H&M to take part in next week’s denim expo

Swedish retail giant H&M is going to take part in the Bangladesh Denim Expo for the first time to showcase its denim items produced following environmental, water and climate guidelines.

The theme of the 11th edition of the event, which is going to be organised in Dhaka on November 5 and 6, is “Responsibility”.

“The Bangladesh Denim Expo is a good platform to raise awareness in the denim industry regarding environmental, social and economic sustainability.

The platform can be used to drive discussion in water and climate change areas in Bangladesh,” said Ziaur Rahman, regional country manager of H&M Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Ethiopia.

H&M buys garment items worth more than $3 billion every year from Bangladesh.

The exposition aims to make the denim industry more responsible and H&M is collaborating with it in this edition to materialise the goal, Rahman said.

“I am delighted and excited about the collaboration,” he said in a statement on Monday.

Rahman said H&M always holds the responsibility to ensure its products are manufactured in the most ethical, environmentally-friendly, and sustainable manner.

The retailer is going to set up a special booth to showcase denims produced responsibly and the brand practices and prioritises in responsibility.

“The collaboration of H&M in the expo will undoubtedly drive the country’s denim industry to be more responsible,” said Mostafiz Uddin, founder and CEO of the Bangladesh Denim Expo.

He said conducting business and developing products within the denim industry can have far-reaching consequences on the environment, on the people making the products, and on the products’ end use and lifespan.

He said the Expo believes that it is the duty of all stakeholders in the apparel industry to acknowledge this responsibility and to analyse business practices, for the benefit of all.

During the two-day event, 99 exhibitors from 11 countries, namely host Bangladesh, China, Japan, Italy, India, Singapore, Brazil, Spain, Pakistan, Turkey, and Germany will take part.

The exposition will highlight Bangladesh’s growth potential in the denim industry and will be a get-together for buyers, manufacturers and professionals, where they will share experiences on the latest trend of fashions and innovation in technology.