Korean designers encourage Lao handicraft makers
Korean designers encourage Lao handicraft makers
Lao handicraft makers need to improve their products in line with the needs of overseas markets if they want to expand further afield, an industry official has said.
“The modernisation of handicraft products is essential for Lao artisans,” Lao Handicraft Association President Hansana Sisane told Vientiane Times on Friday.
He made the comment following a recent workshop titled Product Development Seminar for SMEs in Laos.
The event was co-organised by the Asean-Korea Centre, Laos' Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and the Korea Crafts Council.
Mr Hansana went on to say that Lao handicrafts are of good quality bu t overseas markets want items with more modern designs.
“Korean buyers are fashionable and are interested in accessories and ornaments that match their outfits,” he said, noting that most Korean designers are advanced in terms of modernisation and commercialisation.
Lao handicraft makers need to enhance their product development capacity in terms of design and marketing for global market penetration.
According to Mr Hansana, a small quantity of Lao handicraft products has been sold to the Republic of Korea in recent years, most of them made of cotton.
“By adapting the concepts of Korean designers, our handicraft makers will be able to access the huge market in Korea,” he said, adding that the seminar would help participants to create more interesting designs in the near future.
Many handicraft manufacturers who are members of the association acknowledge the changing spectrum of designs but many companies need to pay more attention to current trends and customers' likes.
Secretary of the Asean-Korea Centre, General Kim Young-sun, said “We're here to explore consumer trends in Korea and to improve the capacity of Lao SMEs in the handicraft sector.”
He said the seminar was designed to help Lao handicraft makers to create attractive products and to modernise their products to suit consumer demand.
“We hope this seminar will enhance the competitiveness of Lao handicraft products in global markets after sharing the expertise and concepts of product designs,” Mr Kim added.
Several experienced designers from the Republic of Korea were invited to share their expertise on product design. Most of them have visited Laos several times and found that Laos had a wealth of natural materials that could be processed and designed to generate good incomes.
Director General of the SME Promotion Department under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Mr Somdy Inmixay, also attended the event along with other officials.
