Inspired by ‘innovation’ and ‘style,’ Arab delegates look to invest in Pakistani textile industry 

KARACHI: Inspired by “innovation” and “style” in Pakistani fashion, Arab delegates attending the 4th International Textile and Leather Exhibition, TEXPO Pakistan 2023, have expressed their interest in investing in the South Asian country’s textile industry. 

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and the Ministry of Commerce this week launched TEXPO Pakistan 2023 in Karachi, with more than 250 exhibitors showcasing their products during the three-day exhibition running from May 26 till May 28. During the first two days, 22 designers took to the ramp for a fashion showcase that featured western pret, particularly curated for foreign buyers. 

The flagship event invited buyers from over 50 countries to explore trade opportunities in Pakistan’s textile sector, while delegates from the Middle East said they saw a strong trade potential in Pakistani textiles. 

“Pakistan’s textile industry is one of the biggest in the world and it’s the best place for business,” Zaran Ahmed, a delegate from Saudi Arabia, told Arab News on the sidelines of the exhibition on Saturday. 

“Pakistanis are implementing their innovation in clothing. Pakistan has a sense of innovation and a sense of style. This is one of the best exhibits in the world.” 

Ahmed said he was in Pakistan for a month to see if he could capitalize on Pakistan’s textile industry and export products to Saudi Arabia. 

“By the end of the month, we are looking to invest in a couple of products. Take them there. Test the market and see how it goes,” he added. 

The two-day fashion showcase lineup included Pakistan’s top design labels such as Sana Safinaz, Deepak Perwani, Rizwan Beyg, Huma Adnan, The Pink Tree Company and Ali Xeeshan among others. The collections focused on creating sustainable fashion, in line with this year’s theme of “Weaving the Way to Sustainability.” 

“The designers selected very good colors for the fashion showcase. The styles are simple. They played on the style, not the colors. They are very clever to do that,” Dalia Genid, who represented Egypt’s HyperOne chain, told Arab News. 

Genid found the exhibition “fantastic” with a variety of brands and fabrics. 

“The prices are reasonable but we need to negotiate more to get better prices for the bed linen and sheets. I see a good potential between Pakistan and Egypt,” she added. 

The foreign delegates at the exhibition discussed bilateral trade challenges and opportunities with TDAP Chief Executive Zubair Motiwala and Secretary Dr. Fareed Iqbal Qureshi. 

According to the organizers, 997 B2B meetings were conducted between foreign buyers and local exhibitors. Based on estimations from these meetings, they said, it was expected that Pakistan would receive orders worth over $500 million. 

Jordanian delegate Mohamed Mouhtaseb, who is a regular visitor of TEXPO Pakistan, shared there had been huge progress in the garments industry of Pakistan over the years. He said his main business with Pakistan included garments, knit garments and towels. 

“Pakistan is a potential market for exports especially in knit fabrics,” Mouhtaseb said. “Knit garments are concentrating over 60 percent of the world’s wear.” 

Designer Huma Adnan, who presented her sustainable collection on the first day of the fashion showcase, told Arab News it was important for them to present western designs at the showcase. 

“It was very important to keep western silhouettes in mind because we are attracting foreign buyers,” she said. 

“For TEXPO showcase, we were specifically told ‘it has to be sustainable fashion because of climate change and the climate action that has made so much of disaster in Pakistan’.” 

TEXPO Pakistan 2023 opened to general public on the last day of the event on Sunday.