The high standards of Irish design and the favourable exchange rate were two factors helping clothing manufacturers from the Republic sell their wares to Northern retailers at a two-day fashion fair in Belfast this week.

An Bord Trachtala, which organised the fair, is targeting the independent ladieswear retail sector in the North which is worth more than £110 million sterling per annum. Companies from the Republic currently account for less than 10 per cent of this, and German and other Continental manufacturers hold the biggest share of the market.

The Northern Ireland manager of An Bord Trachtala, Mr Donald Black, said he believed it was realistic to aim for a 50 per cent increase in business over three years. He said provisional crossborder trade figures for 1997 showed a increase in sales of Southern-manufactured clothing of between 10 and 12 per cent.

In the past, Irish companies had concentrated on British and European markets, but were now facing a surge in demand from the North's specialist retailers, Mr Black said. "Irish fashion has a reputation for design and quality," he added.

Ten companies showed their autumn/winter collections at the fair, which was aimed at independent retailers in the middle to upper end of the ladieswear sector.

A similar event, showing spring/summer collections, was organised by An Bord Trachtala on a trial basis last August. As a result of the positive response from the 14 companies taking part, it is now planned to make the fair a biannual event.

A preview of 1999's spring/summer collections is already being planned for August. Three new knitwear companies, which currently do no business in the North, were introduced to the fair on this occasion.

Mr Black said the timing of the event, entitled First View, a showcase of contemporary Irish fashion, was all-important as it gave retailers the opportunity to see the collections early, before this weekend's major trade fair in Birmingham. "The companies came back and asked us to organise it again because it was such a success the last time," he added.

Mr Rory McGurk, representing Michel Ambers, said he had opened 15 new accounts during the August fair, and that business was "even better" on this occasion. "The range has been very well received, and with the difference in the exchange rate, our stock is 10 per cent cheaper here than in the South," he said.

Irish design, he claimed, had the reputation of being more modern and stylish than German fashions, which were viewed as slightly staid. As he spoke in the Europa Hotel in the centre of Belfast, agents for German manufacturers were exhibiting stock in a hotel on the outskirts of the city.

Mr Denis Charlton, sales and marketing manager with Liza Lovell, said the company was now well-established in the North and sales had been growing steadily in recent years. Trade showings were hugely useful, particularly for smaller firms, he added, as it allowed them to benefit from the sales and marketing expertise of An Bord Trachtala and also to meet the customers of larger, more established firms. A colour brochure, introducing each participating company was circulated to selected retailers. The next stage of the push into this sector in the North will be to develop business with existing customers. Retailers in a particular town generally want exclusivity, and once companies have a good customer base, they must then try to take a greater share of each retailer's buy, Mr Black said.