texfash.com: A simple question: what is ProColombia planning for PI Apparel Medellin?
Carmen Caballero: ProColombia has been a main ally for making PI Apparel Medellin a reality. Together, we are bringing this important event to Colombia for the second time and, for us, it is a great opportunity to position Colombia as the leading country in Latin America in terms of textile innovation.
Besides the wonderful speakers from the United States that will be part of the academic programme, such as Pat Trautman or Tiffany Radon, our Exports Vice-President at ProColombia, Juliana Villegas, will also be hosting a conference about our country’s commitment to sustainability.
We must say that sustainability policies are currently a must in the Colombian fashion industry. Our sector is already renowned for the use of ecological, recycled, natural and degradable materials, as well as eco-friendly product development, the promotion of responsible purchasing criteria, the decrease in the use of chemicals in the manufacturing process, and respect for the human and labour rights of workers.
With events like these, we are eager to prove why we are a global and sustainable fashion power. Just to share with you some numbers: between January and June 2023, this sector has exported to the United States $161.4 million and the industry is one of the most dynamic in the Colombian economy by generating thousands of jobs and representing around 7.7% of the GDP. Thus, we are confident that the future of our fashion sector will continue to be bright.
ProColombia participates regularly in such trade events. But there is a difference between participating in events abroad and at home. This one is on home turf. So, how is this event going to be different for you?
Carmen Caballero: There is no doubt that this event will be the ideal opportunity to see how the Latin American apparel industry is evolving digitally and explore the many doors this is opening for companies, both in Colombia and globally. Making connections with industry leaders will be pivotal, as well as getting to know the latest insights, industry trends, and technology solutions. Some key manufacturers such as Monastery, Prointimo and Fabricato will be doing sessions to talk about NFTs, metaverse and technology, just to give you an example.
But you are right, hosting instead of only participating in the event means that we will be able to show the buyers and participants why Colombia is an unparalleled player in the industry. There is also a reason behind Medellin being the main ‘character’ of the event. This city has a creative vocation, and the textiles industry has helped transform Medellin and make it the ‘fashion capital’ of Colombia. For us at ProColombia, it is very important to show our stakeholders the industrial power of our cities and territories. And once people visit Medellín and Colombia, they will leave (with) understanding the reasons behind our fashion industry success worldwide.
The theme of this year's PI Apparel Medellin is "Colombia: Where Innovation in Technology and Manufacturing Converge". How is ProColombia helping Colombia's apparel companies in this regard?
Carmen Caballero: The country’s more than 100 years of expertise in the fashion sector, mixed with the constant search for innovation of our local industry is reflected in the usage of raw materials, having outstanding examples such as Bee Surreal—a brand that considers that ‘sustainable’ is the new luxury where 4% of customer purchases are donated to the Río Rayo Association, that works for the conservation of bees; Fabricato—the ‘Phoenix’ of the Colombian textiles industry with more than 100 years in offering sustainable fabrics, and ProIntimo, a vertically integrated company creating experiences from concept and design with high-quality knitted fabrics and development processes to finished garments.
These processes of innovation go hand in hand with the wide and diversified offer that our sector has, with avant-garde designs that preserve the essence of the local culture and bring to the table significant advances in terms of functionality.
At ProColombia, our contribution to their innovation processes, focuses on accompanying these Colombian companies in their internationalisation journey, and help them understand and meet the demands of the buyers so their products can be competitive across multiple countries.
With our network of offices across Colombian territories, we are looking forward to connecting our added-value offer of textiles and apparel with the appetite of big brands and clients from across the world. It’s a joint work that we do nationally and internationally with the purpose of creating more business opportunities for our companies, and therefore, improve the economic development of our regions.
