The 11th Bangladesh Denim Expo attracted 99 exhibitors from 11 countries and once again proved itself the most significant show of its kind in Bangladesh with total of 5,692 visitors. The exhibitors showed fabrics, garments, threads, machinery, finishing equipment and accessories, positioning the show as a true representation of Bangladesh’s denim industry. The great and good of this diverse industry once again descended on the expo which illustrated, once again, that the denim sector of Bangladesh is in rude health. The Bangladesh denim industry is the second largest denim exporter to the EU and third largest to the United States. The expo also saw other participating countries including China, Japan, Italy, India, Singapore, Brazil, Spain, Pakistan, Turkey and Germany. Responsibility was the theme of the 11th Bangladesh Denim Expo. Founder and CEO Bangladesh Denim Expo Mostafiz Uddin said: “It is the duty of all stakeholders in the denim industry to acknowledge their responsibility and to analyse the business practices for the benefit of all.” Leading global fashion brand, H&M Group, this year collaborated with Bangladesh Denim Expo and in a specially built zone of H&M within the expo the responsible sourcing practices of H&M were showcased. H&M’s Head of Sustainability, Global Production, was also present at a panel discussion of the expo. Other panels speakers include Andrew Olah, the founder of Kingpins denim show, Alice Tonello, R&D director with the Tonello Group, world renowned denim designer, Piero Turk and Jordi Juani, Asia regional director with Jeanologia. The speakers discussed the social, environmental and economic responsibilities of the denim industry. Highlights of the show included a series of product displays, presentations, seminar sessions and panel discussions. The aim was to encourage healthy debate and interaction among exhibitors and visitors to champion a more responsible denim industry.
