FashionTT has gotten the ball rolling on various long term initiatives designed to stimulate and facilitate the business development of the local fashion industry. One such flagship initiative is the Local Production Facility, a state-of-the-art centre being established in partnership with the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), that will put Trinidad and Tobago’s fashion industry at the forefront in garment manufacturing.
This initiative began in 2016 and has already experienced the following achievements:
- Commission a Consultant to Develop a Business Model for the Local Production Facility – Raymond Wong, adjunct Professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and developer of the three-year business model for the facility, was chosen to lead this initiative.
- UTT Purchases Initial Equipment – Equipment for the Local Production Facility, such as industrial sewing machines, stitchers, embroidery machines and digital printers were purchased in October 2016.
- First Stakeholder Session – The first stakeholder session took place in August 2016 at the proposed facility in Santa Cruz. There, stakeholders met with the consultant, Raymond Wong and provided meaningful insights on the needs of the local fashion industry.
- First Draft of the Business Model of the Local Production Facility – The first Business Model draft was delivered in September 2016. The draft was then circulated to stakeholders for review and comments.
- Second Stakeholder Session on the Business Model of the Local Production Facility – In November 2016, FashionTT hosted a meeting with stakeholders to discuss the second draft of the business model for a Local Production Facility. Feedback from this session will be used to finalise the business model for the local fashion industry.
Local Production Facility Timeline
In 2017, FashionTT will continue its efforts to ensure that the Local Production Facility opens in the third quarter of the 2017 fiscal year. The facility will provide employment opportunities to persons with knowledge and expertise in various fields within the industry and provide local designers with a domestic manufacturing source for mass production in keeping with global quality standards.
Other action items that will be completed prior to opening the facility are:
- Approval the Business Model
- Complete Legal and Administrative Agreements Between Partner Agencies
- Upgrade Physical Facility
- Outfit Facility
- Recruit and Train Staff
Stay tuned to FashionTT’s website and social media for more details as this project unfolds.