The fifth Laleli Fashion Shopping Festival will take place from Aug. 8-14 in Istanbul with seven countries participating. Organized by the Laleli Industrialists and Businessmen Association (LASİAD), the festival takes place in Istanbul's Laleli neighborhood, an area engaging in export activities.

The area has been a dynamic and modern trade center for years despite ever-changing economic conditions around the world. Trade contacts made through the Laleli Fashion Shopping Festival has reached several million dollars in recent years. Established in 2012, the festival gathers hundreds of businesses active in the Laleli area to learn to better use production, marketing and sales channels; to increase export volume and thus, to provide foreign exchange earnings.

In previous years, the festival hosted guests from various countries like Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Sudan, Nigeria, Iran, Senegal, Brazil, Pakistan, India, China, South Africa, Lebanon and Ghana. Many brands are introduced at stands and various discounts are offered to costumers during the festival. The festival is also a chance to open alternative paths to revive the export industry in Turkey. As in the previous editions, the fashion show is expected to continue this year.