By Sasha Harrinanan From Trinidad and Tobago NewsDay

The Foundation for Fashion, Art, Manufacturing, Entrepreneurship and Export (FAME-Caribbean) has been established by Trinidad-born Savile Row master tailor, Andrew Ramroop, to help create sustainable business opportunities for artistic people across the region.

“Having travelled extensively to different locations throughout the world (and) currently consulting in India with a remit to train 100,000 tailors in three years…I have had first-hand access to the missed opportunities that we in the Caribbean can have in areas of high quality craftsmanship, design and delivery.” Ramroop was addressing a gathering of people from Trinidad and Tobago’s (TT) business and fashion communities at the July 6 launch of his foundation.

Held on the grounds of the Chancellor Hill, St Clair, home of FAME-Caribbean’s brand ambassador, Brian Lara, the event included a fashion show which showcased local design talent.

FAME-Caribbean is based on Italy’s Pitti Immagine in Florence, which Ramroop explained is an annual marketplace during which, thousands of buyers place orders for items on display by hundreds of fashion and accessory designers.

Ramroop believes that if given the right support to take advantage of opportunities, they and other creative people across the Caribbean can become as successful as those in traditional careers; such as lawyers and doctors, with the additional benefit of generating much-needed foreign exchange (forex).

“FAME-Caribbean’s primary objective is to take advantage of export opportunities in fashion by positioning ourselves to offer sustainable business development, training, mentoring and support to practitioners in TT… Antigua, Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and St Lucia.” Ramroop cited the fact that the two biggest consumer industries are food and clothing, followed more recently by electronics.

Ramroop plans to hold the first FAME-Caribbean event later this year – in Trinidad from November 7 to 9 and in Tobago from November 10 to 11.

Referring to the upcoming showcase of talent from the six aforementioned countries as ‘Fashionomics’, Ramroop said, “Fashionomics is about opening doors for overseas markets.” Ramroop added that it is of paramount importance that apparel businesses benefit from FAMECaribbean’s initiative, looking beyond ‘tropical clothing’ to designs that would also appeal to buyers in cold climates.

“There is an enormous market in North America and Europe for the highest quality menswear, womenswear, resort wear and winter wear. TT and the rest of the Caribbean could rise to the standard required to satisfy demand. The Caribbean could have a huge impact on the rest of the world in garment manufacture.” Ramroop then pledged to use his “considerable experience, contacts and acquaintances to open the markets for goods produced here in the Caribbean, particularly in TT.” He explained that the objective is to create high quality employment and to attract forex. Hence the plan to invite local and foreign buyers to the Buyers Tent at “FAME-Caribbean 2K17”; sometimes referred to as FAME, in November.

“The Buyers Tent Will have for sale accessories such as jewellery, shoes and handbags, all made in the Caribbean. Absolutely no imports except for raw materials,” Ramroop declared.

Guests that evening also heard about the TT Government’s plans to establish a garment production facility to help boost the manufacture of clothing by local designers.

This is part of its economic diversification thrust away from the country’s dependency on oil and gas revenues. This was one of three initiatives announced by Tunapuna MP Esmond Forde on behalf of Prime Minister (PM) Dr Keith Rowley, who at the time was attending a CARICOM meeting in Grenada.

For more on this story go to: http://www.newsday.co.tt/businessday/0,246604.html

IMAGE: FAME logo