The Peruvian exporters include some 30 firms that have been registered as eco-friendly apparel makers and which have received buyers interested in their wares, as well as some 40 firms that specialize in crafts, decorative items and jewelry. In keeping with PromPeru’s strategy for the continued global expansion of Peruvian brands, the first alpaca store in China will mark its first full year in 2018 and the first Peru Textiles store will open in Brazil in the year’s second half. Peru Moda includes the traditional runway shows and this year forums focused on sustainable fashion, innovation and trends in the international market.

Exports of Peruvian textiles and apparel could grow between 6 percent and 8 percent in 2018, a year after sales totaled $1.3 billion, the exports director at PromPeru, the Andean nation’s tourism and export-promotion agency.

That expected rise is part of a trend stemming from promotional efforts launched four years ago, Luis Torres said. Heirs of an ancient textile tradition, Peruvian apparel makers have seen their industry make a recovery in recent years, including export growth of 6.1 percent in 2017, according to the official. He also said that the US and Brazil are among the main destinations for Peruvian apparel exports, while alpaca garments have a strong presence in Europe and Asia.

Torres said that, “We’re starting to see the results of work carried out over four years in markets such as the United States with new approaches, Brazil, Mexico, Europe and Asia,”. He added that, “We hope to grow between 6 and 8 percent this year, but the challenge is to get back to $2 billion in exports,” the level that existed a decade ago He quoted that, the idea this year is to surpass (last year’s) figure of $108 million” in contracts.

PromPeru inaugurated the 21st edition of the Peru Moda and Peru Moda Deco 2018 fair, an event in which some 1,000 foreign buyers have the chance to familiarize themselves and do business with more than 250 Peruvian exhibitors.

Some 7,000 industry professionals have been invited this year to the Lima Convention Center, the venue for the 2018 edition of this annual event. This year’s fair is giving small firms from Arequipa, Cusco, Ayacucho, Junin, Puno, Piura, La Libertad, Huancavelica and Lima the chance to pitch their products to major retailers such as Mexico’s Liverpool, La Martina of Argentina and Frame LA Brands. There are “very strong expectations that these buyers, around 50 percent of whom are new, will be able to find an exportable supply consistent with the market niches in their respective countries,” and these specialized buyers are looking for both novel offerings and Peru’s flagship cotton and alpaca fibers, but they also are seeking suppliers with a view to developing their own brands, Torres said. He also added that a group of buyers at the event also has come with an interest in acquiring Peruvian brands, the official added.