September 28, 2016 – The U.S. Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan, in collaboration with Darussalam Enterprise (DARE), is hosting a two-day program with Ms. Zeena Altalib, founder and director of http://www.primomoda.com/. Zeena is a seasoned fashion and merchandising expert who has over 10 years of experience in retailing operations, fashion design, product sourcing, and supply chain management in the fashion industry.
Zeena will offer two presentations — a morning session on her journey as an entrepreneur and insights into the Islamic fashion industry, and an afternoon session on electronic marketing and marketing strategies. During the two-day program, Zeena will also offer a full-day targeted workshop on how to start a business based on a U.S. model.
U.S. Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Craig B. Allen, stated, “On behalf of the U.S. Embassy, we are excited to collaborate with Darussalam Enterprise on this dynamic speaker program, and are fortunate to welcome Zeena Altalib to Brunei. We believe this program will encourage Bruneians to consider starting their own businesses, thereby allowing for greater economic engagement between the United States and Brunei.”
Ambassador Allen continued, “Around the world, women entrepreneurs are increasingly more visible as they start and grow their ventures into successful small businesses or global enterprises. Secretary Kerry has said that he firmly believes in investing in the training and mentoring of women entrepreneurs so they can not only lift up their own families, but also help their countries’ economies grow”.
DARE Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Soon Loo, stated, “The Islamic fashion industry has major potential for our local Brunei designers to tap into, with a Muslim population of 1.7 billion (last updated in 2015) it represents 23% of the global population which is a very big reach for both small and large enterprises. The unique factor about Islamic fashion is that it has a wider reach of catering not just for the Muslim population as well as, those that are into modest clothing.
Many well-known and recognized fashion brands (Tommy Hilfiger, Uniqlo, DKNY) are on the bandwagon and see the potential in tapping into this market of creating more covered-up options for their clientele. More and more, we can see an increasing number of our local designers taking the leap and collaborating with concept stores and online retail stores that have both regional and international reach.”
Through the U.S. Speaker Program, Americans of various professional backgrounds are able to travel to foreign countries to meet with foreign publics and offer lectures, workshops, and seminars to discuss American policies, society, and culture.
