosica Mrsik.
