Shantielle

Networking Event Helps Wrap Up Sales in Dublin

Shantielle, based in Halifax and run by Selina Hafiz, designs scarves and shawls using quality cashmere and silks from India and Italy. Some months ago Selina attended a ‘Fashion Trends’ seminar organised in Leeds by UK Trade & Investment’s Lorraine Ellison, sector specialist for fashions and textiles.

Lorraine Ellison said: “The seminar was a chance for Yorkshire companies to hear some key speakers with exceptional experience in the fashion and textiles industry. It’s important that our local companies get an opportunity to put their work in perspective and see it in the wider frame of global trends.”

One of the speakers was Helen McAlinden from Dublin who at the time was selling her own designs in Brown & Thomas department store in Ireland as well as other stores around Ireland and the UK. After her presentation Hafiz had a chance to speak to Helen and talked about her own business.

Selina said: “I found Helen’s presentation very motivating but at the same time it was very down to earth. The fashion industry can be very precious at times, but she didn’t hide the fact that it was an uphill path in the business and her own success was the result of a lot of hard work and determination. Besides being interested in my designs for her business there was an immediate friendship between us, and she invited me to Dublin where she was about to open her own store. Within a month she was buying my designs.”

A trade fair at Dublin’s Guinness Centre in August provided the ideal opportunity to build on the relationship as well as explore other potential business in Ireland.

Meanwhile Lorraine Ellison is continuing to help Yorkshire and Humber companies tap into the global network of the textiles and fashion industry.

Lorraine commented: “The seminars held locally have been a huge success and they have a two-fold aim: They are a chance to hear experts in the field who can give local companies valuable tips and advice about how to expand their business. They are also terrific networking opportunities in a friendly non-competitive environment. Selina’s story shows that sometimes just a casual chat with the right person at the right time can lead to solid business.”

Lorraine also drives the International Business Network (IBN) for UK Trade & Investment in the Yorkshire and Humber region. This is a programme of events throughout the year featuring presentations from key speakers in the international business world followed by a vibrant networking session.