Fashion Awareness Week 2000 Opens

Contact: Dana Augustin

Monday, May 29, 2000 - "Fashion Awareness Week," an annual event of the Ministry of Commerce, International Financial Services and Consumer Affairs to develop the local fashion industry, was officially opened on May 27 at the Indies Conference Room.

At the event, fashion designers spoke about the importance of the fashion industry to Saint Lucia and gave the audience a brief introduction to some of their designs to be staged during the course of the week of activities.

Fashion designer Shazi Chalon emphasized the need for the industry to continue receiving support from the ministry. Said Chalon, "I believe that many other young designers feel positive that there is an avenue for them but we cannot do it alone. We need support."

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, International Financial Services and Consumer Affairs, Cosmos Richardson, assured local designers that the ministry would continue to support the industry. "It is through cooperative ventures like these between the public and private sector that St. Lucia will develop and the ministry is committed towards building that partnership that will redound to the benefit of the country as a whole."

The fashion designers expressed their appreciation to the ministry for its ongoing assistance towards their development. Last month the ministry assisted several companies in participating in the International Fashion Fabric Exhibition and Conference held in New York and through the Small Enterprise Development Project, fifty percent of the cost of participation of the firms was reimbursed. Richardson noted, "The companies which attended were able to derive tangible benefits through interaction with exhibitors from many countries including the United States, Korea, Taiwan, China, Mexico, Panama, India among others who had the entire range of products on display from fabric to cutting and printing machines."

During the week there will be fashion exhibitions at the Castries City Hall and fashion shows at the Derek Walcott Square.

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