Tasmit Rafiyat Arny on making Miss Universe Bangladesh’s ‘national costume’
Miss Universe Bangladesh, Shirin Akter Shela was appreciated for her national costume in the final round of the contest. She looked stunning in a red jamdani saree, complete with a model hood of the iconic Bangladeshi rickshaws, and jewellery made to imitate Bengali letters. The person behind the unique costume is Tasmit Afiyat Arny, who started her career in 2011. She studied Graphics Design at University of Dhaka, worked as an intern at the fashion house, YELLOW, and went on to participate in many reality shows, including Style Guru and AXN Amazing Race. She also participated on the show, LUX Channel i Superstar, and made it to the Top 15. We caught up with Tasmit to learn more about her work.
Share your experience of being involved in designing Miss Universe Bangladesh’s national costume.
Just two days before Shela was flying to Georgia, Rizwan Bin Farouq, Chairman, Miss Universe Bangladesh, requested me to make the costumes for Shela, as I had also worked on the costumes for Miss World Bangladesh, Jessia Islam, in 2017. I didn’t know whether it will be practically possible to make Shela’s costume in such a short time! However, I took it as a challenge and with lots of sleepless nights and effort, I completed the whole concept.
How did you come up with the idea of the national costume for Miss Universe Bangladesh, which was appreciated worldwide?
I had to create something that signifies the culture and heritage of Bangladesh. Jamdani is a handloom woven fabric made of cotton, an age-old Bengali tradition that has been celebrated across the world. The rickshaw hood had vibrant colours depicting local nature and pop culture, Rickshaw paint has been considered an archetypal form of contemporary Bangladeshi folk art. Moreover, the rickshaw and jamdani are environmentally friendly products as well.
Along with that, the hood also showcased the ritual of making masks. Masks are a vital part of the celebration of the Bengali New Year. They symbolised kings and queens, indicating the vast history of Bengali culture. The Royal Bengal Tiger is our national animal, while the Owl is seen as a symbol of prosperity. The masks together conveyed the history of our culture. The jewellery pieces imitating Bengali letters, expressed our pride in our mother tongue. The green background of the rickshaw hood and Shela’s red saree represented the colours of our national flag.
Besides a fashion designer, you have also worked as an art designer and assistant director. Do you want to work as director?
I prefer working as a fashion designer. I am a visualiser at Asiatic. Currently, I am also running a fashion house, Stride, which has two outlets in Dhaka. Apart from designing, I have worked on Rubaiyat Hossain’s Under Construction, as an assistant director, and in quite a few television commercials. I might think of directing in the future, but for now, I am focusing only on designing.
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