Moldovan Fashion Maven Takes On Milan
Georgeta Ieahia grew up wanting to be a clothing designer. At age 17, she had her first client. Encouraged by her early success, Georgeta left her native Moldova to attend the London College of Fashion. Returning home, she opened a small tailor shop, Georgeta Design, employing seven people and producing clothing for scores of local residents. By most standards, she was successful. But Ieahia dreamed of accomplishing more.
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“USAID’s help in efficient workflow organization allowed us to fill our first significant order,” says Moldovan designer and entrepreneur Georgeta Ieahia
Photo Credit: Marina Kaim |
The first step was to showcase her clothing line to a broader, international audience. Under a USAID project to improve the export competitiveness of the Moldovan apparel industry, Ieahia was able to develop her first professional marketing materials. She took her new materials and collection to the Ready to Show Exhibition in Milan, one of the largest international clothing exhibitions in the world.
In Milan, Ieahia established several contacts with foreign buyers, which offered her the opportunity to expand her business outside of Moldova. Though Ieahia had always been a talented designer, she lacked the production skills to adequately meet foreign buyers’ needs. With USAID assistance, an international expert provided her with supply chain technical assistance enabling her to improve production flow and take on new business.
Thanks to her talent for design, the connections she made in Milan, and USAID assistance, Ieahia’s business is thriving. She still owns the tailor shop, but she has built a new, industrial-size enterprise called Actual Confectii, which employs 40 people and has the capacity to expand. Actual Confecti recently filled an order for 3,000 pieces in three styles for Italian fashion giant Max Mara.
“The experience of working with Max Mara, in combination with the advanced production organization assistance provided by USAID, will pave the way to making my dream of becoming a full package designer come true.” says Ieahia. She is currently busy creating a new collection for the next trade show.
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