Caribbean fashion and contemporary designers are getting a boost to help them penetrate the international market, through an accelerator programme jointly funded by the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in cooperation with the European Union and the Carib-bean Development Bank (CDB). The Bank’s funding is through its Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF).
Starting on May 6th, twenty designers from across the region have been participating in an intensive boot camp-style workshop led by Sandra Carr, one of the pioneers of the Caribbean Academy of Fashion and Design at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. The twenty participants will work with an expert team to refine their products for the export market, and they will go through a process of identifying where best to place their products; and how to develop their brand. They will also learn how to leverage social media platforms to reach their target audience and develop a go-to market strategy. The programme runs until today.
“We received 70 applications to participate in this programme, which has been devised specifically to get the designers to a certain point where they can capitalise further on future aspects of the programme such as the grants from CDB and participation at the Caribbean Fashion Show-room” commented Allyson Francis, Services Specialist at Caribbean Export.
