The goal is to boost awareness and long-term business relationships.

The first event is Moda Manhattan Spring/Summer 2007 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York from September 17-19. Four Thai brands in clothing, leather and jewellery - Andis, Bouton, Flip and LaBelle - will attend this event along with 171 other brands from 20 countries.

The second event is Fashion Coterie Spring/Summer 2007, arranged at Pier 94 and the Javitts Centre in New York from September 19-21. Five Thai brands that will appear at this event are Boudoir, C@Nina, Kloset, Sretsis and Tube Gallery - among 774 firms from 14 countries.

The third event is Prestige 2006 Spring/Summer 2007 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates from September 17-19. Fifteen Thai brands will join the event, which boasts 150 brands from 18 countries.

Pramode Vidtayasuk, head of the Department of Industrial Promotion at the Ministry of Industry, said yesterday that the primary objective for sending Thai firms to these events was to let people in the fashion industry in New York and Dubai see Thai fashions - rather than generating high sales volume.

The events in New York are very difficult for Thai brands to display their work at. The department chose about 60 Thai brands for committees staging the two New York events to choose from but only nine were selected.

Pramode said the event at Dubai would be a commercial door to help Thai brands to build awareness in the Middle East and enable them to penetrate the 24 other countries in the region.

Since the Bangkok Fashion City Roadshow started in January last year, JSL has taken Thai fashion clothing, leather and jewellery brands to trade shows - or launched independent shows and in-store promotions - in five countries: Switzerland, China, France, Italy and Australia.

After New York and Dubai, the last destination for this project will be the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show from March 6-10 next year.

This roadshow project by JSL is actually scheduled to finish in September next year but Pramode said the government should continue its effort to make Bangkok truly become a fashion city.

Continuing work could enable Thailand to gain a reputation among Asian countries in 10 years and around the globe in 20 years.

Pramode has some ideas about what to do after this project ends and he gave three examples.

First, educate people in knowledge related to fashion: for example, how to identify real silk. Not many Thais had even a basic fashion knowledge in various areas, he said. This education could be done in various ways, such as through TV shows or school curricula from grade school to university.

Secondly, provide scholarships so Thais can study fashion courses at reputable institutes.

Thirdly, remind the government to supporting fashion designers who want to penetrate international markets. They may be good at production but weak in marketing, he said.

Nitida Asawanipont

The Nation