Bangladesh Denim Expo 2014.

The history of denim and jeans takes us from southern France to the USA via northern England and the pants of Genovese sailors. Bangladesh is an unlikely chapter in the tale. But just as Italy grew into a denim powerhouse in the 1980s, Bangladesh has transformed into a respected supplier of denim and jeans to all points across the globe, becoming, in a sense, the weft to America’s warp. To begin the story of jeans in 2014, rather than 1873, it is impossible to omit the contribution of Bangladesh’s denim mills, jeans manufacturers and laundries.

The inaugural edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo takes place November 11-12, 2014 at the Radission Blu Water Garden Hotel in Dhaka. The show offers international fashion buyers a one-stop sourcing platform for all aspects of jeans wear. Exclusive to authorized trade visitors, the Expo acts as a hub for players on the international denim scene to mingle with colleagues make new contacts and broker deals. Modern facets of the industry, including health & safety, sustainability and education, will be discussed, and future mega-trends presented.

The Bangladesh Denim Expo celebrates the country’s role in shaping the denim scene today, and explores Bangladesh’s position in the industry of the future. Bangladesh’s part in the denim jigsaw is relentlessly international. The country imports vast quantities of raw material and exports jeans in numbers scarcely known outside the PRC. The international element is represented among the Expo’s exhibitors, with Bangladeshi businesses standing shoulder-to-shoulder with firms from the Italy, Turkey, Japan, Pakistan and India among others.

The show will also advance compliance for health & safety. And it will have a strong focus on investment for education and training for young people. To build a future, we must transfer knowledge internally to a new generation of designers, merchandisers, buyers, production technicians and entrepreneurs in the Bangladesh denim industry. Any surplus funds generated by the show will be donated to a seed fund for a Denim university in Bangladesh. Ultimately, this will benefit everyone who trades in this country.