DES MOINES, Iowa — When most people think of the fashion industry, their minds may wander to places like New York City or Los Angeles.
But one company that has shaken up the industry since jumping into the scene in 2021 is based in the heart of downtown Des Moines: Dhakai.com.
Owner and founder Russel Karim said he could move elsewhere if he wanted, but being made in Iowa is a point of pride.
On a typical day, as Karim talks with his staff on different projects and improvements they can make to products, he’s well aware being an entrepreneur comes with twists and turns. Adjustments are important.
“We’re a fashion tech company that’s transforming a $100 billion promotional and uniform legacy industry,” he said.
Karim’s goal behind his company is to help small-to-mid sized brands and companies build a relationship with their manufacturers and know exactly who is making their products. This way customers are also in the know about who they buy from.
“Millennials and Gen Z, we want to know where our products are coming from. The transparency is so important for this generation. They have to really know exactly where their products are coming from," he said. "They have to really know how these products are made and how this aligns with the values of their companies and that’s exactly why we come in. We’ve really built a technology that allows these promotional product distributors to get their products sourced ethically, cost effectively, and know exactly where their products are made."
For Karim, eliminating the middle man in the supply chain between customer and manufacturer wasn’t just a business idea he dreamed up over night.
“The clothing and fashion touches pretty much so many people in Bangladesh, where I grew up, and I wanted to do something that can elevate opportunities for those people," Karim said. ". . .Down the road, we wanted to create more technology, create more resources that would help pass those benefits to workers at those factories."
According to Forbes, Bangladesh is the second largest garment exporting country in the world, only behind China, accounting for more than 80 percent of Bangladesh’s export income. Karim hopes Dhakai can make a lasting impact in his native country.
“Bringing women to the workforce, it hasn’t been done before in that part of the world and I think fashion and this garment industry has done that for us and now when you bring 50 percent of your women workforce, think about how that transforms a country,” he said.
Dhakai is now a bridge weaving two worlds.
“I have two root: One root is in Iowa and one root is where I was born in Bangladesh,” Karim said.
Being educated at UNI and University of Iowa, keeping Dhakai home is a big deal to him.
Now, serving more than 70 promotional distributors and their brands like the Philadelphia Eagles and Lowe’s, to name a few, he hopes all stories lead back here.
“This is Iowa’s story," Karim said. "There are so many amazing businesses built in Iowa."
Karim hopes in the next five to seven years, he can create about thousand jobs through Dhakai.