A relationship built on trust, transparency and teamwork, all three are difficult to find among the garment manufacturers and buying agents, but not in case of ORYX Bangladesh and its suppliers.
Catering predominantly to French buyers, ORYX Bangladesh was set up in Dhaka in 1993 with the intent of giving a whole new definition to garment sourcing even as from the very beginning, the ORYX management has decided to apply a hands-on approach focused on commitment, responsibility and honesty.
Apparel Resources (AR) caught up with Corinne Dogra (Founder and Managing Director), who runs the company with her India-born husband Vishal Dogra, to know more about ORYX.
Thirty years in action, ORYX must be doing something right and we soon found that out.
Commitment and responsibility have been the guiding principles of Corinne’s business philosophy all throughout. Having started as a starry-eyed French youngster, she took a flight to Hong Kong from her home city of Troyes (renowned as the birthplace of famous French brand Lacoste) to do something on her own before settling down in Bangladesh for good.
Rest, as they say, is history!
“The first time I looked at Bangladesh from the window of the plane at the bare land from the sky, I sensed a whole new world yet to explore and eager to embrace change,” reminisces Corinne about her first rendezvous with Bangladesh, the country where she eventually met her future husband, set up business and spent over 30 years.
Boasting a strong team of thirty-five professionals (well-experienced in merchandising, production, quality control, compliance, shipping), ORYX today works with 20 supplier factories specialised in woven, knit, lingerie, home textiles, sweater, outerwear, ceramics and shoes to provide end-to-end, comprehensive and one-stop buying solution (from supplier sourcing, product development, price negotiation, merchandising follow-up, in-house technical support to production planning, in-line and final inspection up to the completion of shipping documents) for a host of direct French retailers, who are leaders in their respective market segments.
As an agent of the buyers and ambassador of their brands, ORYX plays its role to perfection even as it ensures direct communication (product development, production, quality assurance, timeline) with the buyers from the field, with no intermediaries or third-party interference along with comprehensive merchandising services (that include sourcing, costing, benchmarking, sampling, price/delivery negotiation, orders follow up, ready-to-ship status). With proactive and operational market intelligence at all levels (fabrics, treatments, products, manufacturing techniques, etc.) as well as seasonal consumer trends and competitive analysis, ORYX stands out from the rest.
The strict quality assurance and product risk management (stringent quality processes and audits are carried out — tests, raw materials, top of production, in-line and final inspections) by a strong expert dedicated team (all orders are inspected by ORYX’s agency without third party inspectors) along with equally strong Compliance and ESG implementation and traceability (audit social/environmental with a certified in-house SA8000 expatriate auditor and multiple charity/cultural/environmental action on the fields) helped ORYX carve out a niche for itself.
“We work essentially for the French market and it just happened by coincidence,” explains ORYX’s strong French business connection Corinne, the French pioneer clearing up the path from confidential garment sourcing in the ’90s to a sourcing market not to miss in 2023, who credits ORYX’s growing popularity to a host of reasons including its commitment to quality.
“Our expatriate manager heads a highly motivated team of proactive quality controllers. Every day they conduct a full garment quality control on-site, including control of fabrics and trims. The final inspection goes from AQL 1 to 2.5, according to each customer’s requirements,” explains Corinne, who works mostly with medium-sized factories that successfully cater to work orders of diverse quantities (in a wide range of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing in knit and woven), thanks to ORYX’s long-term business association with the suppliers, not to mention the promise of regular orders.
“We always try to create a win-win situation for the buyers and the factories and I think we are doing it right, after all, most of the suppliers as well as the buyers are with us for decades now,” underlines Corinne, who credits the stringent qualification criteria (each and every manufacturer is carefully selected by the management) for the long-term relationships with full-composite mills and well-established woven and sweaters groups (the industrial partners are all OEKO-TEX or GOTS-certified, thus giving the buyers the assurance of the company’s perfect understanding of international standards). Over the years, ORYX has added new product categories (leather, footwear, ceramics, home textiles) beyond the realms of apparel; leisurewear such as swim shorts and caps (in apparel) along with new services such as 3D sampling, to provide its clients a complete package.
“Our expatriate manager heads a highly motivated team of proactive quality controllers. Every day they conduct a full garment quality control on-site, including control of fabrics and trims. The final inspection goes from AQL 1 to 2.5, according to each customer’s requirements” – Corinne Dogra
“Every season we try to add a new product category,” says the French entrepreneur, who not only calls Bangladesh her home but is more than happy to act as a bridge between the buyers in France and garment makers in Bangladesh for mutual benefit.
“I believe as a buying entity, we have to break down the psychological barrier that to some extent still exists between the West and the East,” underlines Corinne, who as a trade advisor to the French Government not only inspired many French buyers to source from Bangladesh but also encouraged the French entities to invest in Bangladesh, especially in the garment and textile sector, as the country continues its move up the value chain from its once staple of basics apparel.
With sustainability increasingly becoming the key differentiator for business growth, Corinne believes garment makers in Bangladesh will do good to dwell more on eco-friendly and sustainable products, considering the market opportunities that are on offer.
An increasing number of end-users are keen on buying products that have a longer life cycle, which is being reflected in the buyers’ sourcing strategy as well, underlines the Managing Director of ORYX who believes France, in particular, is becoming a hot destination for sustainable offerings, including those made from alternative fabrics like hemp, to wind up on a positive note.
