TASHKENT: Creative leaders and policymakers from around the world gathered in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on Wednesday for the opening day of the fourth World Conference on Creative Economy. Opening the event was keynote speaker and supermodel Naomi Campbell, who lauded the power of the fashion economy in an interview with Arab News. The conference, organized by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, is taking place until Oct.
4. In her opening remarks, Campbell said: “The theme of this year’s conference, ‘Inclusively Creative: A Shifted Reality,’ could not be more fitting. We are in a time of immense transformation, and this gathering is a testament to the power of creativity to not only adapt to but also lead these changes.
” The creative sectors are currently undergoing a transformation which can be a force for inclusive, sustainable economic growth. Cultural and creative industries are among the fastest-growing globally, generating annual revenues of nearly US$2.3 trillion, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
In a panel discussion titled “Threads of Inclusion: The Impact of Fashion on the Creative Economy,” Campbell explored how supporting up-and-coming fashion designers within Africa and the diaspora, especially in emerging markets, can build economies and yield growth. “There is a such a great impact,” she told Arab News afterwards. “I think governments of emerging markets didn’t realize before the impact what their tal.
