French Fashion Brand Celio Opens Dhaka Office as Bangladesh Strengthens EU Apparel Ties

French fashion retailer Celio has opened a new sourcing office in Dhaka, with BGMEA leadership attending the inauguration ceremony. The move signals growing European mid-market brand interest in direct Bangladesh sourcing.

Celio's Dhaka Expansion

French menswear fashion brand Celio has inaugurated a new sourcing office in Dhaka, marking a significant expansion of its direct Bangladesh presence. The opening ceremony was attended by senior BGMEA leadership, reflecting the association's active role in facilitating deeper relationships between Bangladeshi apparel manufacturers and European mid-market fashion retailers. The new office will allow Celio to bypass intermediaries and work directly with factory partners on product development, quality assurance, and sustainability compliance.

Why European Brands are Setting Up Directly

Celio's move is part of a broader trend of European fashion brands establishing direct sourcing offices in Dhaka rather than relying on buying agents or third-party sourcing platforms. Direct presence allows brands to negotiate better prices, monitor factory conditions first-hand, accelerate product development cycles, and build long-term partnerships with selected factories — increasingly important as the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) imposes new supply chain transparency obligations on European companies.

France as a Strategic Market

France is Bangladesh's sixth-largest apparel export destination in the EU, with annual RMG imports from Bangladesh exceeding $2 billion. Celio's expanded Dhaka presence is expected to deepen this trade relationship and may encourage other French fashion brands to follow suit. BGMEA has identified France as a priority market for diversification beyond Bangladesh's traditional EU strongholds of Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands.

BGMEA's Sourcing Office Attraction Strategy

BGMEA has been actively courting international brands to set up direct sourcing offices in Dhaka, offering facilitation services including factory match-making, regulatory navigation, and office space locator support. The association argues that every new direct sourcing office creates an estimated 50-100 high-skilled local jobs in merchandising, quality assurance, and compliance, while also securing long-term export commitments from the brand.

Looking Forward

Industry observers note that the trend of direct brand presence is likely to accelerate as global apparel sourcing consolidates around fewer, deeper supplier relationships. BGMEA has indicated it will continue to engage proactively with international brands interested in establishing or expanding their Dhaka sourcing operations.