The Gran Canaria Moda Cálida firms strengthen their path towards internationalization at the Maredamare Fair

 

The participation of Gran Canaria Moda Cálida brands in Maredamare 2022 has been excellent. “We gained enormous visibility, new international contacts, and a presence in foreign media,” stated Minerva Alonso, Councilor for Industry, Commerce, and Crafts of the Gran Canaria Island Council, upon her return to the island. “Furthermore, we have proposed to the management of this Italian fair that the best sustainable collection from Maredamare will be showcased at Gran Canaria Swim Week 2022, and, in addition, the best sustainable collection from our show will have a free stand at the next edition of the Florence fair,” she explained.

 

Thanks to this cooperation agreement, which will materialize in October within the framework of Gran Canaria Swin Week, and as explained by the counselor, the Gran Canaria Moda Cálida program will have access to the pool of European buyers of 'Maredamare'. This will imply greater visibility and dissemination of island companies and the island image outside the archipelago. “Another important point of this agreement is that we will present our Swimwear Fashion Week in the next edition of this Italian fair and, in addition, we will receive advice to invite international brands to GCSW,” added Alonso.

 

Three firms from Gran Canaria -Elena Morales, Chela Clo and Palmas-, the only ones from the Canary Islands and together with six other national brands, exhibited their designs at the 15th edition of 'Maredamare', the international swimwear and underwear fashion fair, which was held in Florence from July 24 to 26. 

 

These island brands came under the umbrella of Gran Canaria Moda Cálida, a support program for the textile sector, created and promoted by the Department of Industry, Commerce and Crafts of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria. In this case, the insular corporation subsidized the stands where they could exhibit their creations. 

 

On the other hand, their participation had the support of the Gran Canaria Chamber of Commerce, which subsidizes the participants' travel expenses. It is also an action coordinated with ICEX, a national public entity that promotes the internationalization of companies. In total, nine national brands participated in this fair within the Spain brand pavilion.

 

 

For her part, the general director of the Chamber of Commerce of Gran Canaria, Pilar Alcaide, was satisfied with the development of this fair, on the one hand, for the collaboration provided to the internationalization of companies, both with the programs managed the Chamber with the Cabildo, as well as those of both institutions, such as Gran Canaria Moda Cálida and the International Promotion Plan (PIP). The latter is from the Chamber of Spain, financed with European funds, which provides the means for Gran Canarian designers to attend high-level fairs such as 'Maredamare'. In this sense, the director highlighted that this "is a good example of the good synergy that exists in the action of different programs, whose fundamental objective is the internationalization of companies."

 

The designs of Gran Canaria will travel halfway around the world

 

This is the second time that the Gran Canaria Moda Cálida firms have attended this fair and the results have been very positive. For its part, the Elena Morales firm established commercial contacts with a German distributor for Miami and South America, as well as stores in China, Barcelona and Italian companies in Bari (capital of the Apulia region) and Cagliari (capital of Sardinia). 

 

On the other hand, Pedro Palmas aroused the interest of a South Korean media outlet and Forta Magazine, an Italian luxury fashion magazine. In addition, he established a business relationship with companies in Rome and with the already appointed German distributor for Miami and South America. 

 

The Chela Clo brand established commercial contacts with a Belgian multi-brand distributor and several Italian points of sale. In all cases, national and international media echoed the fashion made in Gran Canaria.

 

'Maredamare' was held at the Fortaleza di Basso, an iconic building in the heart of this capital of the Tuscan region. The 11.000 m² space hosted more than 300 brands from the mid-to-high-end and high-end segments, showcasing beachwear, swimwear, caftans, accessories, loungewear , and lingerie. It is a meeting point, with a long tradition on the international fashion calendar, for established and emerging buyers and companies, both Italian and international.