‘FAB by Farah Anjum Bari’ at Style Diary
Redefining fashion trends to meet her own vision, the inimitable Farah Anjum Bari has ventured into ready-to-wear retail with her autumn line of prêt-à-porter. Style Diary, a multi-designer retail outlet in Banani, houses some of the country's esteemed designers like Kuhu, Shahrukh Amin, and others in addition to Farah Anjum Bari, who, through her label, FAB, elevates prêt wear in this new collection and makes it look anything but factory-made!
"My signature lies in fluid, asymmetric cuts, drapes, folds and cowl necklines. I love meshing 'deshi' elements with modern silhouettes but my passion lies in melding art and culture to produce the pieces I make," she says.
And that passion is exactly what fuelled Farah's two-decade long career as an haute couturier; her reputation of serving clients to the likes of royal dignitaries, the Miss World Pageant (2001), Biman Bangladesh Airlines, and events such as Lux Channel I Superstar hosted by Unilever Bangladesh Ltd. A regular star of fashion festivals and weeks, Farah's fusion looks have been instrumental in contemporising Bengali fashion over the years. It's this plethora of experience that Farah utilises in her latest ready-to-wear line.
Inspired from the loveliness of autumn, Farah's prêt wear is home to the season's azure skies and pristine blooms of kansgrass to reconstruct the vision with fabrics and cuts. Tops, blouses, single and three pieces — this prêt line has something hanging in its racks for every fashionista craving to stand out in her never-ending pursuit of work and errands. Fluid in flow and texture, Farah's hottest line yet will have you in awe of the millennial pink washing over blue that runs as grey as the horizon. Seamless gradients, interesting cutworks and hand embroidery, and stories of Bengal's illustrious craftsmanship are what will demand a closer appreciation of the attire and have you in raptures as a buyer!
Farah's line at Style Diary also features a couple of show-stopping pieces; one of which has been treated as though it were a canvas awaiting the touch of an artist! With aimless streaks of sunshine yellow upon pure white, this single piece, in its tiered drapes and flow of fabric seals quite the impact despite its uber minimalistic design — Farah's signature as a designer. The other piece is rather clever despite being beautiful; paying homage to French architecture from Old Dhaka, Farah envisions its signature onion domes and uses the outline as the focal point of the dress. She completes the overall look with long-hanging tassels and folded layers.
Playing around with fabrics like cotton, crepe silk and muslin silk, Farah further experiments by creating different textures on fabric and has fun with various renditions of screened prints— a risk you will find pays off for the better for her prêt line!
If you are looking to up the ante with these rare additions to your wardrobe, expect a price tag of Tk 3,500 – 5,500 for the tops and for the range to go as high up as Tk 8000 for the single pieces and Tk 10,000-15,000 for three pieces, depending on intricacy and fabric. When making a purchase here, what you can be sure of is that you truly get what you pay for and never go home with shopper's guilt!
"What you wear is an expression of who you are; it's the first thing about yourself that you convey to others without even saying anything. And I've always been one to speak volumes despite not saying much," muses Farah.
In other words, self-expression is incomplete without a sartorial punch. And nothing packs quite the punch like FAB!
Photo: Kaushik Iqbal
Models: Tabinda Hossain, Sabrina Zaman Riba, Niki
Makeup: Rahat Shumon
Style Diary, Level 5, House 44, Rd 12, Block E, Banani
Facebook: fb.com/FABbyFarahAnjumBari
Instagram: @farah.a.bari
Contact: 01826034056