Fashion accessories making a comeback
After experiencing a slowdown in the past years, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7 confirmed yesterday that the fashion accessories sector is picking up.
According to DTI 7 Director Asteria Caberte, design-led fashion accessories that cater to a niche market have shown signs of recovery, prompting them to invest more in design training.
“We have to be strong in the design,” said Caberte, adding that this is one of the ways the sector could help the struggling creative export industry. “Those that focused on the design have exhibited an upward trend.” Caberte announced the agency will continuously build up the design capability of the region so it could cater to a lot of industries, particularly micro and small players who want to snatch a share of the world market.
She disclosed that the agency, in partnership with the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP), recently completed a three-day design boot camp in Cebu.
The region poured in some P500,000 to elevate the skills of the 21 designer-participants across Central Visayas.
DTI 7 Assistant Director Ma. Elena Arbon said the boot camp aimed to level up the skills of the region’s local designer pool as they cater to the product development needs of MSMEs.
Design Center Philippines (DCP) has assembled world-renowned designers as coaches and mentors for the boot camp.
“The boot camp helped us strengthen our design capability such that we would no longer depend on the national. After all, we are the center for design,” said Caberte.
She added that this would also close the gap in what MSMEs need to be competitive in their markets.
She cited that it is in the design level where the government or agencies like the DTI should come in to bring out the best in the MSMEs.
The 21 young designers would serve as the region’s business development service providers that other industries and MSMEs could approach.
Caberte said such initiative would help the plight of local designers and encourage them to stay in the country, extending expertise to the micro and small players.
“We will not compete with them in terms of giving out free design training,” said Caberte. “They will be the region’s core team for the design.” Meanwhile, the Philippine Exporters’ Confederation Inc. (Philexport) is optimistic about the recovery of the export sector in the second half of the year due to stronger demand for local products this Christmas.
“Well, it (second semester) will be better than the first half because it is approaching the Christmas season so we expect it will be good,” said Philexport president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., in a statement.
He hopes for a positive development to enable the sector to achieve its target of five percent export growth for the year. /