Ethno-Fashion, 2013- Fashion Moves a Step Further

The unique designs by the participants of the workshop. Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

The unique designs by the participants of the workshop. Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

Fashion has taken a big leap forward in Bangladesh ever since young girls and boys suddenly started showing an interest in the field and pursuing their dreams but studying such a challenging yet fun subject. Universities like Shanto-Mariam University of Creative Technology, Pearl Fashion Institute, BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology, Raffles Institute of Higher Education, and many more have been catering to the needs of these young hopeful designers and guiding them up to a certain extent. But at the end of the day, any dream needs a little more nourishment and hard work to come true.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Franco-German Elysée Treaty, which ended centuries of enmity between Germany and France and established a new foundation for relation fifty years ago, Goethe-Institut Dhaka and Alliances Françaises in Dhaka and Chittagong, sharing common values and artistic approaches, have developed again a joint cultural program, this time in the field of fashion design.

The unique designs by the participants of the workshop. Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

Since May 18, awarded fashion designers Sakina M'SA (Paris), Bibi Russel (Dhaka) and Michael Sontag (Berlin) have conducted a workshop for ten selected Bangladeshi fashion design students taking into consideration the mutual traditions and the creative inspiration of the participants. The organizers are proud to be able to present a colorful and exciting collection of original and eco-friendly pieces of clothing to the public after only three weeks. The participating designers were Nazia Afroz, Iffat Ara, Rubaiya Haque Raka, Homaira Hasin Sadia, Tasmit Afiyat (Arny), Kehkasha Sabah, Sifat Zaman, Yaana Nuzhat, Jarin Tasnim Ona and Md Hanif Kaiser.

The designers were selected by a panel formed by Bibi Russell, the director of Goethe-Institut Dhaka and Alliance Française de Dhaka. The applicants had to submit a portfolio or some kind of work as well as their motivation in the course in May.

Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

These participants were trained thoroughly by the three esteemed designers. Sakina M'SA took the responsibility of teaching these young designers everything about pattern making, Michael Sontag taught them everything about draping while Bibi Russel covered all the basic areas of fashion designing and how to make an outfit. The whole purpose of the workshop was to teach the future of Bangladeshi design how to make use of our own products and use deshi fabric into making gorgeous outfits. “We always want to buy foreign material when it comes to making a dress because we think it's just somehow going to be better. But through this workshop, we have all come to realise the kind of potential our own fabrics have and we learned how to use them to their fullest extent and make something brilliant out of it,” says Jarin Tasnim Ona, one of the participants and a diploma holder in Fashion Design from Shanto-Marium University of Creative Technology. She continues, “Even though I have already gotten a diploma in this field, through this workshop I have come to realise that there still a lot left to learn. More than learning, Fashion Design is a lot about innovation and imagination and this workshop gave us that exact scope- to use our imaginations and creativity through everything that they have taught us.”

Photo: Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

After the three weeks long workshop, two fashion shows were held on June 7 and 8, 2013 in La Galerie and in the Alliance Francaise de Dhaka courtyard where twenty three models were dressed in colourful and exquisitely designed outfits by the participants. The models were trained through a series of catwalk workshops held by Bibi Russel.

One June 10, the show moved to Chittagong as these unique clothes by the participants were displayed as well. The event is also sponsored by Montagut, Getco and Aarong.

Being the first ever international workshop on design to be held in Dhaka, such an initiative can give more inspiration and hope to the youth to pursue their career in creating clothing masterpieces and someday making a name in the fashion map of the world.