Top 20 Finalists of Garment Workers to Compete at ‘I am Precious’ 2009 Fashion Show

Friday, November 27, 2009

Top 20 finalists of Cambodian garment workers will compete in a dress and T-shirt fashion show marking
the final event of ‘I am Precious’ 2009 campaign. Ten dresses and ten T-shirts designed by the finalists
will be presented on a catwalk. The winners from each category will be announced this Sunday 29
November at 4:00pm at Chaktomuk Conference Hall.
‘I am Precious’ campaign and competition aims to promote self value of garment workers by increasing
awareness of their work, abilities and skills and encouraging them to realize their potential. The
competition also aims to showcase that there are rewarding careers in the industry. The campaign hopes to
broaden garment workers’ opportunities for career growth while contributing to industry’s reputation and to
the economic and social development of Cambodia. Moreover, the campaign contributes to the positive
image of the industry globally through international brands involvement.
The event will be presided by H.E. Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Women’s Affairs and attended by
governmental and UN dignitaries, stakeholders from the Cambodian garment industry and garment workers.
The second edition of the ‘I am Precious’ campaign and competition with this year’s theme ‘Made-in-
Cambodia’ was launched mid July and opened for entries for two months. This resulted over 1,100
submissions of dress and T-shirt designs received from 465 workers working in 35 garment factories.
The selected top ten designs of each category are made into dresses and T-shirts and will be judged by two
separate panels composed of government representatives and experts from the Cambodian garment and
fashion industry. The winners will be awarded prizes.
Prizes include pattern making training course, health insurance, reproductive health care service, sewing
machines, TVs, bicycles, Wing accounts with mobile phones and SIM cards, dresses and T-shirts designed
by finalists themselves and cash. Moreover, the first winner for T-shirt design will be co-designing a new
T-shirt to be distributed to garment workers. The prizes are sponsored by H&M, Levi Strauss & Co.,
Disney, GAP, Wing, Marie Stopes International Cambodia and many others.
‘I am Precious’ is a joint campaign under a collaboration of Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA),
Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MoLVT), Ministry of Commerce (MoC), ILO Better Factories
Cambodia, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Garment Manufacturers’ Association in
Cambodia (GMAC), Garment Industry Productivity Center (GIPC), Unions and Precious Girl Magazine.
The fashion show starts on Sunday 29, November 2009 4:00pm at Chaktomuk Conference Hall on
Sisowath Quay. This event is open to the press.