TEHRAN – A two-day exhibition on traditional clothing opened Wednesday in Bandar Abbas, the capital of Hormozgan province, aiming to turn cultural heritage into an economic asset and expand access to global markets for the region’s authentic attire.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the Homa Hotel, Abbas Raisi, the provincial tourism chief, said traditional clothing represents both cultural heritage and economic capital, with the potential to drive the creative economy of the province and the country, IRNA reported.

Referring to that valuable arts such as Golabtoon embroidery, and needlework, he stated that these arts, in addition to preserving the local identity, can become competitive goods in domestic and international markets.

He also said: “Our main path is to move from display to production, from production to branding, and from there to the market and export.”

Listing Hormozgan's geopolitical advantages, proximity to the markets of the Persian Gulf countries, and the compatibility of the regional customers’ tastes with ethnic clothing, he considered this province one of the best regions in the country for exporting the handicrafts and traditional clothing.

Raisi listed supporting the exports, cooperating with economic institutions, taking advantage of international exhibitions, and creating standard digital marketing routes as the focal points of this department.

Emphasizing the need to make reliable provincial brands, he said: “We need specialized training, strengthening design, standardizing sewing, and creating presentable cultural narratives to compete in national and global markets. The final product must have consistent quality, appropriate packaging, coordinated design, and a distinct visual identity.”

Raisi also referred to the pivotal role of women artisans in production of traditional clothing, adding: “Supporting this field is actually supporting the sustainable employment, empowering women, and developing the economy of local families, and our goal is to create a coherent value chain from design to sales and exports.”

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