Medellin-based textile and clothing industry trade group Inexmoda announced July 25 that the just-concluded, 30th annual “Colombiamoda” fashion show here generated sales deals estimated at US$143 million.

While that’s a 15% dip from last year’s Colombiamoda sales estimate, it’s still a positive sign for Colombia’s fashion industry, with Medellin and Antioquia continuing to lead the way.

According to Inexmoda, this year’s show included 11,800 buyers, 12% of which were internationals – mainly from the USA, Ecuador and México. Among the Colombian national buyers, most were from Antioquia, Cundinamarca and Valle del Cauca, according to the trade group. A parallel “Textiles2” show here included another 800 buyers.

In addition to the in-person attendance, another 70,000 people were able to tune-into Colombiamoda 2019 via internet, through a special “Concept Market” and “Colombiamoda Digital” channel.

This year’s edition included 25 fashion runway shows featuring Colombian designers and 206 models from 28 agencies, according to Inexmoda.

In another novelty this year, Inexmoda, Colombia trade promotion agencyProColombia and international package-delivery company FedEx organized a special show targeting international buyers of Colombian fashion designs.

On the education front for the show, Inexmoda and Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana attracted 8,700 in-person attendees and 6,000 internet streaming attendees for several lectures and workshops on issues affecting the fashion and textile industries.

A parallel fall-winter 2019-2020 fashion-trends "outlook forum" included 16 more lectures. In addition, a first-ever “prospectives forum” enabled 900 visitors to experience future design possibilities using artificial intelligence technologies provided by Microsoft.

Besides generating new business deals for fashion designers and clothing manufacturers, Colombiamoda 2019 generated an extra US$12 million in income for local hotels, restaurants and vendors, according to Medellin’s Secretary of Industry and Tourism.