Bridgetown, BARBADOS, August 10, 2017. At this year’s CARIFESTA XIII hosted in Barbados, the Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) will be facilitating the participation of designers and artisans from across CARIFORUM within their Design Caribbean and Caribbean Essence export promotion platforms

The assistance, in the tune of €50,000 is funded by the European Union (EU) via the 11th EDF Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP), will allow seven fashion designers and four artisans to showcase their creations at the Grand Market & Buyers Shopping Mall from August 18-27 at the Lloyd Erskin Sandiford Centre, Barbados. The Agency is further supporting the participation of 10 buyers from the EU to attend the event and discover the wealth of products available for the export market.

CARIFESTA is a unique Caribbean festival that celebrates the diverse cultural expression of the Region’s artists and artisans in fashion, food, festivals, the Arts (visual and theatrical), and art and craft. CARIFESTA has been a Regional staple of Caribbean cultural celebrations since it came onto the scene in 1972 when it was first hosted in Georgetown, Guyana. Throughout the years, various Caribbean countries have played host to this Regional festival and Barbados will be doing so for a second time in history with this year’s event under the theme: “Asserting Our Culture, Celebrating Ourselves.”

Caribbean Export’s Services Specialist Allyson Francis asserted that the Agency is “pleased to be able to play a role in supporting this unique festival and facilitate some of the Region’s most eligible cultural actors and creative to exhibit their cultural goods and services.”

Companies participating within the Design Caribbean stand will be Expressions des Arts from Haiti; Eco-Truffles Lavish Body Treats from Trinidad and Tobago; Touch By VLS from Jamaica and Earth Mother Botanicals Ltd from Barbados. Within the Caribbean Essence fashion pavilion participating companies will be ASD Clothing and Illustration and Keneea Linton Designs Limited from Jamaica; David Andre Collection from Haiti; Heather Jones International from Trinidad and Tobago; Laurenth Industrial from the Dominican Republic; and Kimmystic.Clo and Peta Odini from St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

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About Caribbean Export
Caribbean Export is a regional export development and trade and investment promotion organisation of the Forum of Caribbean States (CARIFORUM) currently executing the Regional Private Sector Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union. Under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF), Caribbean Export’s mission is to increase the competitiveness of Caribbean countries by providing quality export development and trade and investment promotion services through effective programme execution and strategic alliances.
More information about Caribbean Export can be found at www.carib-export.com. Contact: JoEllen Laryea, PR and Communications, Caribbean Export Development Agency, Tel: +1(246) 436-0578, Fax: +1(246) 436-9999, Email: [email protected]