In the last calendar year 2019, the Bangladesh apparel export sector witnessed only a 0.44 percent export growth. Even after 40 years, Bangladesh’s garment industry is still trapped in manufacturing basic items. Almost 75% of the shipments consist of T-shirts, trousers, sweaters, formal shirts and jackets. Globally the apparel consumers are moving towards value-added and high-end garment items for upscale customers in the western world.
In this high-time visionary entrepreneurs are taking the challenge and manufacturing value-added and high-end garment items. Sheema Fashion is one such leading apparel manufacturing factories in Bangladesh.
Sheema Fashion is a 100% export-oriented apparel manufacturer in Bangladesh. It was established in 2016 but in this brief span of time, it has created a leading example in the textile and apparel industry. Building trust and confidence for its customers through innovation and dynamic production process.
A few years back Md. Abul Hossain, Managing Director of Sheema Fashion was looking for a garment manufacturing factory to do a value-added product. Namely called ‘biker’s jeans’ – prevents serious injury to a biker in case of a bike accident. But none of the big factories could provide support to do the order.
Then Abul Hossain bought Sheema Fashion and set up with necessary manpower and machinery to start producing high-priced value-added denim. Though the order was not big he kept the order to gain expertise in value-added denim to get higher prices.
Abul Hossain said, “A lot of Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers are at a loss when it comes to pricing. For instance, ‘biker’s jeans’ per-unit price is more than $30. But our readymade garment (RMG) manufacturers demand below price and count loss.”
He also told that doing a technical apparel product needs a skilled workforce, strong management and advanced machinery. Which is a pre-requisite for these kinds of apparel.
Amidst of the downtrend of global apparel business retailers/brands are closing their shops just to minimize their cost. Brands are looking for cheaper options and new product lines to attract customers.
In this scenario, Sheema Fashion came up with a revolutionary idea, the factory started its sewing line for the making of both knit and woven products to grab both knit and woven product categories that the concern brands sell in their shops.
Also, by combining both woven and knit sewing production it will ensure no operator stays idle in knit or woven. This also greatly increased efficiency and no order will be left only to lack of capacity.
This process aids the knit and woven operators to exchange views and knowledge as well as to understand the difference between both the line processes.
Md. Abul Hossain said, “To exchange knit and woven operators and make them familiar for both of the products require special guidance, just training is not enough to build expertise. It is needed to assist them to work in the sewing machine as they become accomplished.”
In fine, it can be opined that the idea of mixture for both knit and woven sewing lines can be an example for other manufacturers to follow.
