When most girls are rushing for foreign fashion wears, the picture is quite different in case of males. From lungi to jeans, T-shirt to punjabi and cap to shoes, local brands and designs almost are dominating men’s fashion choice, said sector insiders. Apparel brands like Cats’ Eye, Aarong, Monsoon Rain, Yellow, Key Kraft, Plus Point, Ecstasy, Rex, Anjan’s, O2, Bangla’r Mela, Grameen, Shada Kalo, Silver Rain, Freeland, Infiniti, Westecs, Artisti, Gentle Park, shoe brands like Apex, Bay, and other local brands and non-brand shops have captured the maximum share of sales during festivals like Eid. The industries are now eyeing windfall profits on the occasion of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. Clothing brands in Bangladesh are drawing consumers’ attention as they continue to offer fashion-rich items conforming to native tastes. The affordable price range of the clothes has also been a key factor for the local brands’ growing popularity, especially among the youth. Md Arman Ali, manager of Plus Point at Elephant Road, a popular local brand, said they stepped into the market to bring a change in people’s fashion tastes. “We usually focus on serving the middle-income generation of people with fashion-rich local clothes,” he said. “Boys have been attracted most by our efforts while girls nominally,” he said. “Yes, girls buy dresses from Plus Point, but not for them but for their friends, brothers or husbands,” he said. He said they have experienced 15-20 per cent sales growth on an average since 2003, the year of its inception. However, he informed the FE that this year they have launched cotton-made slim-fit printed shirts, T-shirts, long, short and semi-fit punjabi, gabardine pants, male and female fatuas. Price ranges between Tk500 and Tk2500. He said sales have increased and they are expecting it would cross last year’s sales volume. Shohag Parvez, executive officer (sales and distribution) at Cat’s Eye, a pioneer in the men’s fashion industry in the country said his company had almost maintained over ten per cent growth since 1993. “We have expanded our products to T-shirts of many forms, formal and informal shirts, pants, jackets, waist-belt, punjabis, shoes and so on,” he said. He said his company mainly focuses on men’s fashion and the demand for products usually increases ten times during Eid festivals. “We are expecting good business this year through our 22 outlets in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet as the political condition is calm. However, brands like Aarong, Key Kraft, Anjan’s, Banglar Mela, Grameen, Shada Kalo, and some other brands attract both males and females. Director of Banglar Mela Emdadul Hoque said popularity of local brands has gradually been increasing. He said both males and females are now rushing for local branded products. Men’s punjabi, shirts, fatua, women’s saree, shalwar kamiz, kuti, tops and baby dresses by the local brands have been attracting a broad range of customers. “Designers will have to feel the pulse of the consumers who are virtually now cosmopolitan in this era of internet,” he added. Vice president of Fashion Udyog, the association of local apparel brands, Shaheen Ahmed said there are 4,500 fashion houses in the country now which was 2,000 five years back. He said the local brands have gradually been capturing the major market share. But, the recent increase in value added tax (VAT) has come as a big blow for the medium and small-scale traders, he said. Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity president SA Kader Kiron said clothing and footwear sales account for nearly Tk250 billion during Eid-ul-Fitr of which men’s share is about 35 per cent. “And this section mainly depends on local products, which is very positive for the domestic economy,” he said.
