Creativity and creativeness as the basis of entrepreneurship

The fashion industry of Kazakhstan is making rapid steps towards a breakthrough in the global market. The first in Kazakhstan Fashion Business Convention became the starting point in development of entrepreneurship in the fashion industry.

On January 30, 2019, a significant event in the fashion industry was held at Almaty Management University - the first Fashion Business Convention (FBC) was organized by: Kazakhstan Fashion Week, Almaty Management University, University of Northampton (United Kingdom). About 300 representatives of the fashion industry discussed and learned about modern trends, development opportunities and emerging difficulties on the way of establishing in the fashion industry.

FBC Guest Speakers - Founder, PR Director of the National Kazakhstan Fashion Week Botagoz Aldongarova, Deputy Director of the Representative Office of Kazakh Invest JSC Altynai Mukanova, Dr. Katerina Thomas, Senior Lecturer Business Entrepreneurship, Iain Bromley, Program Leader Fashion Marketing, University of Northampton, designer Olga Stanishevskaya, author of several collections of Olga Stan brand - talked about how to make money in the fashion industry, how to find investors and make a name in the  market fashion industry.

“Designers in Kazakhstan need to develop not only in the key of creativity, but also in entrepreneurship,” says Botagoz Aldongarova, founder, PR director of the National Kazakhstan Fashion Week.

“Today, Kazakhstani designers face the main task - to become entrepreneurs in the fashion industry. Over the 15 years of Kazakhstan Fashion Week existence, a lot has changed in Kazakhstani fashion - it has a “face”, our best brands are recognized abroad, including Europe. Kazakhstani designers open their monoboutiques, enter the international market, present themselves to buyers of the near and far abroad. And they really need knowledge of entrepreneurship in the field of fashion industry. I'm sure Fashion Business Convention will help many designers to monetize their ideas and take the first step”, - Botagoz Aldongarova.

According to Altynai Mukanova, Deputy Director of the Representative Office of Kazakh Invest JSC, the fashion industry, as a branch of light industry, is statistically only 1% in Kazakhstan. On the positive side, it can be seen as a niche for development with low competition.

Guest speakers - Dr. Katerina Thomas, Senior Lecturer Business Entrepreneurship and Iain Bromley, Program Leader Fashion Marketing, University of Northampton - told the story of development of the fashion industry in London and the key trends in the fashion industry today.

Particular attention was paid to networking, where participants could meet like-minded people, talk about their ideas, and find partners for further joint business development.

We remind you that in 2018, AlmaU won a research grant from the British Council Creative Spark: Higher Education Enterprise Program. Within the framework of the Creative Spark project, a meeting of the Fashion Business Convention originated, which opened a series of events dedicated to the fashion industry – up to June 2019, every month Kazakhstan designers will have chance to attend master classes and trainings on development of “fashionable” business.