Bangladesh’s economic landscape has seen a profound narrative change in the past decades. With the expansion of job market, there has been a social transition. This shift has altered how young people explore self-expression.
It is such an atmosphere where an individual reaching his/her desired savings or salary at age 50 has fewer avenues to explore new lifestyle interests than, for example, a 28-year-old earning a six-figure income a month.
While the youth always remain the driving force of trends of fashion, today’s dominant mode of self-expression shapes consumer choices within the beauty and fashion industry. Accordingly, the country is now developing its homegrown premium and luxury lifestyle market.
So, running a premium brand is entirely different from simply buying from it. For a fashion promoter and marketer, selling luxury items to a modern audience requires a deep understanding of visual culture, consumer psychology, and of course regional trends.
This new retail reality is also heavily influenced by global behavioural shifts.
Inflation as reflected in years of price hikes has reshaped shopping people’s behaviour. The Business of Fashion 2025; and McKinsey & Company’s The State of Fashion report 2024 said that 73 percent of US Gen-Z consumers reported shifts in their spending habits due to increased prices. Both Millennials and Gen-Z, data suggest, prefer an immersive experience over a simple expense.
What affects the global market ultimately affects local luxury brands and the stagnation is visible in dwindling social media engagement, pushing brands into narrow niches where they often resort to unjustified pricing to offset losses.
This is precisely where the disconnect within the country’s local fashion and beauty industry reveals itself. When consumers become highly selective and value experiences, standard marketing approaches fail, requiring more dynamic approaches and evolving of the brands themselves.
To understand that, the brands need specialised individuals who are deeply familiar with the field, professionals who understand both creative design and corporate strategy to drive localised, high-value business growth.
Historically, local businesses relied on generalist business graduates for these strategic roles. But as our lifestyle industry matures and aims to attain international standards, general degrees are no longer enough. Different sectors now demand specific, strategic qualifications, institutions that deliver international higher education courses in Bangladesh, are stepping in to fill this talent gap.
By choosing specific, niche degrees instead of general ones, young graduates may step directly into high-level global corporate paths. In response to this shift, global qualifications are offered in Dhaka as well through introduction of a bachelor’s programme in Fashion Promotion and Marketing. As Bangladesh’s premium lifestyle economy continues to grow, the businesses that succeed will be those led by executives who know how to market an aspiration, not just a product.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author
The author is the Advisor of Fashion Promotion and Marketing at Universal College Bangladesh. She can be reached at: [email protected]
