Meeting Pakistan Manufacturers

The Trade Division of the Consulate General of Pakistan hosted a luncheon on May 12 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club to introduce Pakistani manufacturers to California designers and apparel executives.

Shahid Tarar, the consulate’s commercial counselor, said he normally brings a delegation of Pakistani manufacturers to the city and takes them on a tour of different Los Angeles brands. “This time we wanted to try something different,” he said.

To wit, the consulate organized a mini trade show where the visiting manufacturers could show their garments, mostly knits, to interested parties.

Tarar said Pakistan is a good manufacturing source because the country is the world’s fourth-largest producer of cotton, has a favorable exchange rate and has a sophisticated infrastructure.

Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association, spoke to the assembled crowd about understanding the U.S. market for apparel and textiles. Los Angeles, she said, has increased its share of the U.S. market by 65 percent from 1997 to 2005 because the city has become a hub not just of manufacturing but of design services for brands across the world. —Erin Barajas