Youth designers residing at the Seoul Leather Fashion Business Support Center, operated by Gangdong-gu, headed by Mayor Lee Jung-hun, as part of the Creation of Youth Centered Leather Fashion Industry Collaboration project, have been invited to the MIPEL – The Bag Show, which is the biggest leather fashion show held in Milan, Italy, displaying their works on the global fashion stage.

Gangdong-gu brought characteristics of the region congested with over 30% of the Seoul leather industry to life to push forward with the Creation of Youth Centered Leather Fashion Industry Collaboration project that connects youths interested in leather fashion with 200 leather fashion infrastructures. Performance was so outstanding that the project was recognized and selected as the Seoul Social Economy Special Business Model for two consecutive years.

Gangdong-gu operates the Seoul Leather Fashion Business Support Center, a youth business support space that is also the center of the leather fashion industry, while offering entrepreneurship and ability training programs for youths, creating support systems in product publicity and market development, and attempting to secure the growth of social economic businesses.

 As a result, goods from four residential youth leather enterprises at the Seoul Leather Fashion Business Support Center were invited to the MIPEL – The Bag Show, where they will make their debut on the international stage.

Managed by the Italy Leather Manufacturers Association (AIMPES), MIPEL celebrates its 112th show this year following the first show in 1926 and is Italy’s largest fashion show with participation by over 12,000 buyers and over 300 brands worldwide from Paris, London, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, and more. This is the land of opportunity for overseas exports for designers active throughout the world and a place of exchange of brands for global buyers as well.

The SCENARIO, where the Gangdong-gu youth designers have been invited to and will partake in from September 16 to the 19, is the key stage of the event where an emphasis is placed on the pioneering spirit of new designer brands and accessories.

Mayor Lee Jung-hun remarked, “It was difficult for social economic businesses to produce clear results as focus was placed on welfare or services. It is our hope that the advancement of the Gangdong-gu youth designers into the world stage will be a green light in the social economic manufacturing industry. We always support youth contributing to the construction of the Gangdong-gu leather fashion industry collaboration system and practitioners of the local industry.”

For more information about Gangdong-gu social economy, contact the Gangdong-gu Office Social Economy Division (☎02-3425-5820).

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Works to be exhibited at the ‘MIPEL – The Bag Show’ in Milan, Italy