From December 5 to 8, 2021, Iran hosted the International Apparel Exhibition. The event sought to help enterprises engaged or interested in the Iranian fashion sector find domestic and international business prospects. 167 domestic exhibitors, ranging from clothes and accessory stores and manufacturers to industrial businesses and yarn and textile producers, showcased their wares at the trade expo. There were other software firms there that provided design and retail management solutions. Iran’s apparel sector has experienced an increasingly unstable and unpredictable economic climate over the previous decade. Sanctions and broader market volatility in Iran have resulted in a sharp increase in illegal fashion imports. Iranian fashion manufacturers have been sourcing additional fabrics and raw materials from China and Turkey as a result of Western sanctions. They also forced certain local fabric providers to develop higher-quality textiles as the market required it more and more. Iranian customers, like their counterparts worldwide, raced to buy apparel from e-commerce operators and direct-to-consumer businesses during the epidemic, hastening the spread of online shopping.
The Iranian fashion market is mostly made up of Iranian products. The remaining 20% to 30% of the market is made up of either illicit imports or commodities manufactured in Iran by foreign enterprises.
