Green is the New Black

Ten young Bangladeshi designers were chosen to participate at the
Ethno-Fashion Workshop and Show. Photo: Prabir Das

The world of fashion is an exciting one. Bright, beautiful and self-obsessed. Many disregard the fashion industry as one that promotes superficiality. It is an industry that gets a bad rap for putting special emphasis on materialism. The fashion industry is only for the elite; it cares nothing for the people or the environment, detractors whine. Over the years, the naysayers have been proven wrong and how!

Since the 1990s, fashion designers have been experimenting with eco-friendly fabrics and designs. Eco-fashion has since become a movement concerned with designing clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.

Participants used local fabrics to create exclusive designs. Photo: Prabir Das

With an aim to create a collection of original, eco-friendly designs, the Alliance Française de Dhaka and Goethe-Institut Bangladesh has organised a joint project called the “Ethno Fashion Workshop and Show.” The project, part of the official celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Franco-

Michael Sontag and Bibi Russell, along with Sakina M'Sa, guided the participants to create original and eco-friendly collections. Photos: Prabir Das

German friendship, includes a three-week long workshop for young Bangladeshi designers culminating into a couple of fashion shows in Dhaka and Chittagong.

The ten young designers were guided by international fashion designers Michael Sontag from Germany, Sakina M'Sa from France and our very own Bibi Russell.

There has been a shift in consumers' demands towards imported synthetic fabrics in recent years in Bangladesh. Designers and shop owners seem to be forgetting that the country's rich hand-woven textiles industry can be used to produce unique designs for both national and international consumers.

Bangladesh does not need to limit itself to the garments industry alone, says Michael Sontag. The country has the potential and resources to be a game changer in the international fashion scene, he says.

“Bangladesh, unfortunately, is known solely for its garments industry but not for its fashion scene. That should not be the case. Designers of this country don't have to go to Italy or France for fabrics; they have an amazing textile industry right here. They only need to know how best to use these fabrics to create exclusive designs,” says Sontag.

The aim of the workshop and the subsequent fashion shows is to promote the use of local fabrics and power to promote Bangladeshi designs, he says.

The aspiring designers believe that there are a number of ways
to turn local fabrics to stunning designs. Photo: Prabir Das

Bibi Russell has travelled around the country, spending years developing new textiles, patterns and eco-friendly production techniques with weavers. Her designs emphasise her goal of “fashion for development,” with a focus on traditional fabrics, motifs and patterns. With internationally acclaimed collections, Russell has proven that local fabrics can offer designers ample opportunities to be creative in their designs.

“We may not be able to organise huge fashion events in Bangladesh yet. But that does not mean that we can't make beautiful, fashionable dresses using local technology and fabrics. I only use locally produced fabrics and I haven't ever had a reject. My collections have almost always sold out,” Russell says.

Bibi Russell has always been a proponent of clean, green fashion. She hopes to pass on her knowledge of the vibrant textile heritage onto the young designers so that they know how best to use their country's resources to produce distinctive designs.

“Eco-friendly designs are being integrated into the mainstream fashion industry all around the world. Today consumers seek out ecological products because they are aware of their benefits,” Russell says.

Both Sontag and Russell believe that the young generation of Bangladeshi designers have a lot to offer to the evolving fashion scene of the country. They believe that with appropriate fashion education and exposure to international fashion, young designers can be persuaded to discover their own niche in the world of fashion.

Each participant designed a couple of outfits for the fashion show. Photo: Prabir Das

“In Europe, you have at least three famous fashion schools that offer excellent education. Bibi Russell, for example, studied at a fashion school in London. I think people need to understand that it is important to have a fashion education if they want to delve into this field. Aspiring designers need to see the value in education,” says Sontag.

Despite the existence of numerous universities, the country still lacks good teachers who can educate aspiring designers on the basic grammar of fashion, says Russell. A strong education coupled with creativity can take a designer places in the fashion world, she adds.

Kehkasha Sabah, Arny Tasmit Afiyat and Hanif Kaiser, participants at the workshop, believe that the workshop helped them understand the value of local fabrics and resources.

“We Bangladeshis often reject our own products, thinking that they are inferior to imported goods. At this workshop, we were taught to make optimum use of our rich textile heritage. Unlike popular belief, there are a number of ways that we can turn local fabrics to international designs,” says Hanif Kaiser.

The project shows us that in order to reach out globally, we need to think local. We need to be ahead of the curve when it comes to ethical fashion, thus making a mark on the global fashion map.