Bangladesh Blues: The Scoop on Shasha Denims
Bangladesh may not have historically been top of mind for denim, but as the country advances its capabilities, it is becoming an increasingly major player in the space.
For Shasha Denims Limited, Bangladesh’s garment sector was lacking a quality denim provider when it come on the scene, and the company’s founder took it upon himself to fill that void in response to what he saw is growing customer demand.
Since then, Shasha has kept up on advancements and innovation, maintained state-of-the-art machinery, and can now count itself among the leading denim producers in Bangladesh. Making 21.6 million yards of denim fabric each year, Shasha has attracted the likes of Zara, Marks & Spencer, Target Australia, S’Oliver and Bestseller to name a few.
Carved in Blue caught up with Shasha Denims director, Jamal Abdun Naser, to get a glimpse at the lifeblood behind the company.
Carved in Blue: So who is Shasha? Tell us a little about the company.
Jamal: Since its establishment in 1996, Shasha Denims Limited has started to march with vigor from 2000 and now it is one of the leading denim fabric producers in Bangladesh. The company is located in the Dhaka Export Processing Zone (DEPZ) with the best available infrastructural facility. Over the years, the company has been researching for technology and experiences, which can enable the company to produce quality denim fabrics that are compatible with world-renowned denim producers. Our newly added sustainable processing range saves more than 60 percent of water and 40 percent of chemicals than any conventional ranges. As our new company slogan is “Blue is the new Green”, sustainability is very important to our business.
Carved in Blue: How did Shasha get started in denim?
Jamal: It was end of 20th century. A massive decision was made by our owner—he decided to get into denim business because he found garments sector of Bangladesh was growing very fast at that time, but there was no denim factory in Bangladesh who can produce a top class denim fabric to support these garments for foreign customers. Just thinking about this he took a very big risk at that time and invested a lot of money to establish Shasha Denims Limited in 1996. Factory is established based on most modern dyeing technology and machines as well as all other equipment from Europe so that it can serve and produce the best quality denims for the buyers. Since then, Shasha Denims is producing top quality denim fabrics for the customers.
Carved in Blue: What are the key products in the Sha Sha line?
Jamal: Shasha is producing a high quality denim fabric for its customers. A main strength of Shasha is its quality stretch fabrics. We are experts in stretch and producing all types of stretch from 360-degree stretch to super stretch, comfort to shaping, along with sustainable fibers like TENCEL® lyocell branded fibers, hemp, Repreve® recycled poly from UNIFI, and so on.
Recently we have launched a new indigo processing range that we named “Sustainable Green Range,” that saves more than 60 percent of water and 40-50 percent of chemicals than any other conventional machine in the world. We are expecting that our new invention will open a new door in the world of indigo in terms of sustainability and fashion with new tones of indigo shade. Our newly developed very fast black is performing better than any other black. It retains its shade even after repeat and long washes. Our lighter indigo version fabric saves lot chemicals for light washes.
Carved in Blue: Why do you use TENCEL® fibers in the collection?
Jamal: TENCEL® fibers has given our product an extra image. This is far better than any other lyocell fiber in terms of quality and consistency. It has its own unique quality. We are producing a lot of fabrics with TENCEL® fibers—from lightweight to heavier, rigid to stretch. Every month we are selling minimum of 300,000 meters of fabrics with TENCEL® fibers to different brands.
Carved in Blue: How are you addressing sustainability?
Jamal: We think sustainability is a balancing act. Sustainability is one that attempts to bridge social science with civic engineering and environmental science with the technology of the future. When we hear the word “sustainability” we tend to think of renewable fuel sources, reducing carbon emissions, protecting environments and a way of keeping the delicate ecosystems of our planet in balance. In short, sustainability looks to protect our natural environment, human and ecological health, while driving innovation and production by not compromising our way of life. So we can say “sustainability” is the study of how natural systems function, remain diverse and produce everything it needs for the ecology to remain in balance.
Carved in Blue: What are the benefits of being located in Bangladesh?
Jamal: Marketing benefits are: very big market to sell the product to the foreign customers. Bangladesh has GSP facilities for EU markets. Production and other benefits are: plenty of skilled workforce, less/no worker migration, very good environment and infrastructure for an industry to get the most efficiency, sufficient land space, investment friendly government initiatives.
Carved in Blue: Which markets do most of Shasha’s products go to?
Jamal: We are a 100 percent export oriented fabric manufacturer. Most quantities we produce are sold to local garment manufacturers for exporting as a finished product. Ultimate end market of our product is Europe, UK, Australia, Japan and USA. Apart from Bangladesh we export some quantity fabric to Sri Lanka, Italy, Colombia and Vietnam.
Carved in Blue: How has Bangladesh changed in terms of corporate social responsibility since Rana Plaza?
Jamal: Rana Plaza 2013 incident is definitely one of the saddest incidents. Till today we feel sorrow from the deepest corner of our heart. But we should say the Rana Plaza 2013 incident is a separate story of Bangladesh garments sector. Since before the incident CSR has been maintained in the factories. But after the incident CSR became stronger than the past. Now each and every factory maintains CSR strictly. Without Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, BGMEA, Bangladesh Government’s clearance certificate, no one can run a factory. There is always a sudden audit going on and there’s no scope of non-compliant factories nowadays.
Carved in Blue: Which tradeshows can we expect to find Shasha in?
Jamal: We exhibit in Kingpins New York, Bangladesh Denim Expo, Denims & Jeans, Buyers’ Mill Weeks in different countries, and we do individual presentations to buyers in different countries.
Carved in Blue: A little about you now—what’s your favorite denim brand?
Jamal: Levi’s, G-Star, Diesel, Jack and Jones, Nudie Jeans.
Carved in Blue: When did you start in the denim business?
Jamal: 2000.
Carved in Blue: What is your favorite city to visit?
Jamal: Amsterdam, London, Paris, Tokyo.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Jamal: Carved in Blue is really a huge subject to discuss. The changes we find in indigo, from when it was born to present time is really vast. Every day new things are happening all around round the world. We see a lot of curve in denim in terms of structure, composition, weight, finishing process and so on. We are also a part of this. It is our passion to play with blue. Recently, we have developed a water and chemical saving process in indigo what we think a real big curve in blue.