The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has taken an initiative to promote local heritage fashion apparels in the global market as part of its efforts to diversify the export basket.
Local apparel makers hope that it will help them achieve the $100 billion garment export target by 2030.
Bangladesh exported garment items worth nearly $47 billion where contribution of heritage fashion like jamdani, khadi, muslin and mixed local garment items was insignificant.
Lately, the apex trade body for the garment exporters has been trying to diversify their export items in line with the export target.
Their diversification ranges from the selection of fibre, garment items and yarn to markets.
They are also trying to switch to man-made fibre clothing from the cotton apparels, which are still dominating the exports, in a bid to get more prices from the international retailers and brands.
“As a result, the international retailers and brands are giving higher price for those high-value garment items as the consumers are ready to pay more on them”
Faruque Hassan, BGMEA president
“The percentage of the use of the non-cotton fibre has been growing gradually as many of the local garment exporters have concentrated on the man-made fibre garment export in recent years,” said BGMEA President Faruque Hassan at a press conference at the BGMEA office in the capital on Sunday.
The export of local heritage fashion items has also been gradually rising as the international consumers are increasingly showing interest for the local fusion fashion, he added.
Local heritage fashion would not be blended with the making of RMG products such as coats, jackets, and different woven and knit items.
However, after a long training to the professional weavers, workers, factory owners and exporters, local jamdani, khadi and muslin fabrics are now being used in making those.
“As a result, the international retailers and brands are giving higher price for those high-value garment items as the consumers are ready to pay more on them,” the BGMEA president further said.
However, Hassan could not exactly say how much of such fusion products are being exported from the country.
The Freight on Board (FoB) prices of the garment made from the heritage fabric starts from $100 to few hundred dollars, Hassan said.
For grabbing international market for those high-value garment items, the BGMEA has organised a three-day fair at its Uttara office complex from Sunday.
Some 40 local entrepreneurs are exhibiting their heritage apparel products at the fair.
“When Bangladesh started garment exports to Japan, many feared that the shipment will get stalled to a certain point as Japanese buyers are very choosy and meticulous in quality inspection,” the BGMEA president said.
Over the journey of nearly one decade, Bangladesh’s clothing exports surpassed $1.6 billion to Japan, which is the single largest export destination among all the non-traditional markets, he noted.
