Designers receive tailored training

LOCAL designers received expert advice on trend and product development and on digital/e-commerce planning from international experts at a fashion business workshop sponsored by FashionTT, the TT Fashion Company Ltd.

The two-day business workshop was specially tailored to meet the needs of designers in FashionTT’s Value Chain Investment Programme (VCIP). The sessions were conducted by Robert Shultz, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), who addressed the specialisation of fashion merchandising and management; Kelsey Lynne Naughright, e-commerce project director at Alice and Olivia by Stacey Bendet; and Vincent Quan, professor at FIT and current VCIP consultant, said a media release. FashionTT’s general manager Lisa-Marie Daniel said, “The workshops served to address some of the gaps existing among the VCIP designers in the areas of trend and product development and digital/ecommerce planning. The workshops provided its participants with the tools and knowledge to sharpen their business model which will allow for forward movement within a designated market.”

Among the topics discussed at the sessions on September 29 and 30 at the Courtyard by Marriot, Invader’s Bay, Port of Spain, were, developing a collection, understanding the foundation of digital and driving profit and growth from an online platform.

The Value Chain Investment Programme, which was launched in July, is one of the core projects of the strategic plan for the fashion industry, the release said.

This programme assesses local firms by an independent international panel that will categorise firms into one of the four levels of the VCIP: The Global Value Chain (GVC) Support Programme, Non-Global Value Chain (non-GVC) support programme, Incubator Programme for new/young high potential companies or partnerships and Firms that are earmarked for future support.

For more info: e-mail info@fashiontt.co.tt