Press Release
Central Asia Fashion Autumn - 2014
The International Fashion Fair "Central Asia Fashion Autumn - 2014" took place on 16-18 September in Atakent Exhibition Centre, Almaty. Exhibition Company CATEXPO, which is the Exhibition organizer, already for several years presents to the public a new event format, which includes fashion and buyers' shows, business training session for specialized profession-oriented audience and familiarity with new world fashion brands.
According to the Director of CATEXPO Company, Metin Arslan, the Fashion Fair "Central Asia Fashion Autumn - 2014" is the most efficient professional platform, which gathers fashion market players together for partnership and increasing of their professional level thanks to the efficient Business Program in cooperation with leading industry experts.
This year the Exhibition was visited by about 6000 visitors, including 3930 fashion business owners, bayers and procurement specialists from six regions in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. The Exhibition was visited by specialists from 22 cities of Kazakhstan: Astana, Aktau, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Shymkent, Atyrau, Karaganda, Akobe, Taldykorgan, Pavlodar, Semey, Kostanaya, Taraz, Kyzyl-Orda, Petropavsovsk.
The Exhibition was characterized by the qualitative growth of audience. The pre-order and purchase of future season collections were carried out by business owners and buyers directly, while the visitors of Exhibition were presented by marketing and merchandise specialists, PR specialists and sellers.
The particular resonance among the visitors and participants of Exhibition was raised by the specially organized conceptual pop-up exhibition, showing the main theme and message of Exhibition: Eco-Fashion or Unity of Man and Nature. Four main age phases in every woman's life, such as girl-young lady-lady grandmother, were presented in creative way as the exhibits. In addition, the "green" eco-theme was developed by business communication area and fashion shows, held in Show area. During all three days of Exhibition the podium was decorated differently according to the "green" theme: rose petals, fall foliage, lush bouquets of flowering chrysanthemums.
This year the exhibitors of Exhibition were more than 110 foreign companies-participants, including companies from Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Russia, Belarus and others. Participants provided samples of new collections of women's and men's clothing, footwear, fashion accessories, children's clothing, headwear, underwear, leather products and fur.
The Consul General of Germany in Kazakhstan, Renata Shymkoreyt, gave its expert assessment of the Exhibition: "The participation of German companies in "Central Asia Fashion Autumn" is supported by the Government of Germany" - said the Consul. "This fact shows that the German companies have a great interest in Kazakhstani fashion market, and we hope that in the future this will lead to a new phase in the development of productive partnership between our countries".
This year the topical issues were discussed within the framework of Exhibition Business Program. Among the most popular sessions were: "Fashion retail in financial instability conditions" and "Modern trading formats-course for uniqueness". Inna Apenko, the General Director of "Mimioriki" children's clothing store chain, presented information on global trends for the development of European fashion retail market and their impact on the market of Kazakhstan, while Evgeniy Ishin, the Managing Director of SRC "ADK", made a report on the demand and supply of retail spaces in Almaty and regions of country.
Company "Roznica-KZ", for "Central Asia Fashion Autumn" specially, undertook industrial marketing research of customer service quality "Mystery shopper" in women's and men's clothing stores in mass-market segment. The research involved 33 shops of domestic and foreign brands, divided into two types of location - "street retail" and "shopping mall". The research participants were evaluated according to several criteria: appearance, behaviour of sales personnel, welcoming and establishing of contact with the customer, need identification, trying on, argumentation of advantages and sale completion. The research found that customer service level in the shops of men's and women's clothing was only 65.80 % from 100 % possible. As it turned out, the sales personnel in stores is not able to identify the needs of customers, but at the same time the appearance and behaviour of sellers were at the highest level. It is noteworthy that according to the research results the customer service was better in retail chains of local operators with shops of street retail format.
Totally, 12 unique speakers-experts of fashion market made reports, 12 special sessions and 4 thematic training seminars took place, as well as 3 free consultation centres were working within the Exhibition Business Program. All business sessions were free of charge and open for the visitors. It should be noted that they were interesting for directors of companies, marketing specialists, representatives of analytical and rental departments of shopping centres, as well as for general linear sellers.
On 19 - 20 September, at the end of Exhibition, one of the most anticipated projects in the fashion industry took place: "School of Bayer", which was organized by "PROfashion Kazakhstan" Magazine and Consulting Company "Academy of Retail Technologies". The first students, graduated from "School of Bayer", were 14 persons from 5 cities in Kazakhstan.
The special Hosted Buyers Program for professional buyers and representatives of retail chains from regions and countries of Central Asia is already for several years organized within Central Asia Fashion Fear. This program is developed specifically to support buyers and provides the opportunity for fashion market players from different regions of Kazakhstan and Central Asia to visit the Exhibition totally for free, since all expenses on transportation and accommodation are covered by the Exhibition organizers. This year more than 700 professional participants took advantages of special Bayers Program.
It is the second time when the project for support of talented Kazakhstani designers, called "Designerpool", was implemented within "Central Asia Fashion Autumn". This year the project involved young designers Nurgiz Tasybaev with "DE GUISE" brand and Irina Arslanova with "VESNA" brand, as well as the famous Kazakhstani designer Kuralai Nurkadilova, which presented her new brand "B&K" to the professional audience. The latter is a brainchild of the Central Asia Fashion Fear, as it was created by two participants of the Exhibition - the Russian brand "Bezko" and Kuralai Fashion House. The entire collection of new brand "B&K" was created according to design drawings of Kuralai Nurkadilova and produced in Russia by "Bezko" Company. The designer stated that the collection, as well as the whole brand can be considered as unique. "Luxury clothing that women want to wear is not always available. Thanks to "B&K" brand the luxury fashion has become available in mass market. At the show we demonstrated that this clothing can be worn every day and thanks to interesting style and additional accessories you can look perfect at evening as well" - said Kuralai Nurkadilova. The eminent designer also recalled that the merging of "Bezko" and "Kuralai" brands demonstrates and confirms the high efficiency of Central Asia Fashion exhibition platform.