Creative nature of man presupposes productive activities, which identifies the individual and allows for the development of the spirit of entrepreneurship, said for GRReproter the President of the union of manufacturers of fashion apparel Nikos Giannetos. He comes from an old family of tailors and the name Giannetos in Greek fashion dates back to 1907. We met Nikos Giannetos at the Athens Fashion Week, which gives floor to both young artists and recognized designers, and talked with him about fashion, economic crisis, creativity and opportunities.
What is the role of Athens Fashion Week?
This is a very important initiative, which has begun years ago and gives very good results. Athens Fashion Week has changed the perception for Greece, which until recently was considered mainly a country of buying and selling. This event shows that Greece is a creative country that has finished production and offers its own branded goods. Therefore, the show is extremely important not only for the domestic market but also for exports.
Any initiative like developing products for the domestic market or expanding the horizons beyond the borders requires concrete foundations to build it. The Fashion Week helps exactly here. The union of manufacturers of fashion apparel assists with the program TEXMEDIN (TEXtile and apparel EuroMEDiterranean heritage for Innovation), which involves European museums and other organizations. This collaboration aims to create an information bank, which designers need. The Academy of Applied Arts, which has a specific department of fashion design, is involved in the process of development of the sector. All these initiatives support the fashion week in Athens and give it more weight. In other words, they show the culture of a nation and send the message that there is creative activity here. We are no longer pariahs to other countries and cities that have a creative presence on the international stage, such as Paris or Milan for Europe. And Athens has its place, of course within a small country like Greece. It is important that each year the event is becoming stronger and attracts new audiences.
How does this event fit in today's economic instability?
We will start to reform our country by awakening the creativity and ingenuity. There are many opportunities for producing new products and creating new brands that will replace the already-known brands of foreign companies. Many of them are now withdrawing from Greece, because the local market is no longer rich as it was in the times of cheap credits. That is why I would like to emphasize that the crisis is an opportunity for development, for recovery.
Let us focus on the problem that we "import more than we export." This applies very much to that industry. Which measures are you ready to take to change the situation?
There are two main reasons for higher imports than exports. The first is that it is easier than to produce, for which Greece has paid dearly. The second is that it is not yet clear to many people that the creative nature of man presupposes productive activities, which identifies the individual and allows for the development of young people. It is not possible for a country that is not producing but is mainly trading to enable young university graduates to develop creatively.
Therefore, I think real opportunities are being born now that did not exist until recently. Now is the time the apparel industry to become more flexible and to align its standards with other European markets. Many Greek companies have already achieved it, but now we have the opportunity to make it in the large scale. Moreover, the fact that exports are increasing in a country currently experiencing a severe crisis is not accidental. This confirms that the Greek production, successfully realized abroad, has the necessary quality and reputation.
Given that the Greek production was a success in foreign markets, why for so many years this advantage has not been used to align the trade at least?
The truth is that for many years, the domestic consumption was sufficient for the Greek producers. They were not looking for new horizons. Now, with all the problems of having to keep their companies on the surface, protect their jobs and infrastructures, they are forced to do what they should have done two decades ago.
When entering the European Union the idea was that it would offer us a larger market where to offer our goods. It was just the opposite. It appeared that we were only buying in the market, which we have entered to sell. The reasons for this confusion of purposes are many. One of them, we mentioned it in the beginning, is that we have had no specific base or marketing infrastructure to base the action plan. Another truth is that you cannot stay in a modern market if you do not work and look for new ideas. These ideas come more easily when some institutional help gives the fundamentals.
Athens Fashion Week takes place each year, despite all the difficulties it is encountering in order to enable the country to maintain and develop the culture of production and design. It offers the opportunity to create new brands and promotes the names of local designers who, in turn, will promote the Greek products in the country and abroad.
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