PAPAIŸO launches first ever Caribbean showcase at Cabana in Miami

Caribbean luxury brand portal PAPAIŸO has launched a virtual showroom to showcase select Caribbean brand partners to global industry buyers.

Its first move will be to present seven of its brands at the premier resort wear and lifestyle trade show Cabana from July 10-12. To be held at the Miami Beach Convention Centre, Miami, the show is expected to gather some of the industry's top buyers.

According to a PAPAIŸO press release, the portal has been rapidly expanding its marketing and sales reach and the new platform is expected to take the company and its brands farther, enhancing how Caribbean brands enter global markets.

One of the seven brands to be highlighted at the first Caribbean showcase at Cabana will be Trinidad and Tobago’s Meiling Inc with its new R22 collection.

“My participation in Cabana comes at a very crucial time in my career. I am at a point of refreshing my brand, stepping out of my comfort zone and allowing the brand to be seen on an international platform in a way it has never been seen before,” said Meiling Inc designer Meiling Esau.

Meiling will be going to Cabana with the support of TT Fashion Company Ltd (Fashion TT), whose mandate is to stimulate the business development and exports of the industry.

PAPAIŸO’s other brand partners including Beeny Bud, Stephanie Lue Yen, Cocobel, Pure Chocolate and La Casa Sunshine will be providing handcrafted souvenirs to Cabana.

The release said PAPAIŸO’s virtual showroom has both wholesale and online distribution channels.

US management consulting firm, Bain and Company, said wholesale accounted for 54 per cent of all sales in the global luxury goods industry representing about £217 billion. It also expected online transactions would be the leading channel for luxury purchases by 2025.

Executive director of Caribbean Export, Deodat Maharaj said, “Our partnership with PAPAIŸO at this years' Cabana is timely, as the world rebuilds after a tumultuous year, bringing focus and attention to the Caribbean through design, capturing the hearts and minds of those attending.”

PAPAIŸO founder Micha Alleyne added that its approach was fuelled by imagination and collaboration.

“We understand that it will take agile and imaginative business models, as well as a stellar universe of cross-functional team players to innovate across alternative industries and drive global growth for Caribbean brands.”

The project will be supported by The Style Observer, Caribbean Fashion Showroom and Fashion TT.