LAHORE, Jun 07 (APP):Board of Industrial Collaboration to Enhance Fashion Export (BICEFE) Chairperson Mian Kashif Ashfaq said on Sunday that Pakistan’s first modern, world-class dedicated Fashion Innovation Center had been established to enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global marketplace and strengthen fashion-related exports. Chairing the second meeting of BICEFE here, he said the center, established at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design, would spearhead research, development, and market intelligence …
First world-class fashion innovation center established to boost exports: Mian Kashif Ashfaq
LAHORE, Jun 07 (APP):Board of Industrial Collaboration to Enhance Fashion Export (BICEFE) Chairperson Mian Kashif Ashfaq said on Sunday that Pakistan’s first modern, world-class dedicated Fashion Innovation Center had been established to enhance the country’s competitiveness in the global marketplace and strengthen fashion-related exports.
Chairing the second meeting of BICEFE here, he said the center, established at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design, would spearhead research, development, and market intelligence for the textile, fashion, apparel, and furniture sectors.
He said the global fashion industry was evolving at an unprecedented pace due to changing consumer preferences, technological advancements, sustainability requirements, and the rapid expansion of digital commerce. The innovation center would serve as a collaborative platform bringing together designers, manufacturers, exporters, academic institutions, and policymakers.
Mian Kashif Ashfaq said the facility would facilitate research on international market requirements, provide training in advanced design techniques, support product diversification and encourage the adoption of modern technologies, including artificial intelligence, smart textiles and e-commerce solutions.
He noted that Pakistan was now developing its own institutional capacity to support innovation and export-led growth instead of relying on foreign assistance and acceptance.
Highlighting the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in strengthening the national economy, he said the Small and Medium Business Network (SBN) viewed the coming decade as a period of rapid transformation and growth for Pakistan’s fashion and textile sectors. Innovation centers, he added, would play a pivotal role by supporting entrepreneurs, startups and established businesses seeking to expand their presence in international markets.
He said investment in innovation was no longer an option but a necessity, adding that the Fashion Innovation Center would help Pakistan capitalize on emerging opportunities, increase export earnings, generate skilled employment and position the country as an important player in the rapidly evolving global fashion industry.
Mian Kashif Ashfaq said the initiative would enable Pakistan to move beyond its traditional role as a supplier of raw materials and basic garments and emerge as a recognized producer of premium fashion products, including high-value apparel and denim.
On the occasion, Vice Chancellor of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design, Hina Tayyabia Khalil, said efforts would be made to secure funding from German universities to equip the innovation centre with the latest technologies and facilities in line with international brand standards.
