A delegation of the Sharjah Business Women Council, SBWC, recently held a meeting with a number of officials from Gucci, the luxury Italian fashion and leather goods brand, at its headquarters in Florence, Italy.

The respective establishments discussed mutual cooperation methods through project launched by the SBWC to actively support and empower women in Sharjah and develop their professional capabilities internationally.

The SBWC delegation that comprised of representatives from the SBWC and the Executive Office of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, and Honorary Patron of Sharjah Business Women Council, toured the Gucci factory in Casellina, Central Italy, which employs more than 1,000 skilled craftsmen, workers and experts in making premium bags, accessories and leather goods. During the visit, the delegation explored Gucci's facilities and its various departments where they were briefed on the craftsmanship and professional skills of workers in the factory.

During the meeting, Ameera BinKaram, Chairperson of SBWC, underlined that the fashion industry has become a new field of creativity in which professional Emirati girls and women who chose the fashion field can compete globally. She added that aspiring business world pioneers must be well-informed and kept abreast of the latest trends and developments while sharing their expertise with others in order to produce exceptional creations capable of competing.

BinKaram said, "The prestigious history of this superior Italian brand is an incentive for Emirati women who wish to work and specialise in the areas of fashion and jewelry design and accessories; to create their own brands, bearing the name of the country, and at the same time giving them an opportunity to create sustainable enterprises that are able to develop and expand over the next decades. We seek through such visits and talks to forge real long-term partnerships with the world's top brands to develop the productivity and product quality by women engaged in the "Bidwa" project, while promoting traditional Emirati crafts globally."

The SBWC Chairperson went on to say, "All projects undertaken by the Sharjah Business Women Council, including "Bidwa", are focused on raising the quality and professionalism of working women in the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE. We are keen on providing facilities and training and marketing tools, to ensure that women can earn rewarding revenue from the craftsmanship and products they create through our projects and programmes. This is meant to help working women achieve financial self-sufficiency and to continue to support them in developing their businesses, and hence why we are here in Italy, the fashion capital of the world, striving to connect Emirati women to leading fashion designers and encourage them to become among global top designers."

The delegation also visited the Gucci Museum, located in the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia in the heart of Florence, where they were acquainted with the exquisite contents of the grandiose three-storey building extending across 1,715 square metres.

Prior to this visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the SBWC and the Italian Academy in Florence, to strengthen cooperation between both parties in the area of developing traditional Emirati crafts and incorporating them into modern fashion designs and other fashion products while promoting them globally.

The MOU aims to set up a student-exchange programme between the academy and UAE universities and offering girls and women members of the Sharjah Business Women Council the opportunity to receive training at the academy.
Source: WAM