With an estimated 370 million people in 90 countries around the world practicing unique traditions and strongly retaining their respective socio-economic, political and cultural characteristics, a newly formed World Indigenous Fashion Council® (WIFC®) has come up. It aims to deliver an unprecedented Fashion Week from October 4 - 8, in Ipoh City, Malaysia, next year. The World Indigenous Fashion Week will deliver a variety of opportunities for both creative and commercial, exhibiting unparalleled fashion and stylish eccentricity originating from designers across seven continents. Recognizing the immense cultural diversity of ethnic and indigenous designers worldwide, WIFC® safeguards the creativity for indigenous fashion industry.
The objective of the council is: innovation, ethnically robust offerings and refinement. The strategic goal of WIFC® is to ensure originality and create a more equitable and sustainable future for the indigenous fashion industry. Championed across the globe, the World Indigenous Fashion Council® includes representatives from Australia, Asia, Caribbean Region, Europe, Hong Kong & India, Kenya & Uganda, Malaysia, New Zealand, North America, Russia & RCIS, South Africa, Zambia & Zimbabwe.
Out of these countries, New Zealand is possibly the smallest to be represented but for the last eight years, indigenous fashion has been a leading force at New Zealand Fashion Week and is now well integrated in mainstream.
