Fashion and flair from promising and established fashion designers made a splash at Bangladesh Fashion Week, returning in all glory after the nightmarish lull during the Covid outbreak. Sheikh Saifur Rahman dissects the designers and their designs as he takes a close look at the two-day fashion week, themed ‘Wear clothes that tell a real story of people and planet’.
Surprises at the opening or closing sessions of any event can make all the difference and fashionistas of the city probably realised this at the Bangladesh Fashion Week-2023 that was held recently.
Despite a delay caused by administrative glitches, Chandana Dewan exceled at the opening presentation on the first night. Flawless needlework and the stylish play of colours added a different dimension to the show.
The most striking feature about the brightly coloured creations was the blending of lighter and darker shades of the same colour. The use of masks added that extra punch to her collection, ‘Mongol Shobhajatra’.
Red and white are an inseparable part of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla New Year. She kept the predominance of white in men’s panjabis, cleverly compensating the absence of red with an array of other bright colours. The colours of the masks of ‘Mongol Shobhajatra’ served to ramp up the enchantment on the ramp.
Shaibal Saha’s collection, in contrast, was devoid of extravagance yet aesthetic. Curtains fell on the event this year, with him presenting the collection as it was the last show on the second day.
Shaibal aspired to lend uniqueness to pale colours with perfection in design and was absolutely successful in his endeavour. There were two more significant aspects in this collection.
First, he came out of his comfort zone, breaking down his old self. Discarding his love for print, he presented himself in a different way. It obviously was a big takeaway for his fans and the audience in general.
He certainly won a fair share of kudos for turning more attention to menswear for the very first time. There were eye-catching stylishly cut ‘kotis’, waistcoats and blazers. Then there were the straight pants-shirt combos of a variety of different cuts that drew attention.
All the shirts were white with diversity in their collars and buttons. Meanwhile the pants were crafted out of coarse khadi fabric. Their patterns also bore signs of the designer’s creative dexterity.
The collection included only two saris. Zari woven into khadi blended with tie-dye alongside an asymmetrical arrangement of colours on the backdrop, created an utterly unique beauty. This environment-friendly collection was one of the highlights of the fashion week this year.
The other collections presented at the event had their high notes and low. The couture show began with presentations from the sponsor company, Apex on both the days. They presented different lines of their footwear.
Apex’s show on the first day was followed by a presentation from another sponsor Ujjwala Care, a newly founded care brand.
Ujjwala introduced their anti-hair fall oil, skin-lightening body oil and anti-hair fall shampoo, all unisex. The company has a tagline that says: nature, science and beauty.
On the final day, sponsor Streax came up with their presentation after Apex. This well-known hair colour brand sported its own specialty. They maintain that colour isn’t just to hide grey hair, but rather to express one’s personality also. That the ideology of the company.
After Chandana 11 more designers including India’s Gunjan Jain, Iba Mallai and Rima Nayek displayed their collections on the first day.
Winner of UNESCO heritage award and Vogue’s best designer of the year award in 2016, Gunjan showcased a collection of saris woven from handspun tussar and Mulberry silk yarn. She named this collection ‘Flamingo Tribe’.
Another excellent example of environmental awareness was Rima Nayek’s ‘Botanics’. Her eye-catching collection featured bright colours with natural motifs on the backdrop. Liva is fabric made of natural fibre. It’s environment-friendly and comfortable to wear.
Iba Mallai highlighted her roots in the collection titled ‘Kiniho’. Just as she blends tradition with modern aesthetics in her creations, she also shows a sense of responsibility towards the environment and ecology.
Each item of that collection, crafted from Eri silk, told tales of embroidery and weaving heritage from her ancestry.
Afsana Ferdousi on the day presented a collection on the theme of rivers featuring the colour blue. All the rivers in our country are, sadly, endangered. Afsana told their sad tales through her collection ‘Dardbhari Afsana’.
She portrayed that crisis on the canvas of clothes, where marine animals have turned into motifs. The ramp was brightened by the representation of blue, while embroidery was the main focus there.
The brilliance of blue dye on white fabric was striking. Her creations reflect a sense of accountability towards nature and environment. This sort of subject and design is indeed Afsana’s signature.
But perhaps it is high time to break away from that singular focus. Like myself, there quite possibly are others out there, eager to hear other tales from Afsana.
Rifat Rahman tries to recreate himself every single time. There’s a mark of well-contemplated thought behind the making of his collection. And this time was no different either.
His Spring-Summer 2023 collection was a fitting presentation in the Bangladeshi context. The collection turned out diverse and spectacular with traditional wear coming together with the fusion style and the cohort of trendy colours.
An entire collection can be created out of a single colour. From that point of view this collection seemed like a miniature version of a wide-ranging collection indeed.
Core strength of Rifat’s collection is its lack of excessive accessories along with minimalism in design, cut and pattern. It’s an apt example of simple beauty as well.
In an event like the fashion week there are always some creations that resonate merely with the joy of creating. When it comes to that, you don’t even ponder upon the fact if it’s actually wearable or not. Sadia Rupa’s collection gave off that exact feeling. Her motifs were handwritten scripts and postal stamps.
Her designs have been crafted with applique, patchwork and clever use of print. There was variety in the cuts and patterns of the creations. She experimented especially with the sleeves and necks.
Brilliant use of checks, stripes and prints on various fabrics was mention-worthy. And, the use of accessories was consistent with the outfits.
There was a general idea about what Imam Hassan can do, as he was splendid in Friendship’s show earlier. What’s interesting is that he worked with natural colours but didn’t let his previous collection cast a shadow on this one. Rather he presented a whole new oeuvre of creativity before the city’s fashion enthusiasts.
Keeping eye-soothing blue at the centrem he brought a host of other colours together to complete his collection. One of the promising young Bangladeshi designers, Imam Hassan has left a mark this time too.
Each and every outfit of his Resort Wear Collection-2023 was vivid with the pleats, patches and hand embroidery. There was reminiscence of late designer Emdad Hoque somewhere in his style.
Alike Imam, Tanha Sheikh also represented a resort collection titled ‘Riding the Waves of Life’. Her palette didn’t include reflect the the common colour wheel. Rather she designed it, the way she liked, using only a few choice hues.
The joy of creating clothes was the priority here. So, each of the clothes were visibly irradiated. Simple accessories, cuts and patterns became the catalyst for making this ocean-inspired collection a sight to remember.
Nawshin Khair came up with orange bloom. She works out of environmental awareness. She showed a glimpse of experimenting with natural colours as well.
Orange and black were vibrantly present in her collection. She also blended two different types of dying methods for the first time. The gripping geometric patterns on the dresses were also noteworthy.
Tasfia Ahmed’s collection from the first day however, couldn’t leave that much of a mark. Her subject was ‘90’s Romanticism’.
She tried making her audience nostalgic with the use of khari print and zardosi work. But, her thoughts and outfits failed to make a connection there.
Final presentation of the night was from veteran artist come designer Kuhu Plamondon. She worked with clear fabric or raw silk, which has been mistaken for muslin in our country. But the fabric has always a suitable canvas in her creations.
This time was no exception. Being an artist herself, she was able to bring beautiful forms to the fabric with a creative touch. She blended various geometrical forms as the motifs. Somewhere, this attempt reminded of that iconic design from Yves Saint Laurent where he had presented geometric forms in different colours.
Following presentations from sponsor companies on the final night, Fashion Design Council of Bangladesh (FDCB) president Maheen Khan opened the show by bringing her creations to the catwalk.
She’s an advocate of environment-friendly and slow fashion. This is almost always manifest in her collections and was this time too.
The opening cue was an appeal to save biodiversity, especially wild animals. Her core collection endeavored to highlight local fabric made of natural fibre and the exquisite artistry of the craftsmen.
This seasoned designer has a penchant for Bangladeshi needlework. That was reflected once again in the bright-coloured outfits of this collection. Alongside there was the brilliance of prints.
The effort of making his fashion suitable for the hierarchy with heavy needlework and consistent texture decoration is the signature style of Shahrukh Amin.
This year’s collection kept that trend intact. The main attraction of his collection was indeed saris with the single exception of menswear, probably for the purpose of breaking the monotony.
Saris in of raw and crepe silk had been dyed bicolour. To match the borders of the sari, the sari and blouse had been embellished with heavy embroidery. The colour coordination was also mesmerizing.
Towards the end some models were “gagged” with decorated fabrics of the same colour as the shari or the blouse. These weren’t masks. These were symbols of silencing.
Among the three Indian designers, Paromita Banerjee led the way that night. She labeled her collection ‘Shaj 2.0′. This Bengali designer from Kolkata repeatedly describes the designs crafted on jacquard fabric using extra shafts as ‘jamdani’; in her own words, “our jamdani”.
This writer recently had an tiff with her on social media regarding this issue. However, using the word ‘lamdani’ in the press release issued by FDCB supported her claims indirectly.
Her collection was illumined with red and white, where Durga Puja was the main theme. Especially, it’s a tradition to wear red-bordered white sari on the final day of the Puja.
Not only saris, there were dresses of different cuts as well. The handloom fabric was her specialty. This attempt obviously deserves to be praised.
She worked with matka and linen. Plus there was cotton fabric woven with golden zari.
Lipi Khandoker and Faiza Ahmed’s collections were both special attractions, late that night. Lipi Khandoker’s ‘Beige Mood’ especially was a celebration of traditional designs on handloom fabric. A hinting presence of green amidst that turned the whole collection into a sight to behold.
Utilising the fabric texture, she played with the cuts and patterns. A noteworthy aspect of this collection basically was her asymmetrical silhouettes. So, the outfits became attractive and eye-catching with the minimalism of design.
Along with limited use of geometric motifs in print, that’s somewhat like the self-print upon the texture, applique and needlework completed the design.
Bangladesh completed 50 years of independence about two years ago. Faiza Ahmed didn’t let her bond with the country fade away though and er presentation ‘Deshbhokti’ bears proof of that. It was back in 1905 that Rabindranath Tagore had written the song ‘O Amar Desher Mati/ Tomar Pore Thekai Matha’ supporting the movement promoting abolition Bangabhanga (Partition of Bengal).
This song from the Swadesh Parjaay still holds appeal. Using the lines ‘O Amar Desher Mati’ and ‘Tomatey Bishwsomoyeer, Tomatey Mishwomayer Anchol Pata’ from that song in this collection titled ‘Deshbhokti’ couldn’t be more appropriate.
The words, written in calligraphy, have been used as motifs. Accessories to go with the dresses were almost absent though. But wrapping scarves around the neck was attractive.
The endeavor to bring out the significance of red and green by hanging red or green tassels at the hem of outfits like long shirts has to be credited as exquisite. Cotton fabric has been hand-dyed for this collection.
Other than the black and white the whole collection was crafted from different shades of beige. Besides, screen print was prioritised on the background. Meanwhile, masks and headgear of brown paper were quirky props.
He keeps himself entwined with his roots and the effects of that in his life and creation provide him with a different level of uniqueness. He has charmed his audience as well as fashion lovers in general by displaying that time and again.
Keeping that trend intact, Tenzing Chakma’s collection was pleasing to the eye this time as well. He lit up the ramp with the colours of spring.
The orchid ‘roktokanchon’,was his main creative inspiration this time. He tried bringing that up on raw silk with hand paint. Apart from the use of rayon, woven in the komor tant (a sort of handloom), this collection also told the story of his roots. Meanwhile, various colours used on the outfits created a heartwarming harmony.
The creations of this collection that included skirts, tops, pants, short skirts, shrugs, jackets, blazers and overcoats were basically west-inspired. It was spectacular when it came to cuts and patterns. There was only one sari to go with the whole collection, an intentional surprise.
Then again, Madhuree Sanchita’s ‘Bashanti Shourabh’ was a cool touch of weather as it grows increasingly hot. This work of hers is a sort of collaboration, no doubt. She handpainted on clear fabric (basically raw silk), quite familiar to those of us living in this region.
Some of the designs are completely signature and widely used; especially shimul. In this case, something else could have been painted as a nouveau touch. This would have been an aesthetic value addition. But as a collection it is wonderful and well-organised, where there was no exaggeration. Madhuri is also a fashion and jewelry designer at the same time.
So, there was a little glimpse of that alongside the clothes. As a keen audience though, hoped to see some more jewelry from Madhuri in the collection.
Rukhsana Esrar’s collection took inspiration from the beauty of Cox’s Bazar sea beach. Her collection consisted of both eastern and western fashion. There were also combinations of both.
Light colours made in easier on the eyes. Colour coordination going up from light to darker shades was pleasant. Attempting to dye the fabric, suitable use of hand paint and unified presence of accessories completed Rukhsana’s collection.
Kamrul Hasan’s ‘Obhikorsher Shoundorjo’ couldn’t really live up to expectations. Some of the designs were indeed likeable but doesn’t grow on the audience as a collection on the whole.
Rather his work reminds one of veteran designer Rina Latif. But this young designer’s environmental awareness, interest towards sustainable design and admiration for needlework do create a sense of wonder.
Mizoram’s Charlee Mathlena’s creation displayed a clear trail of her origins. She brought out authentic cultural aspects of the hill people through small motifs. Fabrics knit on the komor tat by women of the hills are no doubt a treasure of their lineage, a part of their extended culture.
Using that same fabric she seemingly paid a tribute to them as well as her own origins. On the other hand, simple yet pleasing silhouettes established the image of a responsible designer.
No matter how inclined towards the modern look, today’s travellers do not forsake their history and traditions. West Bengali designer Soumitra Mondal planned his creative collection with this exact belief in the title ‘Musafir’.
His entire collection featured handloom fabrics. There were mostly striped saris with light coloured saris accompanied by dark printed blouses. Apart from that, there was an enticing collection of pant-tops, salwar-kameez, made of zari-stitched handloom fabric.
There’s no denying that this year’s event was successful on many levels. However, the audience should master the etiquette of enjoying a fashion show. Walking on the ramp during an ongoing show or leaving in the middle of a show no doubt is just not done.
While attending a show, it’s appreciable to leave after the entire show has ended; leaving after enjoying some selective shows doesn’t ring right.
Let’s end on a different note. During the two-day event, there were two small audio-visual presentations in remembrance of late Emdad Hoque. There could’ve been a little bit more of his presence there. A corner could have been set in his honour. After all, his contribution to FDCB is significant.
