Designex: Weaving student innovation into apparel

From professional leagues to club-based tournaments in universities, the demand for sportswear is growing in Bangladesh. Among them is Designex, a creative apparel and sportswear brand founded by two seniors from Brac University: Asraful Alam Rafin (senior, BBS) and SB Kabya (senior, CSE), along with another friend of theirs.

The journey began in 2022 at BracU’s residential campus, well before the initiative became known as Designex. “We started mainly from TARC, where we realized the demand for quality jerseys at an affordable price,” said Rafin. Despite lacking prior part-time work experience, they focused on providing enhanced quality and packaging for top-level clients. Kabya added that they worked to provide better fabric at a low cost and standout design.

Designex has since collaborated with professional football clubs like Chittagong Abahani Ltd. and Southern City FC, as well as top universities across Bangladesh, including Dhaka University and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, designing customized jerseys and merchandise. They have further worked with corporate clients such as Jamuna Bank and Nestlé Bangladesh, and have delivered products internationally to Bhutan, Canada, Australia, and Austria. The duo credits the BracU community for part of their success. Highlighting collaborations with numerous clubs and events, Kabya said, “BracU itself became a huge marketplace.” Faculty support played a vital role in navigating technical and business hurdles. 

Rafin expressed their upcoming ambition: “We want to expand Designex to establish a market for affordable sportswear in Bangladesh.” For aspiring entrepreneurs, He advised, “Start small. Focus on planning and budgeting. University life gives you the space to fail, learn, and rise again.”