Port of Spain, 25th March 2022: The Trinidad and Tobago Fashion Company Limited (FashionTT) in collaboration with Cardinal Services and exporTT, hosted its very first Virtual Fashion Trade Mission (VFTM) on Friday 25th March. A fashion metaverse was created to house a fashion showcase, designer booths, testimonials and more; creating an exciting virtual space for guests from all parts of the world to explore and experience.
The Showcase opened with an address by FashionTT’s General Manager, Lisa-Marie Daniel: “We will be hosting 2 Virtual Trade Missions annually presenting the work of our sector to local and international audiences for the purpose of building awareness, developing buyer and consumer relationships and to accordingly continue to bolster revenues in this sector. We are pleased to have partnered with our fellow state agency exporTT and Houston Consultancy Cardinal Services LLC in making this event a reality. The state-of-the-art 3D platform you are navigating through today will be online for 6 months from today! Therefore, the public will have the opportunity to peruse, order and purchase from our designers within an extended timeframe.”
Also speaking at the opening was Jason Lindsay, Chairman, FashionTT; Dhanraj Harrypersad, General Manager, Client Services, exporTT; Dr. Sabeeta Bidasie Singh, CEO, Cardinal Services and Solutions; Andrew Ramroop, Creative Director, Maurice Sedwell Brand; Richard Young, Forum Facilitator and other fashion industry and business professionals.
Senator the Honourable Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister of Trade and Industry, has, once again, shown her support of FashionTT and its efforts with this venture: “I am truly pleased to be a part of today’s launch of the First Virtual Fashion Tradeshow and Exhibition… Designer profiles will be available on the Virtual Exhibition platform, designed to match the Caribbean Aesthetics, welcoming guests with the sounds of Soca Music and cultural images that showcase the identity and soul of Trinidad and Tobago. Fashion brands that had more flexible and digitally-enabled product-to-market processes were better positioned to pivot and get the right product to consumers as demand shifted. I would therefore like to commend FashionTT for its foresight and execution of strategic initiatives such as this virtual trade show, which allows local fashion entrepreneurs to bolster their commercial and export capability using online tools.”
Her Excellency Analisa Low, Ambassador of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to the People’s Republic of China also delivered a presentation at the launch on opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago’s fashion industry in China. The Ambassador noted that “..while the current scale, production limitations, and saturation of foreign competitors worldwide present numerous challenges, the fashion industry in Trinidad and Tobago can maximize potential by capitalising on our natural competitive advantage which can be seen in the diversity and the boldness of the Caribbean palette, brand, and aesthetic. Sophisticated Chinese consumers are consistently displaying an appetite for newness and individuality meaning that niche and emerging brands very much like those seen in Trinidad and Tobago are on the rise in the various metropolises across China.”
One of the main features within FashionTT’s Metaverse is the designer booths. Within the booth, users have the ability to interact with any of FashionTT’s 11 Global Value Chain (GVC) designers, The 1ndividual Aesthetic, The Cloth, Meiling, Charu Lochan Dass, Heather Jones, J. Angelique, Claudia Pegus, The Hideout Clothing, Genesis Swimwear, Neha Karina and Ecliff Elie. Users can select a designer, view their image catalogue, watch their promo video, download a brochure, request a meeting or chat with them in real-time.
“We invite you to step into the FashionTT’s Metaverse and see what Trinidad and Tobago’s fashion has to offer. Visit the designers, check out our fashion showcase to know more about what we do and immerse yourself in this exciting virtual experience that was made possible by FashionTT, Cardinal Services and exporTT.” – Lisa-Marie Daniel.
To explore the FashionTT Metaverse, which will be open for 6 months from launch, visit https://fashionevent.virtex.in. To keep up-to-date on what’s happening with FashionTT, follow the Facebook and Instagram pages: @fashionoftt.
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