Garment manufacturing wasn't known as the 'rag trade' for nothing. The slang for mass-produced clothing hinted at the varying quality and tough conditions under which it was made.
The decline of the industry in Britain and elsewhere was met in those former powerhouses with a mixture of bitter-sweet nostalgia and relief.
Over the past 25 years, the efforts of two Hong Kong-based brothers have been banishing sweatshop conditions in Bangladesh, one of the countries where the ready-made garment industry has flourished.
At one time, many consumers would have turned a blind eye to exploitative working conditions or products from a supply chain that took a toll on people's health and the environment. Now, attitudes have changed and big clothing brands are keen to assure the market of the ethical integrity of their products. For Bangladesh, much of this is thanks to the India-born siblings (and business competitors) who run their global operations from two separate entities in Kwun Tong.
Another development welcomed by Ranjan Mahtani, CEO of Epic Group, and Sanjeev Mahtani, managing director of Must Garments, is that top executives from the likes of Wal-Mart, Gap and big European brands now see Bangladesh as an essential stopover because of the huge number of products being produced there.
'Bangladesh is noted for the flannel shirt business ... the garment industry was known as a down and dirty business. I have tried to stay away from that,' Sanjeev says. 'What we have done is take the business that was done in China into Bangladesh. That has been the key to how we have done our expansion and the value we have brought is going to grow more value.'
Alongside business acumen and efficient production, both have instigated an industrial revolution of their own in Bangladesh by pioneering vastly improved working conditions and eco-friendly manufacturing, creating opportunities for communities and families. Not only has this more than met the stringent ethical compliance now demanded by the West, it has set the benchmark for better conditions among other garment manufacturers.
