The fashion industry employs millions worldwide, from artists and models to dressmakers, merchandisers, and many more. However, it has also been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic as the majority of the work in the sector is carried out by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Although SMEs hold the largest proportion of the market in developing economies, they tend to have limited reliable safety nets and make little to no net revenue in their first 4–6 months of business. Many are also not fully prepared for digitalization, which can create a communication gap between consumers and producers. These combined factors pose serious risk for the labor force that relies on the clothing industry in Asian countries such as the People's Republic of China and Bangladesh, the world's leading clothing producers. Ready-to-wear apparel comprised 84% of Bangladesh's total exports in 2019, highlighting the economy's vulnerability to a deterioration in manufacturing. The country suffered over $3 billion in losses from order cancellations in 2020 alone. - blog.adb.org/blogs

A version of this article appears in the print on June 20, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.