APICCAPS, the Portuguese Footwear, Components and Leather Goods Manufacturers’ Association, has launched a new web TV channel focusing on fashion and lifestyle. The main program of this online platform is called What´s Up - Olhar a moda (What´s Up - Look fashion) and is also being broadcasted on Portuguese TV channel RTP2 on a monthly basis at lunch time on Sundays. With a twenty five minutes long length, this new editorial project from APICCAPS makes use of the footwear industry, one of the most dynamic sectors within the Portuguese economy, to explore the fashion world in Portugal.

What´s Up - Olhar a moda will follow, step by step, the most important fashion events in the country, broadcasting some of the most relevant success stories and giving prominence to some of main players of the most internationalized industry in Portugal.

According to APICCAPS, with this new project: “the quality and excellence of the Portuguese footwear industry will be known to a wider audience, and a new flow of communication will be implemented across all the important players in the country". Focusing on an attractive speech, the project also "has the objective of revealing to young people all the potential of the footwear industry, highlighting the emerging opportunities for international careers".

APICCAPS has been extremely active in the promotion of the industry and, last year, a project developed by the association in partnership with the Academy of Design and Footwear, Portuguese Shoes: The sexiest industry in Europe won the competition of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards in the category "Support to the internationalization of enterprises". This initiative of the European Commission distinguishes the best practices of entrepreneurship in Europe, in order to stimulate economic development and job creation at a local level.

Such initiates reflect on the excellent performance of the sector in the last few years. In 2013 Portuguese footwear exports increased 8% and reached a total value over 1 700 million euros, corresponding to 74 million pairs sold to clients distributed across 150 countries all over the world. This was the 3rd consecutive year with a recorded growth in exports and since 2010 the footwear sector increased 28%, despite the international economic slowdown.