DUSHANBE, December 1, 2014, Asia-Plus — A delegation of clothing designers and design professors from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan started its week-long study tour to Singapore today, on December 1.
According to the International Trade Center (ITC) office in Tajikistan, a group of clothing design specialists from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan attend a workshop on Support Apparel Product Development on December 1-6 in Singapore. The visit is organized under the project on Strengthening Export Competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises in the Textile and Clothing Sector and Enhancing Trade Support Institutional Capacities in Tajikistan. This project is implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO).
The objective of the study tour is to improve design capacities of the participating Tajik and Kyrgyz companies and institutions on textile and clothing through workshop lectures, hands-on activities, studio design visits and visits to major retailers to study, understand and gain exposure in the areas of product design, product development and garment construction. Ms. Nargis Abdumajidova, ITC Tajikistan programs associate, who accompanies the group, says, “This visit will provide Tajik and Kyrgyz textile and clothing industry an opportunity to better understand the requirements of market, to better prepare for enhanced market competitiveness and export market diversifications. During the study tour, the key learning areas will include market research through websites, creation of design boards, identify textiles, knowing about embellishments and their applications in design.”
The workshop will be conducted by Textile & Fashion Industry Training Center Pte Ltd (TaF.tc) (The Academy of Fashion Professions). TaF.tc is the training arm of the TaF.f (Textile & Fashion Federation). It’s also the first Continuing Education and Training Centre (CET) for the textile and fashion industry in Singapore, with the vision of becoming the leading capability developer in the global fashion industry in the region.
The delegation also will visit successful design studios such as Raoul and Ghim Li Global. Raoul is a Singaporean fashion and leather goods brand whose clothes have been worn by celebrities such as Rebecca Romijn, Jennifer Lawrence, Lea Michele, Kelly Rutherford, Pixie Lott, and royalty including The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Ghim Li is one of the largest garment factories and exporters in Singapore with factories in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, China and Sri Lanka with a workforce of 15,000 employees producing 65 million pieces of knitted garments annually for retailers such as Macy’s, Walmart, C&A, El Corte Ingles.
The present project is component FOUR of the Trade Cooperation Program (TCP) in Tajikistan and aims to increase the export competitiveness of the textile and clothing (T&C) sector, by providing sector specific support to SMEs and relevant trade support institutions (TSIs), as well as supporting respective stakeholders in taking a strategic approach to the sector’s development. It will also explore the challenges and development potential of the tourism and handicraft sectors in Tajikistan, outlining relevant trade related technical assistance priorities.
Within its Cooperation Strategy for 2012-2015, Switzerland focuses on four sectors in Tajikistan; Health, Rule of Law, Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation, and Private Sector Development. The overall goal of Swiss Cooperation in Tajikistan is to support the transition process in the country through contributing to economic development and by helping build institutions and systems which are responsive to the population’s needs.
